Taking part in the opening ceremony on the birthday of Peter the Great were Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Andrey Golovnyov, Director of the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (the Kunstkamera) of the RAS.
The Astronomical Hall and the Globe of Gottorf will for the first time ever be available for regular tours.
Visitors will be able to learn about important scientific achievements of the era of Peter I. The environment of St. Petersburg’s first observatory, which was founded in the 1720s, was recreated in the Astronomical Hall of the Tower. The prime meridian of St. Petersburg was selected to be here. It served as the starting point for measuring longitudes on the maps of the Russian Empire, which then became the basis for the first atlas of the country. Regular astronomical and weather observations began to be performed in the observatory.
The gem of the exhibition is the Globe of Gottorf measuring more than three meters in diameter. The planetarium globe, which was given to Peter I as a diplomatic gift, is a unique achievement in science and technology of the 17th century. The globe features a map of the Earth on its outside and a celestial map on its inside. At present, there is a special screen installed above the Globe of Gottorf for the visitors to see the constellations depicted on its inside.
Alexey Miller:
“According to our good tradition, we celebrate the birthday of Peter Alexeevich Romanov, Russia’s first emperor, with the opening of signature exhibitions that are associated with his name. Today, we present another project implemented jointly with the Kunstkamera: the comprehensive re-exhibition of the upper floors of the Tower of Knowledge.
Peter I established the first museum in Russia not only as a place to showcase rarities, but also as a site to conduct scientific research. The Kunstkamera embodies the aspiration to knowledge, the thirst for discoveries and the desire to know how the world works that were inherent to Peter I and his era.
The prime meridian of St. Petersburg was selected to be here. It is from this starting point that longitudes on all maps of the Russian Empire were measured. This place we are in is the starting point for exploring Russia.
The renewed halls of the Kunstkamera will be open to the residents and guests of St. Petersburg starting from June 10.”
Andrey Golovnyov:
“Our gift for the birthday of Peter the Great this time are the renewed exhibitions on the upper floors of the Kunstkamera’s Tower, namely, the Astronomical Hall featuring the observatory and the Planetarium. At the top of the exhibition on display in the Tower is the famous Globe of Gottorf; the adventures and transformations it has been through over the period of 300 years are worth being shown on a TV series. Today, this miracle of the 17th century science shows us not only the challenges of understanding the Universe, but also the image of the infinite outer space as expressed by the rotating sky of stars. Thanks to the support from Gazprom, we have restored many items on display, renewed the exhibition and added cutting-edge interactive technologies to it.”
Background
The Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences (the Kunstkamera) is the first museum in Russia. It was established by Peter I in St. Petersburg in 1714.
In November 2022, with support from Gazprom, a new permanent exhibition titled “Imperial Hall: Multinational Russia” was opened at the Kunstkamera as part of the celebration of the 350th anniversary of the birth of Peter I. The exhibition is devoted to the peoples who lived in the Russian Empire in the 18th century.
In June 2023, Gazprom and the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (the Kunstkamera) signed the Agreement of Cooperation. The document reflects the intent of the parties to continue their cooperation in preserving the cultural heritage of St. Petersburg; developing the Kunstkamera; and implementing Gazprom’s comprehensive social project Friends of St. Petersburg.
