Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism. What does the Kazan Cathedral owe to atheists? Archaic and traditional beliefs

State Museum History of Religion (GMIR) is the only institution in Russia, and there are few similar places around the world. The collection, collected over the years, is still being replenished from all over the world. One institution houses more than 200 thousand exhibits.

Museum of the History of Religion of St. Petersburg

The founding of the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism in St. Petersburg is conventionally divided into two stages: laying the foundations and traditions of scientific, educational, exhibition and research work and the restoration of the fund after the war.

Founding history

On September 7, 1930, the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences put forward the initiative to open such an institution. Already on April 26, 1931, the idea was supported by the Central Election Commission of the USSR. The first director and founder of the museum of religion was the famous ethnographer and historian of those times - Vladimir Germanovich Tan-Bogoraz.

Throughout its existence (until 2000), the museum of religion was located in the Kazan Cathedral on Nevsky Prospekt. The first collection was created from exhibits from other museums, in particular the Hermitage and the Kunstkamera.

The institution was conceived as a platform for the study and analysis of religions. The first employees carried out serious scientific work, and not only stored exhibits.

By the beginning of the war, a rich exhibition had been collected, consisting of valuable and rare relics of the main branches of religion and individual movements within them. An impressive collection of books on religious studies and related history was also kept there. During the war, employees took care of the safety of exhibits, they even managed to organize several exhibitions.

IN post-war years The museum was being restored and replenished, and it became known outside the USSR. At that time, exhibitions on the religions of individual countries were actively created. A lot of energy and effort was invested in strengthening the position of the institution by its then director, an outstanding expert on the history of religious movements and public figure - V.D. Bonch-Bruevich, who lived in Moscow and ran the museum directly from there.

Current situation

In 2000, GMIR moved to a new location. For the first time in Russia after almost a century-long break, the complex was housed in a building specially equipped and adapted for museum needs. Employees are still studying the monuments cultural heritage and conduct exhibition activities.

The new directions of their work were:

Creation of educational and museum-pedagogical programs.
Creation of a relevant museum and tourism product aimed at different groups visitors.
Participation in solving socio-cultural problems of the North-Western region.

The issues are quite complex, but in the neutral space of the museum, the professional work of the staff makes it possible to get acquainted with religion in an accessible language. The main task of specialists is to teach respect for the history and culture of different peoples, to cultivate conscious tolerance towards different faiths and ethnic groups.

Museum exhibitions

From the very beginning of its history, GMIR has constantly expanded its collection. Many exhibits have been kept since the opening, but some of them are exhibitions created just a few years ago.

Permanent

Today the following sections are open to the public in the Museum of Religion: permanent exhibition:

history of Russian Orthodoxy;
Catholicism;
Protestantism;
religions of the East: Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism;
Islam;
archaic beliefs and rituals;
religions of the Ancient world: polytheism;
religions of the Ancient World: Judaism and the emergence of monotheism;
the emergence of Christianity.

Children's department

The Beginnings of Beginnings department is a comprehensive interactive exhibition space that complements the permanent exhibition of the Museum of Religion. The use of only copies and dummies of objects is its important feature. Thus, children are calmly allowed to take all things in their hands, look at them and explore.

The program's monitored content is combined with an interactive form of presenting material using a multimedia system and gaming technologies. In November 2011, the “Beginning of Beginnings” department became the winner All-Russian competition children's museum programs. There are currently two interactive programs: "Androcles and the Lion" and "A Dog Called Tiger."

Exhibit funds

The exhibitions are divided into fifteen funds, which combine narrower complexes.

Archaic and traditional beliefs

Material and figurative monuments that characterize archaic and traditional beliefs peoples of Russia, neighboring countries, indigenous populations of America, Africa, Asia, Oceania.

Collections of traditional beliefs and exhibits included in them:

Indigenous peoples of Siberia and the Far East: various attributes of rituals and Siberian shamanism.
Peoples of the Volga region: ritual utensils and musical instruments, priestly robes, offerings to spirits, amulets.
Peoples of the Caucasus: priestly costumes, sacrifices from sanctuaries, ritual materials New Year's holiday, amulets, ritual cookies.
Russians and Belarusians: Christmas masks, ritual cookies, Kupala wreaths, cuckoo dolls, goo-birds, materials on funeral, memorial and wedding rituals.
The peoples of Indonesia and Melanesia: bags for sacred rice, wands and priestly fortune-telling books, Melanesian sculptural images of ancestors, a ship of the dead.
American Indians: shamanic masks and headpieces, noisy dance bracelets.
Peoples of Africa: masks, sculptures, weapons.
Archaeological excavations medieval Pyatnitsky burial ground in the city of Murom (IX–XI centuries). Includes bronze jewelry and iron weapons.

Religions of early civilizations

Sections of the fund's collection correspond to their division according to historical, cultural and religious affiliations.

Numismatic (VI-V centuries BC - IV century AD).
Archaeological (VI century BC - XIII century AD).
Sculpture.
A separate set of exhibits consists of a gypsum sculpture of the 19th-20th centuries, transferred in the 1950s from the Academy of Arts and State Hermitage.
Graphic arts.
Works of Western European masters of the 18th-19th centuries. on ancient subjects.

Orthodoxy

The main part of the collection consists of monuments from the 17th-20th centuries; the specificity is determined by the variety of iconographic material.

Collections and complexes of exhibits:

Icons of the late 17th - early 18th centuries.
Icons of masterful writing of the late 19th - early 20th centuries.
Oil painting.
Printed graphics.
Engraved and lithographed prints.
Original graphics.
Watercolor Old Believer drawings of the 18th-19th centuries.
Soviet posters and cartoons of the 1920s—1940s.

Islam

The fund's collection includes religious objects, graphics, paintings, and works of decorative and applied art. They represent the dogma, rituals, culture and way of life of peoples professing Islam. The main part of the exhibits dates back to the 18th-21st centuries.

Collections:

Religious objects.
Works of decorative and applied art and household items.
Religious wall chromolithographs published in Kazan at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries.
Religious posters and " folk pictures» from countries of the foreign East.
Amulets and amulets.
Women's jewelry with religious symbols.
Paintings and graphic works of Russian and Soviet artists.
Engravings for the Russian translation of D'Hosson's book " Full picture Ottoman Empire."

Judaism

Various ritual utensils and graphics, including those from existing synagogues. Chronological framework fund: XVIII - early XX centuries.

Complexes:

Torah scrolls.
Items that form an integral part of the sefer Torah vestment, and festive ritual utensils made of metal.
Wooden cases for mezuzah.
Tefillin.
Jewish postcards.
Charts.

Religions of the East

The collection presents historical and cultural monuments of Buddhism, Shintoism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Chronological scope of the collection: II-XXI centuries.

Complexes:

Archaeological excavations of the Buddhist cult center Kara-Tepe II-IV centuries. n. e.
Japanese scrolls of the 17th-19th centuries. with images of Buddhist characters.
Hindu and Buddhist ritual masks of the Tsam mystery.
Buddhist thangkas (icons) of the 18th-20th centuries.
Buddhist sculptures of the 18th-20th centuries.
Buddhist ritual utensils of the 18th-20th centuries.
Musical instruments used in Buddhist rituals.
Multi-figure composition "Sukhavati - the pure land of Buddha Amitabha."
Chinese folk paintings(splints) XVIII-XIX centuries. Academician V. M. Alekseev.
Chinese sculptures XIX V. from a mouthguard.
Chromolithographs of the late XIX - early XX centuries. depicting characters from the Hindu pantheon.
Hindu sculptures of the 18th-19th centuries. from the collection of F. M. Plyushkin.
Ritual objects of the XX-XXI centuries, received as a gift from the International Scientific Society "Shinto" (Japan).
Japanese home icon cases of the 18th-19th centuries.

Religions of the West

Includes paintings, sculptures, graphics, as well as church utensils and details of the vestments of the clergy of the countries Western Europe.

Complexes:

Italian painting.
Spanish painting XV-XX centuries
Painting Northern Europe(Germany, the Netherlands, Flanders and Holland).
German and French sculptures of the XIV-XVI centuries.
Sculptures of the XVII-XX centuries.
Graphic arts.
Decorative and applied arts.
Numismatics (from the Middle Ages to the 20th century).
Medals.
Western European stained glass (XVI - late XIX V.).

Other funds

All funds are presented in fascinating exhibitions within the walls of the museum. The building itself is divided into sectors, so visitors gradually move from halls dedicated to primitive religions to more recent areas. The decoration of the premises also echoes and corresponds to the collections. In some rooms, music (often church music) from the era that guests are currently experiencing is played.

Other funds:

Precious metals(products for religious purposes, mainly made of silver).
Scientific and historical archive (various printed materials, historical documents and collections).
Decorative and applied arts in Orthodoxy (mainly objects that make up the decoration of Orthodox churches and temples).
art in Orthodoxy (graphics and painting of the Russian Orthodox Church).
Rare books (mainly theological content).
Fabrics (clothing and fabrics for religious ceremonies and other textiles).
Philately (postage stamps from almost all countries, religious images from different eras).
Music library-multimedia (music and videos).
Photo library (photos from the last 150 years depicting various sanctuaries, objects for religious rituals, lifestyles of people of different faiths, etc.).

Museum Library

The book collection department was created in 1932. Currently, the library has about 192,000 items. This is one of the largest book collections on issues of atheism and religion, the only secular library in Russia, where literature on various faiths and sciences (history, philosophy, ethnography, etc.) is so fully presented.

Book collections

The core of the collection consists of books donated by the following organizations and individuals:

Reserve collection of the Library of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
Fund of the university library (formerly the University Library).
Central Anti-Religious Museum (CAM) in Moscow.
Workers' Anti-Religious University (Leningrad).
Polytechnical Institute.
Institute of History.
Synodal Library.
Saint Isaac's Cathedral.
Expeditions, purchases, gifts from private individuals.
Churches, monasteries that have ceased to exist.
Part of the book fund of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society.
Books from V.D.’s personal libraries Bonch-Bruevich, B.Ya. Ramma, A.N. Nikolsky, Archpriest I.N. Chetverukhina and others.

A systematic catalog has been maintained since the thirties and has developed along with the library. It is compiled at a high professional level, which makes it possible to quickly compile a bibliography on all relevant topics.

The library stores following types and types of publications:

books ( sacred texts, reference publications, monographs, collections of articles);
brochures;
albums;
exhibition catalogues;
periodicals in different languages.

The book collection of the fund includes publications from the 17th - 21st centuries.

Collections of the Scientific Library:

publications of the Bible of the World and Russian Bible Societies;
Masonic literature;
theological pre-revolutionary periodicals;
collections of Proceedings of Theological Seminaries and Academies;
religious and philosophical editions of the second half of the 19th century– beginning of the 20th century;
Old Believer literature;
anti-religious literature of the 1920-1930s;
works of museum staff;
books in European languages "Rossica".

Visiting opportunities

The library of the Museum of Religion began to exhibit thematic book exhibitions, revealing the richness and diversity of our holdings. Registration is made on the basis of an application letter, which must be endorsed by the management of the organization where the potential reader works/studies.

The library of the Museum of Religion is a unique specialized book collection and serves the following categories of people:

specialists (scientific and museum staff, teachers, journalists, etc.);
undergraduate and graduate students of universities;
representatives of various religious organizations and confessions.

When visiting the State Historical Museum, you should show respect and follow some rules to avoid damage or complete destruction of exhibits.

How to get there

The actual address of the institution: 190000 St. Petersburg, Pochtamtskaya street, 14/5. It is next to St. Isaac's Cathedral in the Admiralteysky district.

You can get around the city in the following ways:

Metro stations: Nevsky Prospect, Gostiny Dvor, Spasskaya, Sadovaya, Sennaya Square, Admiralteyskaya.
Buses: No. 3, 6, 22, 27.
Trolleybuses: No. 5, 22.
Minibus taxis: No. 169, 306, No. 6, 62, 350.

Get off at the Pochtamtsky Lane stop, then you need to cross the road and follow straight along the yellow building. The entrance is located to the left of the famous Post Office Arch.

Opening hours and ticket prices

When checking the schedule, please note that the ticket office closes one hour before the museum closes.

Operating mode:

opening hours - from 10:00 to 18:00;
permanent exhibition - from 10:00 to 17:30;
temporary exhibitions - from 10:00 to 17:30;
ticket office - from 10:00 to 17:00;
day off - Wednesday;
The first Monday of the month is social day (free entry for all categories of visitors).

Ticket prices vary depending on citizenship and status (in rubles):

for foreigners - 300;
for Russians and residents of the CIS - 150;
for full-time students foreign universities - 200;
students of foreign universities upon presentation of international student IDs (ISIC or IYTC) - 100;
students from Russia and the CIS - 50;
ticket for a foreign student - free;
for schoolchildren in Russia and the CIS - free;
pensioners - 50.

The specified categories of tickets give the right to a single visit to the permanent exhibition and temporary exhibitions of the Museum of Religion. The ticket is valid for a one-time visit to the museum for one day. Refunds of unused tickets are only possible on the day of purchase and if the ticket itself is available. Validity period of the electronic entrance ticket(for all categories of visitors, without excursion service), purchased through the museum’s website, is valid for 30 days from the date of the selected date.

Right free visit The museum is used by the following categories of citizens (upon presentation of the appropriate document):

Participants and disabled people of the Great Patriotic War and categories of citizens equivalent to them.
Faces, medal recipients“For the defense of Leningrad” and the sign “Resident besieged Leningrad».
Internationalist warriors, conscripts.
Non-working disabled people of groups I and II.
Children preschool age.
Orphans and children left without parental care.
Pupils of orphanages and boarding schools.
Mothers of many children and minor family members.
Employees of museums of the Russian Federation.
ICOM members.

To receive a discount, you must present a document confirming your right to the benefit ( student ID, passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation, pension certificate, etc.). Otherwise, the ticket office employee has the right to refuse the benefit and sell the ticket at full price.

Cost of group visits (in rubles):

Groups from 6 people additional payment - 80, for English speakers - 100.
Group of up to 5 people, cost for the whole group is 1,200 for Russian, for English - 2,300.

Additional services include permission for photography and rental of an audio guide (100 rubles for 4 hours and a deposit of 1,000). The ticket price does not include permission to use a camera and video camera - for this you need to pay an additional 200 rubles. Shooting on Cell phones also paid in advance. Single visitors can walk through the museum with a guide for an additional fee.

Video

This video shows one of the reports, dedicated to the museum.

State Museum of the History of Religion

Amazing St. Petersburg,
who grew up in desert swamps through inhuman labors - a monument
the willpower of the autocrat, erected with his bare hands. Therefore his character is
neither kind nor evil, but demanding, sometimes to the point of cruelty. City -
gold miners' sieve, sprinkles the ground with a mass of sifted sand and silt,
while revealing the true treasures. How many beautiful treasures
surprised the whole world, gathered in this city. Didn't give with light hand,
but allowed them to emerge from the swampy mass at the moment when they were
already ready and almost perfect. One of the wonders of St. Petersburg (and
they say that the whole world) is the State Museum of History
religion. As with the city itself, GMIR was founded on thought.

idea of creation of an exhibition,
which would demonstrate the emergence of religion, its origins and
development using the example of authentic exhibits penetrated Vladimir’s head
Germanovich Bogoraz-Tan, Russian ethnographer and linguist. year
The birth of the idea can be considered 1928, and the museum itself was founded by the decision
Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences on September 7, 1930, and opened in 1932
November 15th year. Ironically, the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism, as
it was then called, and was occupied by the Kazan Cathedral, which was inactive at that time.

Bogoraz Vladimir Germanovich

(pseudonym N.A. Tan, V.G. Tan)

(15 (27).04.1865 — 10.05.1936)

The thought was born at the beginning
twenties in the process of preparing the exhibition “Evolution of Religious
beliefs of humanity" in the Kunstkamera. It featured
cult objects of the peoples of the world, from antiquity to our times. IN
During the work process, Bogoraz-Tan, being the author of this project, realized that
the idea is grandiose and requires further development. But how, after all for this
it had to be fit into the framework of that time, adjusted to it
newly introduced laws that imposed the propaganda of Marxism-Leninism on everyone
possible ways, including through the activities of museums.

Soviet anti-religious propaganda materials

Dependence on ideology
states and the inevitability of clashes with inspection authorities,
It certainly made the job much more difficult. Bogoraz-Tan had to maneuver
between emerging circumstances, find a compromise between
what the party wanted from him, and what he himself wanted. But he succeeded
save the seed of your idea and achieve a place for it in the sun, and if
to speak literally means to gain the support of the authorities. So, in 1930
On April 15, a meeting was held in honor of the grand opening
Anti-religious exhibition in the White Hall Winter Palace. This event happened
dedicated to the fifth anniversary of the Union of Militant Atheists. Bogoraz-Tan so
wrote about this exhibition: “ We took from our collections with a generous hand
the most expensive and best that was: unique items from India, China and
Africa, shamanic dresses from Kamchatka, from Chukotka Land, antique
marbles, gold, bone, enamel. The exhibition should speak with words».
In addition to this, a “Brief Guide to Anti-Religious
exhibition of the USSR Academy of Sciences,” as well as a group of “explanatory guides.” This
were a kind of shields against attacks from convinced atheists, so that they
could not accuse the organizers of the exhibition of promoting religion.

The exhibition was well received
good,” this was facilitated by the cunning formulation of her concept.
Indeed, at that time, the education of atheism in the young minds of the new
generation was considered simply necessary. In connection with all of the above,
the question was raised about transforming it into a permanent Anti-religious
museum. Frightened by the consolidation of documents issued for a temporary exhibition
premises, the Hermitage management demanded that these same
premises, ostensibly for the needs of one of their departments. Next came
ordeal of the exhibition through the spaces of the city with all the accompanying
difficulties.

Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism (former Kazan Cathedral)

Photo and caption from the mid-1960s

And finally, assignment to the museum
building of the Kazan Cathedral made it possible to fully develop it
exhibition and scientific activities. Although the condition of the cathedral was
sad, and the museum staff was small, work was in full swing. Existed at that time
moment of exposure developed and refined, did not stop and
an influx of valuable materials that required processing and systematization,
Research was carried out and new exhibitions were created.

“In the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism...”

Illustration from the book “Sights of Leningrad”

Lenizdat, 1961

As the museum staff increases,
research activities expanded more widely,
scientific expeditions and business trips to Buryat-Mongolia, the Caucasus and more
only. Thanks to expeditionary activities, collections of
Buddhism and Islam, the religion of the Svans and the beliefs of the peoples of Siberia.

By 1934 the museum library
already numbered 5,000 volumes and included literature on the history of religion and
anti-religious, old printed, handwritten, modern books.
Publishing activity naturally followed from scientific activity. All
at this time Bogoraz-Tan was struggling with an unstable financial situation,
trying to prove to higher authorities the need to stage
museum workers in terms of regular pay.

"War and Religion"

Painting by artist Y. Nikolaev

Exhibit of the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism

Reproduction from the mid-1960s

The dark years of the war led to the front
most of the employees. The rest curtailed their exhibition activities
for the sake of preserving exhibits. Only two exhibitions were held during
blockade, and they were dedicated to the military-historical past of the people and
countries. The subsequent period of restoration was not easy: the building
soaked in dampness and cold, installed as heating
several potbelly stoves, window glass was missing in places, the roof was heavily
damaged. At the end of the war, money for urgent major repairs
the state did not allocate. Everything had to be put in order
on one's own. The exhibitions continued despite everything.
Perhaps the most visited exhibitions created at that time were
“The Alchemist’s Cabinet of the Late 16th Century” and “The History of the Papacy and the Inquisition”,
next to which there was a display case with authentic instruments of torture.
Both exhibitions were located in the basement of the cathedral and were recreated in
mainly based on surviving descriptions and ancient engravings.

Alchemist's office of the late 16th century

Reconstruction at the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism

Photo from the mid-1960s

Collection of instruments of torture

Exhibits of the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism

Photo from the mid-1960s

After the death of Bogoraz-Tan, the museum
lost its main fighter for existence. In 1946 it was signed
decree on the merger of the Leningrad Museum of the History of Religion with the Museum of History
religions in Moscow. The collection of the Leningrad Museum was transferred to
completely under the orders of the director of the Moscow museum V.D.
Bonch-Bruevich and was to be transported to Moscow. This was followed by
staff reduction. Mikhail was appointed senior researcher
Iosifovich Shakhnovich. It is thanks to him and the remaining workers,
who were convinced that the decision to close the museum was wrong
Leningrad and insisted on the continuation of exhibition activities, all
exactly the opposite happened. After a year of struggle, the funds of the Moscow
museum were transported to Leningrad. This was also facilitated by the dilapidated
the building of the Kazan Cathedral - there was no room for a museum in Moscow at all. IN
1948, after numerous persistent appeals “to the top” in the cathedral
Repair and restoration work was finally carried out.

In 1998, the Kazan Cathedral
was again illuminated, and GMIR made its last reincarnation, by 2001
year, moving to Pochtamtskaya Street, where it is now located to this day.
Today GMIR - “ secular museum in a secular state" Their
tasks are formulated in the following order: study, interpretation,
exposition. His social functions are to preserve and handle
eternity of cultural heritage through recording and conservation
events and phenomena, as well as documenting processes associated with
religion.

Scientific principle, principle
historicism and systems approach- the main ones in the work of the museum. By and large
account, to date nothing has changed in
scientific research approach of museum staff since
the emergence of the first temporary exhibition. But finally the museum got rid of it
from the weight of ideology, within the framework of which he was forced to adjust his
educational activities. As one of the employees of those times wrote:
« Now it’s even difficult to say what was more difficult - preparing the exhibition or successfully handing it over to all commissions».

Expositions of the State Historical Museum are an external phenomenon
beautiful, but its roots are in scientific research and educational
activities. Great amount accumulated materials
systematized into several funds that are dedicated to the most
known world religions and beliefs. From these funds approximately
ten exhibitions, each of which occupies a separate room and
organized in such a way as to help the visitor as much as possible
understand its meaning.

For example, rooms in which
Eastern religions are represented, in particular Buddhism, instantly
They pull you into their world of bright, colorful images. Festive and bright
they seem in comparison with the halls dedicated to Catholicism, where even
light and colors are perceived as muted, leading thoughts to the gloomy
European Middle Ages and a more optimistic rebirth through
authentic religious attributes, sculptures, paintings and stained glass.

History of Russian Orthodoxy
represented by iconostasis, on which the heavenly space,
the divine is indicated by gold leaf, and the faces of the saints are deprived
three dimensions familiar to humans. Temple utensils, books, vestments
clergymen and so on are organized into integral compositions that
appear before your eyes like frozen frames from the past.

Promotion from hall to hall is possible
It’s easy to imagine a journey through the corridors of time. After all
indeed, no matter what happens to peoples and countries, this is first
turn was reflected in their faith. And the whole worldview of those people can also be
read and experience through these priceless exhibits. Excursions that
carried out by the museum, go far beyond its walls. Lecture hall doors
always open to those who are interested in the history of religion and its aspects
formation and development. And those who have eaten more than one dog on this topic,
conferences are held here. The museum still has a scientific
library with an excellent collection of publications, the oldest of which
date back to the 17th century.

project SpbStarosti

There are several reasons to visit the State Museum of the History of Religion in St. Petersburg. Firstly, its rich museum collection numbers about 200 thousand exhibits, among which there are unique archaeological finds dating back to the 6th century BC.

Secondly, along with icons and objects of religious significance, works of fine and decorative arts, rare books, samples of numismatics and medals from different eras, countries and peoples. The origin, development and characteristics of the main religious worldviews are thus considered in the context of world science, history and culture.

Thirdly, and importantly, the construction of the exhibition includes chronology, logic and modern interactive means of presenting material. And, of course, the most important thing is the lack of imposition of preferences, tolerance towards representatives of different religious faiths.

As a result, all this makes the museum and tourism product relevant for a wide range of visitors, and the location in the city center convenient for visiting.

Historical reference

The world's first museum of the history of religion was opened in the city on the Neva, and this happened in a country where atheism was the state ideology.

In April 1930, an anti-religious exhibition organized by the Institute of Ethnography was held in the halls of the Winter Palace. Religious objects and thematic works art from all over the world. In those times social thought were excited by ideas about the incompatibility of science and religion. They found expression in the enormous success of the exhibition and inspired the creation of a museum of the history of religion and atheism in the system of the USSR Academy of Sciences, which was established on April 26, 1931.

The initiator and its first director was the outstanding Russian scientist, historian and ethnographer V. G. Bogoraz-Tan. The museum's collection, in addition to the exhibition collection, is based on exhibits received from, and the Library of the Academy of Sciences. The museum was located in, where it took place Grand opening November 15, 1932.

The fact that the museum was initially formed in a scientific academic structure distinguished it from other similar museums, including its predecessor, the Leningrad Anti-Religious Museum (1929-1932). Employees did not just collect, store and exhibit monuments religious culture, but began to study such a complex phenomenon of social history as religion, research work and educational activities.

Already at the first stage of the museum’s formation (from 1932 to 1944), the collected collections reflected the diversity and evolution of beliefs and religious traditions different nations, - they were considered from the point of view of the place of religion in life different eras, in aspects of spirituality, psychology, social movements, art.

The restoration of the museum after the war in 1944-1960 and the creation of a wide exhibition dedicated to the history of world religions brought wide popularity in the country and abroad. This was facilitated by numerous traveling photo exhibitions, the printing of monographs and the publication periodical"WORLD Yearbook".

In 1961, the museum became subordinate to the Ministry of Culture. There comes a period when scientific activity is curtailed and is replaced by the propaganda of atheistic ideas.

In the early 1990s, the museum received its current name and building in the city center, where it moved after reconstruction in 2000. Over the years Soviet power It has become customary to locate museums of religion and atheism in places of worship. For the first time, the State Museum of the History of Religion in St. Petersburg is allocated a secular building, which was specially equipped for the museum. The building has its own history.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the estate of Count P. Yaguzhinsky was located on nearby lands. The three-story manor house later became famous thanks to its theater, where performances were given. circus performances and a private menagerie was on display.

In 1786, the Postal Department bought the house, which had been auctioned off for the debts of the scion of a noble family. This house stood opposite the post office, and postal employees began to live in it. An arch with an internal passage was thrown across Pochtamtskaya Street between the two buildings. It allowed officials to get from home to work without going outside. The crossing is now closed.

In 1859-1861, the architect A.K. Kavos completed the 4th floor and changed the facades of the building in the then fashionable eclectic style, harmoniously mixing elements of classicism, baroque and renaissance in the decoration. It was quite symbolic to locate the museum, which also mixed the most controversial religious movements, in such a house.

The opening of the museum in the new building took place on June 8, 2001. It is known that after the move, exhibitions with frightening rituals disappeared, for example, demonstrating the instruments of torture of the Inquisition, although this is a rather important aspect in understanding life medieval Europe. The section of atheism generally disappeared into the archives, taking with it from the halls of the museum part of our history. Various sects also did not receive places. For example, Baptistism, which is extremely popular in the USA, is not represented in any way. However, these remarks do not detract from the importance of the museum, but only emphasize the immensity of the topic it raises.

Museum exposition

Sir Winston Churchill

The colorful exhibitions are presented in such a way that, moving from one hall to another, visitors travel through time, gradually moving from primitive beliefs to modern religious movements. Relevant musical arrangement and surroundings create a special atmosphere, and interactive screens, audio and video files, and the use of an audio guide provide the opportunity for a leisurely independent exploration and complete immersion in the era with which you are currently becoming acquainted.

On your first visit, it is still recommended to take part in sightseeing tour. An experienced guide will be able to give a general holistic impression of the museum in 1.5 hours. The entire collection is divided into funds, there are only 15 of them, and even a cursory acquaintance requires enough time. There is a danger of getting lost for several hours!

The lobby looks nice. It is decorated with a plaster sculpture transferred from the Hermitage back in the 1950s. From here begins the path leading from the depths of centuries to the present, built in chronological order and representing the periods with an amazing logical sequence:

Archaic beliefs and rituals;
Religions of the Ancient World;
Judaism;
Christianity;
Orthodoxy;
Catholicism, Protestantism;
Religions of the East;
Islam;
Buddhism;
Religions of China, Japan, India.

The first halls take us to the Paleolithic era, when funeral rites began. Acoustics and rock paintings convey a cave atmosphere. The exhibits testify to the first attempts of our distant ancestors to understand the foundations of the universe and man’s place in it.

What follows is a transition period from primitive era to civilization. We find ourselves in the world of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece and Rome, we find ourselves among ritual objects, Egyptian sarcophagi, we will see ancient Greek vessels and funeral masks.

The next stage is the emergence of monotheism. Here the museum offers to get acquainted with the religion of the Jews, and with different points point of view: as with the biblical period, from the perspective of belief in one God, or to look at history through the eyes of the Jews. In the halls we can see what the Torah looks like, learn what a Torah scroll, kaporet and parakhet are.

An extensive exhibition is dedicated to Christianity, the origins and first prophecies, its individual periods and branches. In the hall of early Christianity, it is worth paying attention to the icons painted by N. S. Emelyanov - after all, it was according to his sketches that the external mosaics were made!

Interesting exhibits related to Russian history are presented in the “Church and State” section. Among them: a dish made for the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, paintings by M. V. Nesterov, V. M. Vasnetsov, I. K. Aivazovsky and others no less famous artists, - For example, antique painting"Coronation of the Emperor Alexandra III and Empress Maria Feodorovna” or the modern painting by Yu. A. Rybakov “Mirage”.

The diversity of Eastern religions is reflected in exhibitions dedicated to the countries of Eastern, Southern and Central Asia. Particularly popular is the hall where the Buddhist Paradise is presented - this is a model made in 1904-1905 by the monks of the Buryat monasteries under the name “Sukhavati - Pure land Buddha Amitabha." Many fans of Buddhism come to the museum with the sole purpose of meditating in this hall.

There is another (smaller) layout in the “Islam” section. This is a copy of the Cathedral Mosque of St. Petersburg (the original is located on Kronverksky Prospekt, 7, near the Gorkovskaya metro station).

The top floor is reserved for temporary exhibitions. The museum participates in the “Night of Museums” event, organizes excursions, including around the city and outside the city, classes for children and a course of lectures for adults. Special rooms can be provided for concerts, conferences, and presentations.

The museum's day off is Wednesday; every first Monday, admission is free for everyone.

Where is it and how to get there

Literally a stone's throw from, opposite the Main Post Office, to the left of its famous arch, there is the Museum of the History of Religion, located in a building on Pochtamtskaya Street, 14 / Pochtamtsky Lane, 5.

You can walk here from the Admiralteyskaya and Sennaya metro stations or get there from the Gostiny Dvor and Nevsky Prospekt metro stations by trolleybus No. 5, No. 22, bus No. 3, No. 22, No. 27 or minibus No. 169, No. 306.

Ten years ago, the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg began to operate as a cathedral. During the years of Soviet power, there was a Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism.

Of course, this was perceived by believers as an outrage. However, some believe that it was precisely this circumstance that saved many shrines from destruction, and perhaps the temple itself, which turns 200 this year.

Some argue that it was thanks to the museum that many shrines were preserved. Of course, it is unknown whether the cathedral would have survived at all if a museum had not been opened in it in 1932

Who is the owner of the temple?

For sixty years, atheistic propaganda was carried out within the walls of the temple. And although services in the cathedral resumed in 1992, the museum workers felt like masters. It was as hosts that in 1996 they met Archpriest Pavel Krasnotsvetov, who was appointed the new rector. The director of the museum explained to the priest that the liturgy in the cathedral is celebrated only on Sundays and it must be completed before eleven o'clock - then the excursions begin. “Sorry, but this is a cathedral, and we will serve the liturgy, as it should be in a cathedral, every day. From ten to about twelve, but we can finish later. Please lead excursions, and we will serve.” The abbot immediately made it clear who was the boss here and who was the guest.

So they coexisted within the same walls - a museum and an Orthodox parish, and one could often observe how an atheistic excursion was taking place in the temple, and the Divine Liturgy was being served at the other end. Only in 2001 the museum finally left the walls of the temple, moving to the premises allocated to it on Pochtamtskaya Street.

Forgotten relics

And in the 1990s, when the state’s attitude towards the Church changed, the relics of St. Zosima, Savvaty and Herman of Solovetsky, Seraphim of Sarov, and St. Joasaph of Belgorod were found here. But if many icons during the years of militant atheism were indeed saved through the efforts of art museum staff, then in the Kazan Cathedral something was preserved rather due to the disorder.

When a museum opened in the cathedral, many shrines taken from churches and monasteries were given to it. But it is difficult to say how many of them were stolen or destroyed here. Father Pavel recalls how in one of the rooms where an employee was sitting, he saw more than a dozen torn altar Gospels on the floor. The museum treated other Orthodox shrines with the same carelessness. Oddly enough, this saved the relics of the Solovetsky saints and Seraphim of Sarov - they were simply forgotten. The late Patriarch Alexy II later spoke about the discovery of the relics of St. Seraphim: “Sewn into matting, they lay in the storerooms of the museum, in one of the rooms of the former sacristy, where tapestries were kept... We found the act and documents of the opening of the relics in 1920. One of these documents states that the relics were removed from the monastery for their destruction or exhibition in a museum. That is, the threat of destruction of the holy relics of St. Seraphim was quite real. But by God’s Providence evil was turned into good.”

And the relics of St. Joasaph of Belgorod were preserved thanks to the workers of the museum. In 1956, there was an anthrax epidemic in Astrakhan. In this regard, all museums were ordered to remove the relics from their exhibitions and, if possible, destroy them. The director, without hesitation, ordered the relics of St. Joasaph to be burned in the stove. The two workers to whom he entrusted this task were apparently believers. They wrapped the body in wrapping paper, then in a curtain and also in black paper, tied it all up and buried it in the attic, where there was a large layer of slag. In 1990, one of them, before his death, told his daughter about this and asked her to inform the diocese. The diocese sent a commission to the museum, which included Father Pavel Krasnotsvetov. “We found a large package in the attic, took it downstairs, and unwrapped it. The relics were preserved without any decay,” the priest recalls. An expert group arrived from Moscow, checked the inventory and documents and determined that these were the relics of St. Joasaph of Belgorod.

No one is responsible for losses

It is still unknown exactly how many relics brought to the museum have disappeared. “A lot of church items lay here without any accounting. They brought it from Moscow in the thirties, dumped it in a corner, and that’s it,” Father Pavel sighs. For example, the reliquary with a particle of the relics of the holy martyr Hermogenes, which had been kept in the cathedral since 1919, disappeared.

In 1813, Field Marshal Kutuzov was buried in the cathedral. They brought to the cathedral banners captured from the French, and keys to many cities taken by Russian troops. Kazansky was a temple almost from the very beginning military glory. It is no coincidence that in 1837 monuments to Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly were erected on the square in front of the cathedral.

In 1914, most of the flags from Kutuzov’s grave were taken to Moscow, historical Museum. Some of the keys have disappeared. The grave itself was opened several times under Soviet rule. The Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God hanging above it, which the field marshal always took with him on military campaigns, was replaced with the Smolensk Icon of the 20th century. Now the Kutuzov icon is in the Museum of the History of Religion. Instead of a gilded dove holding a lamp in its beak, an eagle of the French or Polish type now hangs above the commander’s head. Nobody knows when the replacement took place.

Its dome shone with silver

The building itself, after museum use, has not been preserved at its best. “The museum’s management knew that sooner or later they would have to leave here, so they didn’t invest a penny in technical repairs,” says the chief engineer of the cathedral, Evgeny Danilevsky, who began working here at the museum in the early 1990s. - Even hot water did not consider it necessary to carry out. In winter, sometimes the room warmed up to only five degrees. Here the windows are very large, unusual for a Russian church. A lot of heat escapes through them. But nothing worked; the air ducts had holes long ago.” Retired colonel, Evgeniy Ivanovich is a non-church person. “I have a different upbringing, I grew up in the family of a Soviet officer and served in the army for 36 years,” says the chief engineer. Despite his unchurchishness, he loves the cathedral very much, has thoroughly studied its history and can talk about it for hours. “Everyone is used to the fact that the dome is green, but from old photographs you can see that it used to play in silver. It was originally covered with tinned iron, but during the war two bombs hit the dome. We had to change it, and after the war it was covered with copper. And copper turns green. It’s a pity that so far there are no plans to replace the coating. A cathedral with a shiny dome shimmering in silver would look completely different,” laments Evgeniy Danilevsky. He is also worried about the roof, for which not a penny was allocated this year. Work on the facades has not begun. Previously, they had black boards with quotations from the Gospel engraved on them. The letters were all torn off, many of the boards also disappeared. Perhaps something is kept in the museum, but its workers, according to Evgeniy Ivanovich, themselves do not really know what they have.

What remains of the cathedral

The temple, transferred to the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism in 1932, was once magnificent. Built on the model of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, it looked very unusual. The colonnade alone caused so much bewilderment - 126 columns 14 meters high. Paul I himself, by whose order the temple was erected, saw the hands of Christ in these columns, hugging everyone who came here. But even today, not everyone considers such an architectural innovation successful. For example, the famous church architect Andrei Anisimov calls the colonnade a brilliant artistic solution from the point of view of organizing the square and attracting people’s attention, but he is convinced that it is unnecessary for the cathedral, since these columns do not carry a spiritual meaning, and therefore have no relation to church architecture.

Another architect, Mikhail Filippov, on the contrary, is convinced that the Kazan Cathedral, like hundreds of other Russian churches, built during the synodal period under the influence Western traditions, organically merged into Orthodox culture, enriching church architecture.

The interior of the cathedral once amazed with its luxury. The iconostasis alone cost 1,800 kilograms of silver. Of course, after the campaign to confiscate church valuables, nothing remained of this wealth. In 1930, the iconostasis was finally destroyed, and its four jasper columns were soon transferred to Moscow to the Academy of Sciences. I had to restore everything bit by bit. In the museum of the University of Railway Transport, a folder “Projects of the Kazan Cathedral” was miraculously found. The iconostasis was restored according to the drawings. True, it was impossible to make new columns from jasper. I had to pick it up artificial material under this stone. And instead of silver sheet, the new iconostasis was covered with leaf.

The old iconostasis was painted famous artists- Borovikovsky, Andrei Ivanov (father of Alexander Ivanov - author of “The Appearance of Christ to the People”), Tyurin, Urzhumov. Today these paintings are in the Russian Museum. Copies were made for the iconostasis.

However, these shortcomings, visible to a specialist, are unlikely to be noticed by a simple sightseer. By the 200th anniversary of the cathedral, not a trace remained of the Bolshevik desecration.

State Museum of the History of Religion (St. Petersburg, Russia) - exhibitions, opening hours, address, phone numbers, official website.

Tours for May in Russia
Last minute tours Worldwide

IN historical center In St. Petersburg, not far from the Hermitage, a unique Museum of the History of Religion has been operating for more than 100 years, dedicated to the history of the emergence and development of beliefs and cults among different peoples of the world. The building was built in the eclectic style, which means a combination of disparate styles, views and ideas. Oddly enough, the original concept of the museum was atheistic, but the artifacts stored in it rather contribute to the strengthening of faith. The extensive collection of exhibits gives an idea not only of religion, but also of the way of life of people, from ancient times to the present day.

A little history

The museum was founded in 1930 within the USSR Academy of Sciences on the initiative of the historian of religion Vladimir Bogoraz-Tan and was initially located on the territory of the Kazan Cathedral. Unlike its predecessor, the Leningrad Anti-Religious Museum, it was conceived not only as an atheistic institution, but also as a place for scientific research and educational work. Thanks to the Soviet public figure Bonch-Bruevich, religious exhibits reached contemporaries. The first items came from the collections of Leningrad museums: the State Hermitage, the Russian Museum and the Kunstkamera; today the collection continues to grow.

What to see

Thanks to the efforts of museum workers, who extinguished incendiary bombs on the roof during the Great Patriotic War, the exhibits survived the war.

About 200 thousand valuable historical and cultural finds have been collected from different countries. Some come from the Ancient civilizations of the West and East, others from the Middle Ages and modern times. Cult objects of the main world religions: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism tell about the way of life and traditions of different times and peoples.

The museum is filled with a variety of exhibits on religious and everyday topics - both Christian icons and early printed books, and oriental exotica.

The archaeological and numismatic collections of ancient (starting from the 6th century BC), medieval and more are very interesting. modern items cult. We recommend taking a look at Buddhist artifacts from the 2nd to 4th centuries AD. e., found during excavations of the center of Kara-Tepe. The East is widely represented: Hindu ritual masks, musical instruments and utensils, oriental sculptures, icons and Muslim wall prints of the 19th-20th centuries, religious posters, Buddhist thangkas of the 18th-20th centuries, household prints of the 18th-19th centuries.

The museum offers entire programs and individual interactive activities and excursions for children of different ages.

Practical information

Address: St. Petersburg, st. Pochtamtskaya, 14/5. Web site

You can take the metro to the station " Gostiny Dvor", then by minibuses No. 169 or 306.

Opening hours: from 10:00 to 18:00 (Tuesdays from 13:00 to 21:00), ticket offices are open from 10:00 to 17:00. Wednesday is a day off.

You can find out the cost of tickets and purchase them online on the museum’s website. On the first Monday of every month, admission is free for everyone. There is a souvenir shop.

Add a review

Track

Other attractions nearby

St. Petersburg and surroundings

Where to stay: for trips in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, it is best to stay in hotels in St. Petersburg.
What to see: majestic St. Petersburg and its suburbs - magnificent Peterhof, Oranienbaum preserved in its original form, Gatchina Museum-Reserve, Pavlovsk with one of the most beautiful landscape parks in the world, Amber room V