Exhibition 'The Baptism of Nenets Land. 200 Years of History'

About exhibition

The exhibition project is dedicated to the Samoyedic spiritual mission carried out in 1825–1830 under the leadership of Archimandrite Benjamin, the abbot of the Antonievo-Siysky Monastery. It tells of the religious beliefs of the Samoyedic people, presents the history of the conversion to Christianity of the Nenets of the Arkhangelsk tundras, and shows the legacy of the spiritual mission, its influence on the culture, education, traditions, and customs of the Nenets people. The exhibition is noteworthy not only for its research theme but also for the exhibits that illustrate it. Among them are sacred Nenets items and objects of Christian worship, some of which are being displayed for the first time. One of these is a painting-icon 'The Last Judgment' from the 19th century, presumably belonging to the St. Nicholas Church of the village of Oksino, which entered the museum's collections in 1938.