Bronze statue of Peter the Great, located in Decembrist Square in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Text/Feng Jia'an
From the 302 treasures of the State Museum of Russian History, you can see a golden age of the Russian Empire opened by Peter the Great.
At the end of the 17th century, Russia was left far behind by the rest of Europe after the Renaissance and the rise of capitalism, and Tsar Peter I was brewing a reform of total Westernization.
In the eyes of Peter I, the beard of an adult man was a symbol of Russian conservatism and a sign of Russia's backwardness. In 1698, he returned from abroad in an anti-Swedish alliance, and the lords came to congratulate him. None of them expected peter I to take scissors from his attendants and cut off their beards himself. One writer described the scene this way: "The lords were taken aback and looked at each other. For the first time since they became adults, their jaws experienced the refreshing sensation of contact with fresh air. ”
Portrait of Peter I, by Nathier in 1717.
Soon after, Peter I issued an edict that it was the duty of the Russians to cut their beards, and that no one but the clergy were forbidden to grow beards. Peter I even introduced a high beard tax, and the receipt for the beard tax was a special small bronze plaque with the words "Taxable" and inscribed with the advice: "Beard is a senseless burden." ”
In 1700, Peter I issued a decree announcing the replacement of traditional dress with European clothing. Hanging in the most conspicuous place in town are the styles of new clothes, which are forbidden to be sewn and sold. The Guard has the power to arrest people in old-fashioned clothes and demand that they pay taxes. If you don't pay it, you will be cut off the hem of the clothes that is long and to the ground.
Beginning with the cutting of beards and old clothes, Peter I introduced a series of social, economic, political and military reforms, and the history of modern Russia has begun in the era of Peter I's rule.
Peter I's reforms ushered in an unprecedented golden age for Russia.
As the Russian thinker Berdyaev put it: "Peter the Great's reforms suffered so greatly for the people, but without Peter's coercive reforms, Russia could not fulfill its mission in the history of the world and would not be able to gain its own say in the history of the world." ”
The year 1721 was an even more important year for Russia. In October of that year, Peter I signed the Treaty of Nistat with Sweden and seized a large area of land and the outlet to the Baltic Sea, and he was named "Peter the Great" and "Father of the Fatherland" by the Privy Council, and Russia changed its name to "Russian Empire".
Thus, Russia began a golden age of almost two centuries.
Painting: medieval relics and realism go hand in hand
Tourists from Western Europe who entered Russia in the 17th century have the illusion of returning to the Middle Ages. The style of Russian iconography and the degree of worship of religion at that time inevitably made Europeans who had seen the works of the Italian Renaissance masters and were in the midst of the rise of the Baroque style feel that they had returned to the Middle Ages.
In fact, the medieval style of this iconography continued throughout the period of the Russian Empire. In the "Golden Age - Treasures of the Russian Empire from the 18th to the 20th Century" exhibited by the Guangdong Provincial Museum, "Icon: Almighty Jehovah sitting on the throne" created in the early 19th century and "Icon: St. Basil and Prince Dmitry in Moscow" at the end of the 19th century still exude a strong medieval flavor.
Prince Dmitry, the youngest prince of Ivan the Terrible, is considered a saint and protector of the Russian homeland, Icon: St. Vasily and Prince Dmitry in Moscow.
In the previous iconography, Jehovah the Father sits majestically on a golden throne in a costume, holding a gospel symbolizing holiness in his left hand and a prayer in his right hand, embellished with elegant roses. On either side of the throne stood angels. This image of Christ was extremely popular in 19th-century Russia. The latter icon is set against the backdrop of the moscow Kremlin inner city and St. Basil's Cathedral, where The Monk Of St. Basil and Prince Dmitry, the protector of Moscow, stand on both sides of the Moscow River, pointing to the inner city of Moscow and the protector in the sky. The work personifies Russia's national power and heralds the unity of the Church and the Kingdom.
Peter I abolished the patriarchal system during his reign and completed theocracy. In 1721, the state promulgated the Statute of Religion, which stipulated that the Tsar had the highest authority in the church and that religious councils administered religious affairs on behalf of the Tsar. Catherine the Great continued this policy and deprived the Orthodox Church of its economic independence, leaving religion completely under the control of the regime. From the late 18th century onwards, as protector and defender of the state's faith, the Tsar became the supreme head of the Orthodox Church.
However, this is only one aspect of the art of the Russian Empire, and Bai Fang, curator of this exhibition, director of the Exhibition Center of the Guangdong Provincial Museum and research librarian, said: "In the early 18th century, Peter the Great carried out a series of reforms to learn from the excellent culture of Europe, including imitation and reform in art. On the basis of the exchange and integration of Russian national style and European art style, an artistic style with Russian characteristics in the 19th and 20th centuries was formed. ”
The work of Jean-Marc Natière, who was highly regarded by the royal family for his outstanding talent for portraiture.
This transformation is prominently manifested in portraits with a realistic style. At that time, the Tsar, the Marshal and the dignitaries all preferred portraiture because it revealed their status and wealth. Portrait painting also gives the artist more creative space, in addition to the elements needed by the customizer, the artist can inject his own imaginary inner world into the painting. Thus, the figures in secular portraits are fuller and more humanist than in Russian iconoclas of the same period.
The famous portrait of Peter the Great in the exhibition was originally written by Jean-Marc Nattier, a French Rococo court painter from the late 17th to the mid-18th century, who was famous for his portraits of noble ladies in the court of King Louis XV of France. He painted portraits of the Tsar and Empress catherine during his stay in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 1715, and later the Battle of Pultawa for Peter the Great.
Jean-Marc Natier was so adept at decorating his subjects in wonderful colors that almost all the court ladies asked him to make portraits.
In his portrait of Peter the Great, a king with a strong, determined, and confident personality is presented in front of the viewer's eyes, just as the Russian poet Pushkin said: "Peter the Great, he alone is a whole history!" Standing in front of this portrait, through the little highlight in Peter the Great's eyes, it seems that you can see the nearly 200 years of glorious History of Russia behind him.
Craftsmanship: Glittering pieces that represent the main colors of that era
Peter the Great's reforms opened the door to Europe for Russia, the way of life of the Russian aristocracy underwent major changes, they began to imitate European high society extensively and directly, and Russian traditional culture gained new vitality in the process of combining with European art and culture.
Founded during the time of Peter I, the St. Petersburg Royal Carpet Factory began production between 1715 and 1719, reaching its peak in the mid-18th century, from which many masterpieces of art were produced. The "Country of the World" series of tapestries produced by the Royal Carpet Factory includes four pieces of "Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas", and one of them is exhibited in the "Golden Age - Treasures of the Russian Empire from the 18th to the 20th Century".
Europe of the "Country of the World" series of tapestries. Photo/ Sohu
In the center of the tapestry series of the "Country of the World" series are half-naked women dressed in foreign costumes, representing their respective continents, and each continent has its own symbol, such as the pyramids of Africa and the columns of Europe. The "Country of the World" series of tapestries can reflect the superb artistic level of Russian artists and weavers in the 18th and 20th centuries.
In addition to the St. Petersburg Royal Carpet Factory, the Russian Empire also had the Felix Chopin Bronze Art Factory in St. Petersburg, the Pence Watch Factory, the Fort Royal Porcelain Factory, and the Sokolov Bronze Foundry in Moscow, which produced a large number of ingenious crafts for the court, and the golden works added visual meaning to the "Golden Age".
Russian craftsmen were not only in the court, but also in the ordinary class. On display is a spinning wheel that was used in the first half of the 19th century by Yakova Jaregina, a craftsman known for her ingenuity in weaving exquisite textiles. The spinning wheels, in red and yellow tones, depict tea drinking, the carriages of nobles, and various flowers and animals, creating a joyful picture. The spinning wheel was once a daily tool for Russian women, and it was also a precious wedding gift, passed from mother to daughter like an heirloom, accompanying her for life.
Coloured spinning wheel of the Borgia Museum in Russia.
Innovative Russian artists and craftsmen have created a wide range of artistic gems, from unique and ingenious special tributes to batch products that meet the different tastes and needs of all classes, whether it is a gorgeous art form or a superb processing technique.
Seven monarchs of the Romanov dynasty
Peter I Alexievich
（1672-1725）
Peter I.
Peter I Alexievich ascended the throne in 1682 at the same time as his brother Ivan V. In 1689, Peter I took over. In 1721, the name of Russia was officially changed to "Russian Empire", and he became the first emperor of the empire, with the honorific title of "Peter the Great". He was a brilliant statesman and visionary reformer, and under his full impetus Russia became one of the european powers.
Elizabeth Petrovna
（1709-1762）
Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Petrovna, the daughter of Peter I and Catherine I, ascended to the throne of the Russian Empire in 1741. At the beginning of her ascension to the throne, Elizabeth announced that she would inherit her father's reform cause and focus on expanding the power of the nobility. The empress's beauty and ease of approachability earned her the affection of many courtiers and the support of the Janissaries.
Catherine II Alexeievna
（1729-1796）
Catherine II.
Catherine II Alexievna, a German princess, ascended to the throne in 1762 by killing her husband Peter III in a palace coup. There were two emperors in Russian history named Catherine, one was the second wife of Peter I and the other was the wife of Peter III. The latter, along with Peter the Great, was known as "Catherine the Great".
Alexander I
（1777-1825）
Alexander I.
Alexander I succeeded to the Russian throne in 1801. The name "Alexander" was coined by his grandmother Catherine the Great in honor of the ancient commander Alexander Nevsky. His greatest achievement was his victory over Napoleon and he was regarded as the savior of Europe.
Alexandra Fyodorovna
（1798 -1860）
Alexandra Fyodorovna.
Alexandra Fyodorovna was the daughter of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia. In 1817, he married Crown Prince Nikolai Pavlovich (Nicholas I) of Russia. In 1826 she ascended to the throne with her husband, wearing a coronation dress and a mink cape, the Order of Santa Catherine with a ribbon and a chain of the Order of St. André.
Alexander III
（1845-1894）
Alexander III.
Alexander III, who became Emperor of the Russian Empire in 1881, witnessed his father die from a bomb attack and was devastated against the revolution. When he took office, he repealed all ongoing reforms. However, he had a keen economic mind, and the economy of the country under his rule developed rapidly, and there was no war in Russia, and there was social stability. This was the closest period between Russia and Europe, both culturally and economically. Thus Alexander III was known as the "Tsar of the Peacemakers".
Nicholas II
（1868-1918）
Nicholas II.
Nicholas II, the last Emperor of the Russian Empire, abdicated and arrested in March 1917, and on the night of July 16-17, 1918, Nicholas II's entire family was executed, and the Russian Empire was finally overthrown. Nicholas II was also the only Tsar to visit Guangzhou. In March 1891, as crown prince, he visited Guangzhou from Hong Kong along the Pearl River, and Li Hanzhang, the governor of Liangguang, hosted a banquet at the Guangya Bookstore, and the crown prince also visited Haizhuang Temple under a pseudonym and visited the residence of Wu Haoguan.