Last week, the exhibition "The Tale of How Tsar Peter Studied Kostenki" opened at the Mogilev Regional Museum of Local Lore named after E. R. Romanov.
The project is the result of serious scholarly work by the Kostenki Museum-Reserve, aimed at reconstructing the history of Peter I's interest in mammoth bone finds. At the exhibition visitors will be able to see the process of archaeological research in the era of Peter I in the smallest detail — from the first scientific discovery in Kostenki to the creation of the famous Kunstkamera. \r\n\r\nThe exhibition tells a fascinating story embodied in the vivid and concise images of popular folk art — lubok. This genre was especially popular in Russia in the late 17th — early 18th century, during Peter's reforms.\r\n\r\nThe exhibition presents 12 paintings, each of which depicts a separate plot based on historical sources. Each plot is accompanied by literary narration created in the style of a popular tale. All the paintings are interconnected and create a coherent picture of events of the Petrine era.\r\n\r\nThe concept and texts of the exhibition were developed by Candidate of Historical Sciences and chief researcher of the museum, Irina Vladimirovna Kotlyarova. The lubok paintings were created by Anna Aksenova, a former museum specialist.
At the ceremonial opening of the exhibition, Inga Vladimirovna Shershen, director of the Kostenki Museum-Reserve, gave a welcoming speech. She emphasized the cultural significance of the event and the need for international cooperation.\r\n\r\nIrina Vladimirovna Kotlyarova, the exhibition's author, conducted a curatorial tour of the exhibition and a master class "Journey to the Era of Peter I" for the first visitors. Guests learned about the first archaeological studies carried out by Peter I in Kostenki, took part in a theatrical performance, created a commemorative postcard using stencil technique, and gleaned many interesting facts about life in the 18th century.
From the perspective of the exhibition's creator, Irina Vladimirovna Kotlyarova shared her opinion on why the exhibition is of special importance for a wide audience:
The exhibition "The Tale of How Tsar Peter Studied Kostenki" became the museum-reserve's first exhibition project outside the Russian Federation. The name of Peter I, the founder of the great Russian Empire, is known in almost every corner of the globe. The name of the village of Kostenki, where priceless Upper Paleolithic archaeological monuments are concentrated, is known outside our country mostly to a narrow circle of specialists: archaeologists, art historians, and historians. Therefore, this great historical figure has become a kind of ambassador for this unique place, introducing it to a wider audience and drawing their attention not only to the most glorious pages of national history but also to the most ancient pages in the history of humankind.\r\n\r\nThis exhibition acquires particular relevance in the year when we mark the 300th anniversary of the death of the tsar-reformer. That is why it has such a busy and packed schedule this year
