Moscow Kremlin isn’t only the symbol of Russian statehood, it is also the richest treasury of historical relicts and art objects. “Wonderful things of ancient art, which are kept in the Kremlin, are absolutely unique, you will not see anything like that in any other place. So I think that now is the time when our government which is now being formed, should pay very serious attention to the condition of our museums, theaters, libraries, archives, because the wonderful works that are in our collections should not only be constitutionally declared as works that should be accessible to the citizens of our country and to all the guests visiting us”, said Elena Gagarina, Director of the Moscow Kremlin Museums.
Ms Gagarina told the press-conference the schedule of the upcoming exhibitions in Kremlin. “On June 14 we will open an exhibition on the iconostasis from the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. This is one of the oldest iconostasis in our country. The iconostasis was created in 1497. From the same period, there are two iconostases: the iconostasis of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin and the iconostasis of the Ferapontov Monastery. We always wanted to bring the iconostasis here, in Kremlin and show it here, because there are only few works of the ancient Russian art from the 15th century.
“The iconostasis was dismantled after the revolution, and some of its icons remained in Kirillov, some icons have been given to the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum and the Museum of Andrei Rublev. However, this works needs to be seen in its original form. These icons make up a particular complex. This complex not only has an artistic value, but also very strong symbolic value, so one should look at it, keeping in mind all the icons that were created for the iconostasis in the late 15th century. I hope that this exhibition will be popular with our viewers will have the opportunity to reflect on the fact that there is a Russian art of the 15th century, the Byzantine tradition of what were perceived that the new was introduced in these works of the masters of Moscow and Novgorod. And I hope that this exhibition will become of great pleasure to all those interested in the Russian art, and I hope that we will have many visitors.
“Then a month or less than a month later - on July 5, we are opening a very intresting for all those curious about medieval history. This exhibition is devoted to the Order of Malta, the history of the Order of Malta, the state, as well as the regalia of the Order of Malta. You know that one of our emperors, Paul I, was the head of the Order of Malta, and Russia kept part of the regalia of the Order of Malta. Maltese symbolic was at one time part of the Russian state symbolic, of the Russian Empire. In addition to all these important insignia, orders and the history of the Order of Malta there will be presented two very remarkable paintings - a portrait of a chevalier of the Order of Malta, Caravaggio's work, which we are bringing from the Palazzo Pitti, and the image of John the Baptist made by Mattia Preti in the apparel, in the regalia of the Order of Malta. I think that the exhibition will also be a very important event because it coincides with the first-ever visit to our country since the Soviet period of the head of the Order of Malta. The exhibition will be very solemn, with the participation of Maltese knights who will come on a visit.
“The autumn of this year is very rich on exhibition projects, which we will hold on the territory of the Kremlin, and abroad. You know that this year is the year celebrating the 200th anniversary of the victory over Napoleon in the War of 1812. The main events took place in the Kremlin, and for this anniversary we will open a small exhibition at the Armory, which will talk about what happened in the Kremlin, how the Kremlin collection, which was then already a museum collection, was evacuated from the Kremlin to Nizhny Novgorod, which artifacts associated with the very significant participation of Alexander I in the victory over Napoleon in the war we have, as well as about the decision to perpetuate the memory of the victory in the Kremlin, by collecting all the captured armor and all the Russian cannonry, which were left on the battlefield, and which are still kept in the Kremlin as a symbol of this great victory.
“This exhibition will be opened on October 4. Later, at the end of October, we will open an exhibition, which is very important and interesting for us. The exhibition, which we have been preparing for a long time will be called "The Golden Age of British Art," the golden age of English court. The exhibition is dedicated to the English courtly culture of the times of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, King James and then Charles I, that is, of the late Tudors and early Stuarts. The exhibition will not only be dedicated to the British art of the Renaissance, but also to the symbols of British power, the British culture, the relationship between Russia and Britain during this period. I must say that we are very grateful to our colleagues from the Victoria and Albert Museum, from the Maritime Museum in Greenwich, all private collectors, who lend us their works for this exhibition. The exhibition should be a really glamorous and luxurious as we are bringing here all the major jewels which have survived from this period. I must say that everything you see on British portraits, all male and female images, from head to toe covered with jewels, each of them having a very strong symbolic value - have unfortunately not been preserved. In Britain, there are only five historic jewels from the late 16th - early 17th century, and three of them we will bring to Moscow, and you would be able see them. We'll bring pictures, portrait miniatures, costumes, armor. I should be happy today to say that for the first time we have the armor of Henry VIII, which is given to us by Queen Elizabeth II from her personal collection. For the first time from the royal collection a significant work will be brought here in Moscow. The exhibition will present not only art, but also literature. In particular, we will bring the first edition of Shakespeare - the famous book, which is known as the Great Folio, and you would also be able to see it on our show. We are participating in an exhibition, which opens in Germany this year and then in Moscow, called "Russia and the Germans: 1000 years together." However, the Kremlin museums are taking not a very large part in it: we are providing objects that are linked to the ruling house of Brandenburg, and basically it is made by the Historical Museum in conjunction with the museums of Berlin, in the first place. And we will open an exhibition in Dresden, that will talk about Russia as a cultural, economic and political environment for facilitating relations between Western Europe and Eastern countries”.
