Exhibition 'Ancient Tver. History Beneath Your Feet'

About exhibition

In the year of the city's 890th anniversary, the new exhibition 'Ancient Tver. History Beneath Your Feet', based on archaeological materials from the collections of the Tver State United Museum, will present the main milestones in the history and development of the city of Tver. The exhibition's materials cover the period from the first Late Paleolithic settlements to the Slavic settlements within the territory of the modern city — in other words, ancient Tver itself. The center of Old Rus' towns was the kremlin, which historically always served as the focal point of political and princely power and was the residence of the urban elite. The exhibition features seals that illustrate document circulation, hoards, jewelry of the urban nobility, and struck coins of the Principality of Tver. One of the central exhibits is a 12th–13th-century necklace from a hoard discovered during excavations on the grounds of the Tver Local History Museum in 2014. The exhibition displays elements of Russian and Mongol weaponry, items reflecting Tver's extensive international trade links (Byzantium, China, the Arab caliphates, Western Europe), trade with Russian towns and neighboring principalities, and various finds from excavations of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky (Transfiguration) Cathedral: part of the external white-stone wall from the 13th century, frescoes, relics of the 17th-century cathedral, and objects of personal piety (pendant crosses and icons). The artifacts testify to ancient Tver as a spiritual and cultural center and demonstrate the level of skill of Tver's craftsmen: blacksmiths, casters, jewelers, and potters.