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[[Image:Saint Petersburg Kunstkamera view from the front.jpg|thumb|300px|View of the Kunstkammer across the Neva.]]
[[Image:Saint Petersburg Kunstkamera view from the front.jpg|thumb|300px|View of the Kunstkammer across the Neva.]]


The '''Kunstkamera''' or '''Kunstkammer''' was the first museum in [[Russia]]. It was established by [[Peter I of Russia|Peter the Great]] on the [[Neva River]]front (now [[Universitetskaya Embankment]]) facing the [[Winter Palace]]. The turreted [[Petrine Baroque]] building of the Kunstkamera designed by [[Georg Johann Mattarnovy]] was completed by [[1727]]. The foundation stone for the Kunstkammer was laid in [[1719]].
The '''Kunstkamera''' or '''Kunstkammer''' was the first museum in [[Russia]]. Established by [[Peter I of Russia|Peter the Great]] and completed in 1727, it hosts the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, with a collection of almost 2,000,000 items. It is located on the [[Universitetskaya Embankment]], facing the [[Winter Palace]].

==History==
The Kunstkamera was established by Peter the Great on the [[Neva River]]front. The turreted [[Petrine Baroque]] building of the Kunstkamera designed by [[Georg Johann Mattarnovy]] was completed by [[1727]]. The foundation stone for the Kunstkammer was laid in [[1719]].


Peter's museum was dedicated to preserving "[[Cabinet of curiosities|natural and human curiosities and rarities]]". The tsar's personal collection, originally stored in the [[Summer Palace (Russia)|Summer Palace]], features a large assortment of human and animal [[fetus]]es with anatomical deficiencies, which Peter had seen in 1697 visiting [[Frederick Ruysch]] and [[Levinus Vincent]]. The underlying idea of their kunstkammers was to acquire full knowledge of the world. The Dutch word "konst-kamer" seems to be introduced by the surgeon Stephanus Blankaart in 1680.
Peter's museum was dedicated to preserving "[[Cabinet of curiosities|natural and human curiosities and rarities]]". The tsar's personal collection, originally stored in the [[Summer Palace (Russia)|Summer Palace]], features a large assortment of human and animal [[fetus]]es with anatomical deficiencies, which Peter had seen in 1697 visiting [[Frederick Ruysch]] and [[Levinus Vincent]]. The underlying idea of their kunstkammers was to acquire full knowledge of the world. The Dutch word "konst-kamer" seems to be introduced by the surgeon Stephanus Blankaart in 1680.
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Many items were bought in Amsterdam from pharmacologist [[Albertus Seba]] (1716) and anatomist [[Frederik Ruysch]] (1717) and formed the basis for the [[Academy of Sciences]]. The Kunstkamera was specially built to house these two extensive collections. A third acquisition came from [[Jacob de Wilde]], a collector of gems and scientific instruments. Head-physician to the czar, [[Robert Arskine]], and his secretary [[Johann Daniel Schumacher]] were responsible for the acquisition.<ref>Driessen-Van het Reve, J.J. (2006) De Kunstkamera van Peter de Grote. De Hollandse inbreng, gereconstrueerd uit brieven van Albert Seba en Johann Daniel Schumacher uit de jaren 1711-1752. English summary, p. 337-338. </ref>
Many items were bought in Amsterdam from pharmacologist [[Albertus Seba]] (1716) and anatomist [[Frederik Ruysch]] (1717) and formed the basis for the [[Academy of Sciences]]. The Kunstkamera was specially built to house these two extensive collections. A third acquisition came from [[Jacob de Wilde]], a collector of gems and scientific instruments. Head-physician to the czar, [[Robert Arskine]], and his secretary [[Johann Daniel Schumacher]] were responsible for the acquisition.<ref>Driessen-Van het Reve, J.J. (2006) De Kunstkamera van Peter de Grote. De Hollandse inbreng, gereconstrueerd uit brieven van Albert Seba en Johann Daniel Schumacher uit de jaren 1711-1752. English summary, p. 337-338. </ref>

==Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography==
⚫
In the 1830s, the Kunstkamera collections were dispersed to newly established imperial museums, the most important being the Peter the Great Museum of [[Anthropology]] and [[Ethnography]], established in 1879. It has a collection approaching 2,000,000 items and has been known as the Peter the Great Museum since 1903, but is often abbreviated to MAE.

Originally there were separate museums for anthropology and ethnography, but on 5 December 1878 it was decided to merge them into a single museum with [[Leopold Schrenk]] being appointed on November 10th, 1879. It was not until 1887, that the Museum was finally provided with its own exhibition premises attached to Kunstkamera in Tamozhennyi pereulok. On 23 September, 1889, the first exphibition of the unified Museum was opened.

The museum houses 78 watercolours by the [[Peru]]vian artist [[Pancho Fierro]], the largest collection outside Peru. These were brought back by Schrenk following his visit there in 1854.


One of the most gruesome exhibits is the head of [[Willem Mons]], brother of [[Anna Mons]]. In 1747 some objects were lost in a fire.
One of the most gruesome exhibits is the head of [[Willem Mons]], brother of [[Anna Mons]]. In 1747 some objects were lost in a fire.


=== List of directors ===
⚫
In the 1830s, the Kunstkamera collections were dispersed to newly established imperial museums, the most important being the [[Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography|Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography]], established in 1879, with a collection approaching 2,000,000 items. The museum is still housed in the Kunstkamera and bears the name of [[Peter the Great]] since 1903.
* [[Leopold Schrenk]] (1879 - 1894)
* [[Vasily Radlov]] (1894 - 1918)
* [[Vasily Bartold]] (1918 - 1921)
* [[Evfimii Karskii]] (1921 - 1930)
* [[Nikolai Matorin]] (1930 - 1933)
* [[Ivan Meshchaninov]] (1934 – 1937)
* [[Nikolai Kislyakov]] (1945 - 1948)
* [[Nikolai Girenko]] (1991 - 1992)
* [[Alexander Myl’nikov]] (1992 - 1997)
* [[Chuner Taksami]] (1997 - 2001)
* [[Yuri Chistov]] (2001 -)<ref>[http://www.kunstkamera.ru/en/history/the_museum_and_its_directors/ Kunstkamera]</ref>


==Source==
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


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[[Category:Museums in Saint Petersburg]]
[[Category:Museums in Saint Petersburg]]
[[Category:Museums established in 1878]]
[[Category:Medical museums]]
[[Category:Medical museums]]
[[Category:Natural history museums]]
[[Category:Natural history museums]]
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[[Category:Universitetskaya Embankment]]
[[Category:Universitetskaya Embankment]]
[[Category:Russian Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Russian Academy of Sciences]]



[[de:Kunstkammer (Sankt Petersburg)]]
[[de:Kunstkammer (Sankt Petersburg)]]

Revision as of 08:08, 13 July 2009

View of the Kunstkammer across the Neva.

The Kunstkamera or Kunstkammer was the first museum in Russia. Established by Peter the Great and completed in 1727, it hosts the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, with a collection of almost 2,000,000 items. It is located on the Universitetskaya Embankment, facing the Winter Palace.

History

The Kunstkamera was established by Peter the Great on the Neva Riverfront. The turreted Petrine Baroque building of the Kunstkamera designed by Georg Johann Mattarnovy was completed by 1727. The foundation stone for the Kunstkammer was laid in 1719.

Peter's museum was dedicated to preserving "natural and human curiosities and rarities". The tsar's personal collection, originally stored in the Summer Palace, features a large assortment of human and animal fetuses with anatomical deficiencies, which Peter had seen in 1697 visiting Frederick Ruysch and Levinus Vincent. The underlying idea of their kunstkammers was to acquire full knowledge of the world. The Dutch word "konst-kamer" seems to be introduced by the surgeon Stephanus Blankaart in 1680.

The Kunstkamera of Peter the Great is often seen as a haphazard collection of incoherent rarities, but it seems they were collected systematically subject to a well defined plan. Peter's main interest was in "naturalia", rather than the so-called "artificialia". Peter encouraged research of deformities, all along trying to debunk the superstitious fear of monsters. He issued an ukase ordering malformed, still-born infants to be sent from all over the country to the imperial collection. He subsequently had them put on show in the Kunstkamera as examples of accidents of nature.[1]

In 1716 Peter established the mineral cabinet of Kunstkamera, depositing there a collection of 1195 minerals which he had bought from Gotvald, a Danzig doctor. The collection was enriched with Russian minerals. It was a predecessor of the Fersman Mineralogical Museum, now based in Moscow.

Many items were bought in Amsterdam from pharmacologist Albertus Seba (1716) and anatomist Frederik Ruysch (1717) and formed the basis for the Academy of Sciences. The Kunstkamera was specially built to house these two extensive collections. A third acquisition came from Jacob de Wilde, a collector of gems and scientific instruments. Head-physician to the czar, Robert Arskine, and his secretary Johann Daniel Schumacher were responsible for the acquisition.[2]

Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography

In the 1830s, the Kunstkamera collections were dispersed to newly established imperial museums, the most important being the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, established in 1879. It has a collection approaching 2,000,000 items and has been known as the Peter the Great Museum since 1903, but is often abbreviated to MAE.

Originally there were separate museums for anthropology and ethnography, but on 5 December 1878 it was decided to merge them into a single museum with Leopold Schrenk being appointed on November 10th, 1879. It was not until 1887, that the Museum was finally provided with its own exhibition premises attached to Kunstkamera in Tamozhennyi pereulok. On 23 September, 1889, the first exphibition of the unified Museum was opened.

The museum houses 78 watercolours by the Peruvian artist Pancho Fierro, the largest collection outside Peru. These were brought back by Schrenk following his visit there in 1854.

One of the most gruesome exhibits is the head of Willem Mons, brother of Anna Mons. In 1747 some objects were lost in a fire.

List of directors

Notes

  1. ^ Driessen-Van het Reve, J.J. (2006) De Kunstkamera van Peter de Grote. De Hollandse inbreng, gereconstrueerd uit brieven van Albert Seba en Johann Daniel Schumacher uit de jaren 1711-1752. English summary, p. 335-336.
  2. ^ Driessen-Van het Reve, J.J. (2006) De Kunstkamera van Peter de Grote. De Hollandse inbreng, gereconstrueerd uit brieven van Albert Seba en Johann Daniel Schumacher uit de jaren 1711-1752. English summary, p. 337-338.
  3. ^ Kunstkamera

See also

59°56′30″N 30°18′16″E / 59.94167°N 30.30444°E / 59.94167; 30.30444

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