Amber has been known to man since ancient times. Its ability to attract fluffs, hairs and other similar materials was one of the first manifestations of electric, amazing natural force, which was named after the Greek word "amber" - "electron".
Amber: about the origin
What can surprise Kaliningrad? The Museum of Amber, a stone of amazing origin, will be interesting to everyone. It contains a wealth of information about this wonderful stone with a unique origin.
Amber is a petrified resin.
A long time ago, even during the Mesozoic era, coniferous forests grew on the site of the Baltic Sea . In the process of natural phenomena, their resin, which fell into the sea water, was transformed into a surprisingly beautiful stone.
But before, there were many other very diverse assumptions about the origin of amber. It was believed that this stone was a hardened oil and there was even an assumption that it was petrified honey.
Here about such a mysterious stone, numerous products and exhibits from which are presented in the Kaliningrad Museum, will be discussed in this article.
Amber Properties
What special properties does this delightful gem have? Here is some of them:
• burns almost like coal;
• soft, easily scratched and fragile;
• there are three types of stone: transparent, foamy and translucent;
• during friction it is strongly electrified;
• swims in sea water;
• always warm to the touch;
• in the absence of air begins to melt.
The chemical composition of the stone: 78% carbon, 10% hydrogen, 11% oxygen.
History of the Museum
The historical museum has been open since 1979.
This cultural and historical institution is located in the very center of the city, near the beautiful Lake Superior.
The amber museum (Kaliningrad) is located in the historical old building restored in the postwar years. His address: index 236016, reg. Kaliningrad, Kaliningrad, area Marshal Vasilevsky, 1.
Amber is a luxury of the western coast of our country, an amazing creation of nature. The Amber Museum is located in the fortress tower of the mid-19th century, which is located on the shores of a colorful lake in the city center.
This building is the former defensive tower of the Don, it is part of the former Koenigsberg fortification. In the courtyard of a beautiful old castle is a very cozy courtyard.
Until May 2003, this cultural institution was one of the branches of the Kaliningrad Historical Art Museum.
And now many tourists visit the Amber Museum in Kaliningrad.
How to get to the museum?
You can get to this cultural and historical place by any transport (public): buses and fixed-route taxis.
“Square Marsh. Vasilevsky "- stopping the location.
Kaliningrad - Amber Museum: a brief description
The museum is rich in numerous and varied exhibits in connection with the presence in the city of an amber deposit and, accordingly, an amber plant. Among the exhibits made of this stone in the museum you can see the work of venerable as well as novice craftsmen and products from the local combine. The works of the most ancient masters are also presented.
In total, the building has 28 halls, occupying an area of about 1 square. kilometer on three floors of the building.
The city of Kaliningrad has a unique historical and cultural attraction. The Amber Museum is the only one in Russia dedicated to only one stone - golden amber.
In addition to viewing beautiful amber products, the museum has the opportunity to get acquainted with the origin of this fantastic material, with its properties and areas of use in art.
Expositions
Expositions have several sections:
• properties and origin of the stone;
• historical and archaeological information about amber;
• the importance of amber in the XVII-XVIII centuries in art;
• about the state Konigsberg Amber Manufactory;
• about the Kaliningrad plant;
• the work of contemporary artists and amber.
Museum exhibit features
The Amber Museum (Kaliningrad) in its beautiful halls has collected the most unique samples (pieces) of a real Baltic gem. For example, there is a nugget with a huge weight - 4280 grams. This is the largest of all the samples of this museum.
Here are more than 2000 art products from this solar mineral, including some surviving exhibits of the Amber Room (restored).
The museum also presents dioramas: a quarry for the production of amber-bearing “blue earth”, the ancient “amber forest”. Many (more than 1000) pieces of amber with the remains (inclusions) of Mesozoic animals and plants, including lizards.
The amber museum in Kaliningrad can present the full range of colors of this amazing stone (the photo of the products shows all the diversity).
It represents amber products of the distant IV-V centuries of our era. They were found by archaeologists in the Kaliningrad region.
Also presented here are the works of talented German artists transferred here from the Armory. In large numbers you can see beautiful vessels, amazing jewelry, fabulous caskets and amazing paintings and frames.
Every year, starting in 2003, the city of Kaliningrad (Amber Museum) holds a competition of amber products "Alatyr".
In conclusion - the legend of sea tears
There is one beautiful story (legend). Once upon a time, at the bottom of the sea, the nymph Yurate lived. Her delightful palace was all of amber. Once a beautiful nymph saw a fisherman on the shore and fell in love with him. However, learning about this, the god Perkunas was very angry with her and angrily destroyed her beautiful palace and killed the very fisherman. And the inconsolable beauty Jurate shed tears for a long time on the ruins of her ruined castle.