Exhibition "Who Are the Nekrasov Cossacks? A New Perspective"

About exhibition

The museum presents an updated exhibition dedicated to the history and culture of the Old Believer community of the Nekrasov Cossacks, who are the keepers and bearers of a large strand of the Russian people's intangible cultural heritage. The exhibition includes a reconstruction of the household part of a dwelling and displays authentic household items, furniture, the traditional Nekrasov costume, tableware, and children's toys. A special place is given to Old Believer books, through which literacy and Old Church Slavonic writing — including the hooked (kryukovoe) script — were largely preserved and transmitted. Photographs from the family archives of the Nekrasov Cossacks, donated to the museum, recreate what life was like for Russians in Turkey: they rebuilt their homes, formed families, served in the army, received education, and preserved their national culture, language, writing, and clothing. A separate room is devoted to items donated to the museum by the Pashin family, including objects brought from Turkey. The exhibition reproduces elements of rural interior design from the 1960s–70s, as recreated by the Nekrasov people after their arrival in the USSR. Also on display are paintings and graphic works produced during artistic-ethnographic plein-air events held in 2012 and 2014. The exhibition is supplemented by extensive archival material and thematic video features.