The Museum of Oriental Art is one of the richest and most interesting museums in Moscow. In it you can familiarize yourself with numerous examples of creativity: household items, weapons, religious attributes, sculpture, paintings by famous masters and unknown craftsmen from eastern countries.
Historical excursion
The Museum of the East in Moscow owes its appearance to the well-known merchant and philanthropist Peter Schukin. He opened the Shchukin Museum on Malaya Gruzinskaya Street, where he exhibited items from his eastern collection. The merchant collected various "antiquities" from Persia, China, India, was interested in ancient engravings. The museum was not closed even after his death in 1912.
After the 1917 revolution, the Shchukin collection became the basis for the creation of the new Ars Asiatica ("Art of Asia") museum. It was supplemented by exhibits from other private collections expropriated from the owners. It is noteworthy that the birth of the museum took place on October 30, 1918, and already the next year the first exhibition opened.
Subsequently, the Oriental Museum replenished the funds both at the expense of artifacts donated by art connoisseurs and at the expense of items obtained during archaeological and ethnographic expeditions. Other government agencies shared some of the materials with the museum.
In the postwar years, the main source of new exhibits became countries that chose the socialist path of development or freed from colonial dependence. In gratitude to the USSR for their support, the leaders of the young states presented gifts to the leaders of the party and government, among which were real masterpieces. The geography of the museum expanded, it changed its name several times and, finally, in 1992 it was renamed the State Museum of the East.
Museum Location
At first, the Museum of the East in Moscow did not have a permanent building. Until 1930, he managed to visit the “Hirschman’s house” at the Red Gate, the Russian History Museum on Red Square, Rozhdestvenka in the building of VKHUTEMAS, and on Kropotkinskaya embankment. The first permanent location of the museum was the Church of Elijah the Prophet. When you move to a new place in this building, there is a stock vault. Later, the Museum of the Oriental Peoples placed its restoration workshops in it. The museum’s science library is also located in an old building.
In July 1941, the most valuable exhibits were exported to Novosibirsk, some to Solikamsk. The Oriental Art Museum itself was closed. However, already in May 1942, an exhibition of paintings by artists from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan was launched in it. In 1944, the exhibits were returned from evacuation. And in May 1945, the first permanent exhibitions had already begun work.
Museum of the East on Nikitsky Boulevard
The current building in which the museum is located deserves interest in itself. The Lunin House on Nikitsky Boulevard was transferred to the museum in 1960. This classic-style mansion was built for the family of Lieutenant General Lunin after the fire of 1812. The architect of the main house of the estate was Domenico Gilardi. According to his project, they began to erect a building with a large loggia and columns in the Corinthian style, giving a solemn appearance to the front entrance. But by the end of construction, Lunin died, and the house of the widow was purchased by the Commercial Bank. He was in the building until 1917.
Strict and graceful lines of the building fascinate with its beauty. Huge halls and long stairs remind of the traditional lush balls of the 19th century. But, according to many museum workers, the premises are not suitable for exhibitions, and especially for the operation of storage facilities. It would be best if a new, large and well-maintained building was built for the rich fund of an amazing museum.
Permanent exhibitions
The museum has a rich collection of
works of art of various styles. In total, the funds contain about 150 thousand of the most valuable exhibits, most of which are unique works of art. The Museum of the East’s Peoples in 1991 was assigned by Decree of the President of Russia to “Especially Valuable Objects of Russia's Cultural Heritage”.
There are permanent exhibitions, which exhibited masterpieces of art from China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India, Iran. A huge part is made up of works of art from the countries of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Much attention is paid to the Buddhist art of Buryatia, Mongolia, Tibet.
In the exposition dedicated to the painting of Transcaucasia and Central Asia, a special place is given to the paintings of the famous masters Martiros Saryan and Niko Pirosmani. These works, not like the traditional paintings of oriental artists, make it clear that for a real creator there are no boundaries and limits.
A separate room is dedicated to the art of the peoples of the North, where special attention is paid to walrus carvings. It is hard to believe that even ordinary household items can be so beautiful.
The creative heritage of the Roerichs
In addition to the museum’s items of oriental culture and art, the museum has a special place dedicated to the heritage of Nicholas and Svyatoslav Roerichs. These are two halls in which 282 paintings of famous artists - father and son are collected. The collection is one of the largest in the world. The traveler, philosopher and artist Nicholas Roerich spent the last decade of his life in a small village in the Himalayas. For his amazing paintings depicting magnificent views of the mysterious and distant Tibet, he was called the "master of the mountains." Most of the paintings in the museum belong to this period. These bright and impressive paintings alone justify a visit to the museum.
Nicholas Roerich became the founder of his own teachings, which combined eastern mysticism, pantheism and high European culture. This direction of esotericism has found many followers in the world. They are also attracted to themselves by the Museum of Oriental Art (Moscow).
The Roerich’s memorial office also presents rare book publications. Some of them exist in the world in a single copy. In addition, he collected a unique collection of oriental antiquities.
Scientific work
The State Museum of the Peoples of the East from the first days began research activities. All the collected exhibits needed to be studied, to establish the ways of their getting into Russia, to trace the path in history, especially the art of the peoples inhabiting the eastern regions of Eurasia.
The archaeological area began in 1926, when two important expeditions to Termez (Turkmenistan) were organized under the leadership of the then director V.P. Denike. Their result was the appearance in the museum of objects from the excavations of the palace of the XII century.
In 1929, the first expedition to purchase items of oriental art was carried out.
Scientific work did not stop even during the years of World War II.
Currently, almost two-thirds of the exhibits displayed in the museum are the results of archaeological expeditions. Their age varies from the Neolithic to the XIV-XV centuries.
The scientific library of the museum has more than 80 thousand books on the art of the peoples of the East. Many of these publications are very rare, and there are absolutely priceless rarities.
Since 1987, the museum has a research institute. It employs more than 300 specialists, including many doctors and candidates of sciences. In addition to purely scientific work, they often conduct tours of individual rooms and give lectures on oriental culture and art.
Educational work
The Museum of the East in Moscow is one of the most active educational centers in the country. A lecture hall is constantly working in it, lectures in which are delivered by excellent specialists who are passionate about their work. You can attend a separate lecture or buy a subscription to their cycle on a specific topic. Exhibitions of contemporary art are often organized, especially paintings by our contemporaries inspired by oriental motifs. Thematic screenings of films dedicated to the countries of the East, their past and present are being held. From time to time, collections from other museums in the world are displayed. For example, the exhibition dedicated to samurai, which came directly from Japan, received great resonance.
Those who are interested in the culture of eastern countries are attracted to the museum of the peoples of the East and various actions. For example, every week tea ceremonies are held here, which lovers of Japanese culture seek to attend. The Oriental Museum organizes painting studios for adults and children. Also, the Tarang Theater of Indian Dance has become a regular partner of the museum.
If you wish, you can get initial skills in playing oriental instruments, in oriental dances, in the art of composing bouquets - ikebana.
By prior arrangement, you can work in the reading room of the museum’s library, using the rich scientific literature on oriental culture and art.
Work with children
For the younger generation, the State Museum of Oriental Peoples also offers a large selection of activities. These are thematic tours of the museum’s halls, conducted by excellent connoisseurs of oriental art, and lectures supplementing the school curriculum on history, geography, and world art culture. Lectures and concerts are very popular, which, along with verbal information on the work of the peoples of the East, clearly demonstrate it and have an entertaining component.
For over 20 years in the Museum of the East there is a children's art studio "Turtle". In it, students learn painting, drawing, graphics, arts and crafts. And the younger members of the studio enjoy modeling clay and clay, origami and applique.
Children's tickets to the museum are much cheaper than adults, and for preschoolers admission is free. For other types of services - lectures, excursions, various classes - various discounts are also provided.
For lovers of antiquity
The museum has created an antique gallery "Sean". It is one of a kind, since there are no other galleries dealing with oriental antiques in our country. Basically, it presents various art objects from Japan and China. Products made from various materials traditional in the East - bronze, porcelain, wood, bone - are in great demand among collectors. Jewelry, embroideries, carpets, national clothes are presented not only from the Far East, but also from other countries of Asia and Africa.
The most famous collection of Japanese miniature figurines is netsuke and okimono.
At the same time, the gallery offers visitors to the museum relatively inexpensive products that can be bought as a souvenir, birthday present or anniversary and to decorate the house. Oriental fans, bathrobes, bracelets and rings of traditional coinage are a small part of what you can get here.
It's worth a look
Of course, the Museum of the Oriental Peoples in Moscow presents a huge collection of various art objects. But some exhibits attract more than others.
These items include the world's largest ivory eagle. It was brought as a gift for the coronation of Nicholas II from the Japanese emperor. Surprisingly, this work was done in a complex combined technique. Masters made the body and wings of an eagle from wood. And the plumage went one and a half thousand carefully polished ivory records. And the eagle is located against the backdrop of a screen, which depicts a stormy sea - a favorite motif of Japanese artists.
The visitors are greatly impressed by the collection of Buryat masks used during ceremonies. Terrible faces on them are designed to scare away evil spirits and would be quite suitable for filming horror films.
The craftsmanship of chasers and engravers is represented in the collection of silver jewelry from Turkmenistan and Dagestan (the famous Kubachi jewelry). The finest walrus bone carvings made by Chukchi craftsmen are eye-catching. And in neighboring rooms you can see ivory products from the other end of the globe.
Numerous images of Buddha brought from different countries are simultaneously similar and different. Some of them with a stern expression on their faces, others are smiling, while others are estranged from the world and are directed toward themselves. Buddha figures from the Indochina peninsula are striking - with earlobes drawn to the shoulders.
Chinese craftsmen became famous for carving ivory balls inserted into each other, and they were made from a single piece of bone, sometimes over the course of several generations. Or a village carved on an elephant tusk, where you can distinguish the facial features of each resident and they are individual for each! How can one not recall the "clay army" of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, each warrior in whom was blinded from a specific person!
An interesting collection of carpets. There are ancient handmade silk items here. At the same time, samples of modern carpets made of wool and other materials are nearby. There are products dedicated to significant events in the life of the country.
During the years of Soviet power, a large place in the museum’s expositions was occupied by the images of V. I. Lenin and other leaders of the world proletariat, executed in a variety of techniques: paintings, sculptures, carpets, wood carvings and bones ... Now the vast majority of them are in the museum .
The State Museum of Oriental Art is proud of amazing examples of oriental painting. These are various landscapes on paper or on silk native to Japan and China. Images made with ink on silk amaze with their colors and subtlety of work.
Porcelain products are represented primarily by Japanese netsuke figures. They were used as a counterweight to the goods on the belt, because Japanese kimonos do not have pockets. They are similar to other figures that were placed in a niche in the house where it was customary to hang a picture or a wise saying. These miniature sculptures are called okimonos.
The museum has something to see for a scientist, a schoolboy, and just a lover of the mysterious world of the East. Moreover, the ticket prices are quite affordable, and for certain categories of visitors there is a system of discounts.
If you want to temporarily forget about the surrounding routine, gray everyday life, visit the Museum of the Oriental Peoples in Moscow!