Exhibition "Masterpieces of the Kremlin workshops"

The exhibition “Masterpieces of Kremlin workshops” in the Perm Art Gallery tells about court workshops that played a major role in the cultural and artistic life of Russia in the 17th century. Unique monuments from the collection of the Moscow Kremlin Museums familiarize visitors with the diverse activities of the Kremlin workshops, covering almost all aspects of the life of the tsar’s court.

The exposition consists of several sections devoted to individual workshops. Such a division helps to reveal the features of each of the workshops, and at the same time to show the active interaction between them, manifested in the joint cooperation of masters of different specialties. In the XVII century, art ceases to be anonymous. Thanks to documentary sources and subscription works, the names of many masters who worked in the Kremlin workshops are known.

The Icon Chamber, annexed to the Armory since the 1640s, occupied a leading position in the formation of 17th-century art. The school of tsarist isographers developed and introduced innovative methods and techniques that determined the new metropolitan style. The field of activity of the court masters was diverse - from murals of temples to book miniatures, from works of icon painting to decorative decoration of furniture and toys. Most of the icons presented at the exhibition are the works of the reputed icon painters of the Armory. Among them, the works of leading masters are the icons “Theodore Stratilat” of 1676 by Simon Ushakov and “Nikolai the Miracle Worker” of 1669 by Fedor Zubov.

Tsaritsyna, the Workshop and the Bed Chamber were in charge of servicing the personal needs and chambers of the royal family, as well as creating items of liturgical vestments. Skilled craftswomen embroidered "with gold and silver and silks, with stones and pearls." The vestments exhibited at the exhibition - the miter and the club with the image of the “Crucifixion” - are wonderful examples of the work of the Queen’s seamstresses of the 1680s.

Precious dishes, church utensils and salaries of icons were made in the Silver and Golden Chambers, where master jewelers of various specialties worked, who carried out orders of the royal and patriarchal courts. As a rule, with silver buckets depicting two-headed eagles and inscriptions, Moscow tsars granted their servants service. Most items of church silver were intended for royal contributions to various churches and monasteries, such as the altar gospel in the precious setting of 1676 or silver and black discos and the star of 1697.

The stable order was in charge of the royal stables, precious harnesses and harness, carriages and sleighs, and also organized the royal hunts, parades and troop reviews. The exhibition presents objects of horse decoration, stored in the Stables Treasury in the 17th century, as well as the ceremonial uniform of that time - velvet caftans with double-headed eagles embroidered on the chest.

Weapons were made and stored in the Armory, which became the main art center in the 17th century. The objects displayed at the exhibition - a saber, broadsword, konchar, carbine, squeals and pistols - are outstanding monuments of the Russian ceremonial blade and firearms. During the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich, an embassy ax was made, which served as the ceremonial weapon of the bazaars - bodyguards and squires of the Russian tsars. A special place in the court ceremonial of that time was occupied by the saadak - a set of archer armament, consisting of a bow case for a bow and a quiver for arrows.

The final section of the exhibition is dedicated to the boyar and the gunsmith, the head of the Armory, Bogdan Matveevich Khitrovo, at which the Kremlin workshops reached their peak.

The exhibition features sixty-three exhibits that reveal the diversity of activities of Kremlin workshops in the 17th century and reflect the uniqueness, memorial value and stylistic richness of the collection of the Moscow Kremlin Museums.

During the exhibition, employees of the Moscow Kremlin Museums will conduct excursions, creative classes and a drawing contest for students of Perm children’s homes. The winners of the children’s drawing contest will be invited to Moscow to be awarded, and their work will be displayed in the front lobby of the Armory.

Organizers of the exhibition:
Moscow Kremlin Museums, Perm State Art Gallery

Exhibitors:
Moscow Kremlin Museums