Saint-Petersburg with 7tours

Fashionable St.Petersburg

I was on exibition named "Fashionable Petersburg. Game field of culture". I wanted to go there so much because there was shown all parts of social life in Saint-Petersburg in 18 and 19 centuries. Items on the exibition are the part of  national Pushkin museum, and all costumes are the reconstructions made by famous costumier Anna Nekrasova. 

It was really impressing to find out that social culture in Saint-Petersburg had many traditions and nuances! I'm sure that's why our city is still named as "culture capital of Russia"! Because for several centuries citizens there were (and, proudly saying, are ) super-attentive for everything!

 At this exibition were shown the masquarades' etiquette, the boudoir and study room routine, the culture of mutual visits and first balls.

It was interesting to know about little nothings of life, which formed the life in 18 and 19 centuries. For example, even young girls sniffed tabacco! And ink were made from blueberry juice and burrs. Some of traditions are still alive-  the beau monde still goes to the Ekaterinhoff on  the 1st of May! 

The exibition took place at Derzhavin museum, which still have the atmosphere of the past - refined and noble, as if it is still life in 18th or 19th century!

"Museums at Night" - 3. The A.S. Popov Central Museum of Communications

So, here are the third and the last part of my"Museums at night" route. If you missed two previous parts, you can find the first part here and the second part you can find here . For my third place I chose The A.S. Popov Central Museum of Communications. When I were making my route before "Museums at Night" I marked this museum as the most interesting among all. And actually it turned out that it is the most impressive one! I was so exited, and  I even decided to visit it one more time... or more!

If you would like to know The  Popov Central Museum of Communications is one of the oldest museums about technologies and science! It was founded - just imagine! - in 1872! 

The museum of communications have several exibitions in it. The first hall is dedicated to post service in Russia . I was impressed by different types of mail boxes! For example that one is for air mail:

Also in this hall there were many pieces of stationary which were used many many years ago.

Just look at it! It's so massive, but nevertheless beautiful things were used in postal service!

The other hall is separated for two parts. The first one is interactive. There you can see frequency of your voice, try to make a Morze message, or to play zootrope - if it's correct to call it "play". Just make it spin, and you can see the bird's fly. Like this:

In the second part you can see the old technical things which were used to make photo, cinema and TV. It's very captivating! You can also see how all that techmical things were constructed.

In other halls there were a lot of impressive things! There is a collection of old electronics of different years. 

And it was also interactive! You can listen to different radio pieces and gramophones, how it sounded. I believe many people have a kind of nostalgia there! And all that can also inspire the young people! As for me, it really impress me - ho have a chance to hear "how it was 20,50, or almost 100 years ago! 

And also in that museum you can make an oldstyle" call. Just look at this! It's the same as in  old movies! 

I really love this museum so much! The exibition is really impressive and I should say it make me think about how complex and complicated every technical device is, and how smart should be people to create such  things!

"Museums at Night" - 2. Museum of Religion

For my second destination at "Museums at Night" I chose Museum of Religion. The first part of my route you can see here . 

It is not popular museum both between tourists and citizens of Saint-Petersburg. You ask why? I think because mostly it oriented on kids and on those people who want to refresh his or her  knowledge about religion and to learn something new. But I personally enjoy it! 

Specially for "Museums at Night" there was made special quest - interactive adventure game. It's intruiguing, isn't it?

So every person was given a special brochure with tasks. Some of them were really tricky and complex! And there were given leads and clues to help visitors to answer. It was relly funny and informative at the same time!  Everybody enjoyed it very much! I hope there will be such events after that "Museums at Night"-2013.

Here are some things, which I found out interesting. 

 This "helmet" with horns belongs to shaman. Of cause it is logical, that his headwear have deer horns - because it was a shaman of tribes, where deers were the main "resourse" for surviving. But it still looks interesting! Also in this hall I also saw doll charms. For me it was intriguing that they have eyes, because in Russian culture kind-a same looking talisman dolls doesn't have eyes at all! I'll definately will write about of that doll tradition soon, so stay tuned!) 

 In Orthodox hall I saw beautiful icons-menaion for May. It was made in Rostow in 18 century, and it tells church people about feasts and about birthdays of Saints. 

Also I saw the so-called "Verigi" - chains of ascetic people. Such people wore them to "humility of flesh". I think it really looks intimidating.

Do you remember I wrote, that this museum is perfect for children? Because every hall is stylized for every theme and religion. For example, "Christianity in Middle Ages" room have windows as if it was a cathedral or a castle.

There are a lot of replicas - just to show different religions in different aspects. 

Also there is a fragment of maiolica of Saint-Petersburg mosque. It was unexpected, but nice to see, how heritage of out city is kept.

Also there were going contemporary exibition of Old Believers' print. But because it stands alone of other halls, there wasn't much visitors and amateurs of that theme.

Also I would like to tell about comfort in the museums. I think it's a good sight that not-much-popular museum have convenience equipment for physically challenged people. For me it's a good signal that our city take care of all of us.

 So, here is the second part of my "Museums at Night" journey. Stay tuned - the third part is coming soon!

"Museums At Night" - 1. Museum of Print

 Saint-Petersburg is definately a culture capital of Russia! There are so many museums, that even specialists can't name them all! That's why it's a good idea to have "Museums At Night" festival - you can go to different museums, which are kind-a "non-touristic-traditional" and which are not as big and famous as Russian Museum and the Hermitage. 

That spring for my "Museums At Night" route I chose three museums. Do you want to join me in my little museum journey?)

This time I'll tell you about the Museum of Print.

 The Museum of Print now is the part of State Museum of history of Saint-Petersburg. It-s not so big, but it have it's own charm of little, almost cozy building of previous centures. 

The first thing which impress me was little temporary exibition on the first floor. There were Easter post cards of tzar's times. There was such a delicate workmanship, just look at it! 

Than I went to see standing exhibition. It inclides the history of this building (it is not really interesting actually, just a little info that in different periond of time it have a huge amount of owners and tenants. Even Lenin lived there! It was the certain place where Lenin wrote his famous "April Theses"! 

Also I want to mention the phone on the wall - it was one of the first ones made by Ericsson & Co. 

In this room there were reconstructed the editors office of the paper "Правда" ("The Truth"). So this building is full of story not only history of Saint-Petersburg, but even of the history of Russia! 

Also there were many books, which were printed in that print house.

Than was a room - "printing office" with all "old" techmical equipment for printing. Everything is so huge there! But the process of "how to print a page" was captivating!

Just look at it: 

Than it was offered to everybody to make a lino-print.

And every person can make his own copy by himself :)

 I enjoyed my visiting of Museum of Print! And what about you?
Stay tuned to visit other two museums :)

old Russian clay toy-whistles in Saint-Petersburg