"Court costume of the mid-19th - early 20th centuries from the collection of the State Hermitage"

For the first time, the State Hermitage is presenting such a large-scale complex from its collection in the Historical Museum - about 50 sets of costumes and more than 60 accessories.

“The exhibition of the State Hermitage is a special event in the life of the Historical Museum. We are extremely grateful that it was the Hermitage, with its unique composition and variety of costumes, that became the first in a series of guests to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Historical Museum. In a symbolic sense, this exhibition will be able to tell visitors about the first visit of Alexander III and Maria Fedorovna to the museum during the coronation celebrations of 1883, ”says the director of the State Historical Museum Alexei Levykin.

“This is a gift from one brotherly museum to another. The Hermitage and the Historical Museum are the main custodians of national memory, complementing each other with exhibits and the difference in ways of presenting the history of Russian statehood and culture. Our gift is carefully thought out and, in essence, is very museum-like. We share one of our main treasures - a collection of historical costumes, which, by the nature of their material, can only be displayed fleetingly. That is why the exhibition is unique, ”says Mikhail Piotrovsky, General Director of the State Hermitage.

The exposition is dedicated to the ceremonial and everyday life of the Russian Court - one of the most magnificent royal courts in Europe. It includes works of painting and graphics, archival documents, samples of weapons, items made of precious metals. However, the main exhibits will be costumes and accessories that will emphasize the memorial character of the exhibition: the State Hermitage will present clothes and personal belongings of Russian emperors and empresses, members of the imperial family, representatives of aristocratic families, court ladies and gentlemen, servants of the Imperial Court of the time of the last Romanovs. The exhibited ceremonial and everyday suits, morning, evening and ball gowns, military uniforms - all were performed in the most famous fashion studios in Paris, London, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Warsaw.

One of the sections of the exhibition is devoted to the life of the imperial family - Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna. Among the exhibits are 18 dresses of Maria Feodorovna, who was a trendsetter among high society ladies. Each outfit of the Empress delights with the elegance of the silhouette, the luxury of fabrics, the complexity of the decor, and the skill of execution. Alexander III, unlike his wife, did not like social life and preferred to wear a military uniform. His civilian suits, performed in St. Petersburg, will be shown to the public for the first time. In a separate exhibition area, home and morning clothes, linen and personal belongings of the emperor and empress are presented. In addition to the imperial costumes, viewers will be able to see the ceremonial and ball gowns of Princess Z. N. Yusupova, Countess S. P. Gendrikova and other representatives of aristocratic families.

Along with the wardrobe items of high-ranking persons, in each hall will be presented the costumes of the servants of the imperial court: chamber-furriers, valets, walkers, court moors. Many of the courtiers’ clothes have retained the names of their previous owners on the lining, which makes them unique historical monuments.

The final section of the exhibition will be a dress for the wedding ceremony of Grand Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna and Emperor Nicholas II in 1894. Undoubtedly, the attention of the audience will be attracted by the ceremonial dress of Maria Feodorovna, made especially for this event in the St. Petersburg studio of A. T. Ivanova. The dress is made of white silk crepe, a traditional fabric for a mourning costume. The wedding ceremony took place on November 14 (26), on the birthday of the Dowager Empress, the only day when the deep "black" mourning for Alexander III could be weakened to "white".

The collection of court costumes from the mid-19th - early 20th centuries brought from St. Petersburg will revive the atmosphere of official ceremonies and church holidays, masquerades and balls in the halls of the Historical Museum.