The Historical Museum

Currently the building houses the exposition of the State Vladimir-Suzdal historical-architectural and art Museum-Preserve "Museum of history". The building was designed by architect P. G. Begen.

Begen Piotr Gustavich-(1863-1917)- graduated from the Academy of arts in St. Petersburg, since 1906 – Vladimir provincial architect. According to his projects, the correctional department, the maternity shelter and the spiritual school were built in Vladimir.

The foundation of the building took place on the 29-th of May, 1900. To November 1901, the building was erected. To finish the lower floor took the whole year of 1902.. In the summer of 1903, on N. M. Safonov"s money and by his workers a wall painting of the upper floor was completed. The first floor was intended for the library and historical archive. The second housed the Museum. The finishing works and the placement of exhibits lasted until 1906.

In the building, erected by the Vladimir scientific archive commission, for many years has been the exposition of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Preserve, introducing to the guests the development of the Vladimir region from ancient times to 1917.

The Vladimir region history begins with the story about Sungir, the encampment of the ancient man that was found in 1956 not far from Vladimir. Sungir became the glory of Russian science. Unmatched in complexity of the ritual, the unique burial of the ancient people, 76 000 items, found at the place of Нomo Sungirensis housing, gave an opportunity to learn how our ancestors lived 30 000 years ago.

In the hall of ancient history, which represents the Sungir collection, anthropologists reconstructed the portraits of ancient people, their clothes, tools, there is the story not only about a man's struggle with nature, but also about the emergence of consciousness of our ancestors, the first attempts to comprehend the world and to express creatively the afascination with life.

A huge period of time, significant historical milestones, landmark events, iconic phenomenon, and the persons of cult-how to tell about them not only with the help of the material culture items, but to tell with the language of plasticity, through visual images? Here to help the creators of the Museum came the most common (it would seem) mirrors. Located in the corners, under a special inclination to one another, the mirrors create a miracle "breakout space". From far away, from behind the mirror “come” to us repeatedly reflected and therefore particularly bulky, to the credibility "real" – a pagan temple, a crystal hole in ice with glowing water. By the way, the fragments of ice with a hole-cross-the symbol of Christening, were made by the the masters of the Gus-Khrustalny Crystal factory.

In the third corner is placed a composition dedicated to the founder of the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality Andrei Bogolyubsky. The reconsructed stairs of white stone from the Bogoliubovo Palace- a symbol of man's ascent to God. Collapsing stairs is a reminder of the tragic death of the Prince, the Russian autocrat and the Saint.

Vsevolod III the Big Nest, "the Lord of the Northern countries" ruled on the land of Vladimir for 35 years. Plaster cast of a relief with his picture from the walls of St. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir – the fourth corner of the room.

"The History", enclosed in a square of the hall, twisting in a spiral, prepares the appearance in the celestial world of the Temple. That is why in the center of the hall-the symbol of man”s perfect creation-The Temple: authentic white stone cross of the XII century, the main shrines images of the Principality, Vladimir and Bogoliubovo Icons of Mother of God on the original glass stands, repeating the shapes of the church facade.The Stone and The Temple-this is not just an illustration to the history, but the main emphasis of the exposition, its semantic basis: the ascent from the earthly to the heavenly.

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