Grand tour of Prince Andrei Ivanovich Vyazemsky

The tradition of the Grand Tour, as an educational trip for young European aristocrats, developed in the 18th century. The meaning of such a journey was related to the roles that the aristocrat played in society.

The exhibition tells about the foreign trip of a descendant of the Rurikovichs, an enlightened nobleman of the Catherine era, one of the most educated people of his time, Prince Andrei Ivanovich Vyazemsky in 1782–1786.

In all the countries he visited, Vyazemsky acquired books, engravings and paintings, carved stones, commemorative medals and minerals, and much more, according to his taste. This marked the beginning of the formation of an extensive family collection, later located in the Ostafyevo estate.

The exhibition will feature objects of decorative and applied art, graphics, furniture, books and documents telling about the immediate route, sights visited and the prince’s activities on this journey, which lasted 4 years, noted Yuri Evtyukhin, director of the Ostafyevo Museum-Reserve.