400 Years of Russion History Through the Lens of the Romanov Dynasty

The exhibition The Romanovs: Legacy of an Empire Lost brings together rare pieces from more than a dozen institutional and private collections, many of them never displayed before in American museums. Visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to delve into the history of a dynasty that forged an empire spanning Europe and Asia from the Baltic to the Pacific. Curator, Dr. Maria Zavialova has marshaled over two hundred unique artifacts closely associated with the Imperial House for the exhibition that will open at The Museum of Russian Art on Nov. 16, 2013. The exhibition will introduce the first three hundred years of Romanov rule focusing on the final years of the Imperial dynasty. Subsequent sections will feature the fascinating account of the Soviet sales of Imperial treasures in the West and the dynastys survival after the end of the age of empires.

Michael, the first Romanov tsar and a relative of Ivan the Terrible, ascended the throne in 1613 at the age of 16. A gospel handwritten in the inaugural year of the Romanov dynasty and a 17th century atlas of the Russian lands represent the first century of the Romanovs.

A book of military regulations legislated by Peter the Great, porcelain from the first service of the Imperial Porcelain factory founded by Empress Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great, and a book of correspondence between Catherine the Great and Voltaire published shortly after her death represent the glorious Age of the Greats - the eighteenth century.

Artifacts from other noted Romanovs include the following:

A miniature book of the manifestos and edicts of Alexander II, noted for the abolition of serfdom in Russia.

A thirty-foot funerary scroll of the ceremonial procession at the repose of Alexander I.

Artifacts from the family of Grand Duke Konstantin, a well-known poet, and translator of Hamlet.

A gold-embroidered liturgical vestment from the coronation of Nicholas II, Russias last tsar.

Draft of the abdication manifesto of Nicholas II, March 1,1917.

After the fall of the Imperial House, its legacy was still alive in memories and mementoes cherished by the Empires former subjects in the secrecy of their homes and in exile. The second part of the exhibition considers the afterlife of the monarchy, including the rich panoply of Romanov survivors, the dark fascination and lore surrounding the dramatic fates of the family, the resurrection of the Romanov narrative in post-Communist Russia, and the restoration of the dynastic relics.

The catastrophic rupture caused by the Bolshevik revolution is demonstrated through the juxtaposition of the Imperial and Soviet state symbols featured on bank notes, postage stamps, coinage, insignia, etc. This section includes a porcelain chess set featuring the Whites and Reds; a Soviet propaganda plate and other objects.

Some of the most interesting artifacts in the exhibition reveal the lesser-known story of the Soviet sales of imperial treasures to western collectors to ensure the regimes survival. A silver samovar by Faberge is among the most stunning items in the selection that also includes objects sold through the Hammer Galleries or collected by US Ambassador to the Soviet Union Joseph E. Davies.

The consultant for the exhibition is a notable expert in the field of Slavic and Eastern European librarianship, Edward Kasinec, Staff Associate at Harriman Institute, Columbia University, formerly Head of the Slavic and Baltic Division, The New York Public Library.

The Romanovs: Legacy of a Lost Empire will continue through March 2014.

Major funding for this exhibition has been provided by Pamela and Jack Safar, with additional support from Jerald Jacobs. Significant funding has come from the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

About The Museum of Russian Art The Museum of Russian Art, a non-profit, educational institution, is the only museum in the United States dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of Russian art and artifacts. TMORA is located in an award-winning exhibition facility at 5500 Stevens Ave. S. (intersection of I-35W and Diamond Lake Road) in Minneapolis. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Monday-Wednesday, Friday), 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Thursday), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Saturday); 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Sunday). Admission is $9 for adults. To learn more about the Museum, upcoming exhibitions and events, to view selections from the Museum store, or to schedule an event at the Museum, call 612-821-9045 or visit www.tmora.org.

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John Dunne
External Relations Associate

The Museum of Russian Art
5500 Stevens Ave S/ Minneapolis, MN 55419
612-821-9045 / jdunne@tmora.org

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