Lecture "Treasures of Ancient Russia" - Events

Lecture "Treasures of Ancient Russia"

15 January 2016—15 January 2016

The exhibition presents unique jewelry of gold and silver dated to the XIth-XIIIth centuries and from most rich treasures that were hidden mostly in 1237-1240, in the period when Mongol-Tatar armies attacked Russian towns. The Russian Museum collection treasures is one of the richest in the world and includes many masterpieces. The most significant of them are the objects made of gold with cloissoné enamel, of silver with niello and engraving, and also adornments decorated with tiniest granulating: precious ceremonial attires of the princes (knyaz) and members of their families, boyars and warriors from Kiev, Chernigov and Old Ryazan. The most prominent are the adornments from Kiev treasures: pendants ornamented with depictions of the Sirin bird and the "ryasny" chains (the best examples of this kind ever found in Russia) and also a golden diadem with the depiction of Deisis that was used as a bridal crown. In the silver jewelry treasures the true masterpieces are the wide folding bracelets with depiction of animals and birds and the scenes of the pagan folk festivities - "rousalii". All these exhibits provide an opportunity to know the artistic tastes of the townsfolk and also the jewelers' skill and show the richness of jewelry adornments of people in the Ancient Rus.