The Kunstkamera in St. Petersburg is one of the largest ethnographic museums in the world and the first public museum in Russia. It was founded by decree of Peter I — the great reformer who sought to enlighten the Russian people. The museum's exhibition is based on Peter's personal collection, acquired during his first trip to Western Europe.
Peter I. Miniature by Jean Henri Benner, 1821.
The name "Kunstkamera" comes from the German word Kunstkammer — 'art chamber'. Cabinets of curiosities were widespread in the 16th–17th centuries and belonged to imperial and princely courts. At that time art was inseparable from science, so cabinets of curiosities often displayed various natural science, artistic, and historical collections and exhibits that were valuable for science and public education.
Photo: official VKontakte group of the museum
The Kunstkamera was built over ten years with Peter I's personal funds and was opened in 1714. The project was designed by architect Georg Mattarnovi and received Peter's personal approval. However, the opening of the main building on the Neva embankment took place only three years after the sovereign's death. Construction work was supervised by Nikolai Gerbel, Gaetano Chiaveri, and Mikhail Zemtsov. The museum building was executed in the Petrine Baroque style and became the first monumental structure on the tip of Vasilyevsky Island. In 1747 a fire broke out in the Kunstkamera, causing colossal damage to the building and part of the collection. Reconstruction work was led by the architect Savva Chevakinsky. In 1879 the ethnographic and anatomical museums were merged into the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography. In 1903 the museum was named in honor of the founder of the Kunstkamera — Peter the Great.
Plan of the museum building
The Kunstkamera houses an extensive ethnographic collection that includes household items, agricultural tools, weapons, clothing, tableware, and traditional crafts of the peoples of North America, Africa, and Asia. There is also an exhibition dedicated to the first astronomical observatory. A particular pride of Peter I was the collection of anatomist Frederik Ruysch, which the tsar bought for a staggering sum during his first trip to the Netherlands.
Kagura-hannya mask depicting a female demon. Photo: official VKontakte group of the museum
Bronze depiction of the head of the mother of the oba (ruler). Great Benin. Bini. Photo: official VKontakte group of the museum
Lidded basket. Zambia, Botswana. Photo: official VKontakte group of the museum
The anatomical collection included a valuable assemblage of alcohol-preserved human embryos. Ruysch developed a unique method of embalming corpses: liquid wax was injected into the blood vessels, which, hardening, revealed the circulatory system. Thanks to this method, the collection of specimens was excellently preserved. Peter I ordered the collection to be systematically expanded with various deformities and curiosities from the human and natural worlds. Those who brought new exhibits were paid handsomely, and concealment was punishable. They were dissected in the Kunstkamera's anatomical theatre — a table stood in the center of the hall, surrounded by tiered benches for spectators. Lectures and debates by academicians were also held there.
Photo: official VKontakte group of the museum
In the anatomical section of the exhibition one can see various types of developmental anomalies. The collection has great scientific significance, and the specimens have been studied by many generations of doctors and biologists since the 18th century. The collection also includes instruments and teeth removed personally by Peter I, who took an interest in surgery and performed simple medical operations.
