One of the biggest ethnographic museums in the world, the Russian Ethnographic Museum, represents culture and every day life of peoples of Russia from the 18th century till nowadays. For 100 years of its history the unique collection unmatched in the world according to the ethnical diapason, geographical greatness and thematic diversity has been accumulated. All the folks and ethnical groups that inhabited in different periods of history the territory of the Russian Empire, Soviet Union or Russian Federation are represented. Moreover, not only material and spiritual culture of large nations is comprehensively demonstrated but of the small ones which numbered no more than one or two hundred representatives as well.
The museum is housed in the unique building that is an architectural monument of the beginning of the 20th century. It was specially designed by architect Svin'in to meet the needs of the ethnographic department of the Russian museum.
The collection is displayed in 24 halls. Ceramics, textiles, jewelry, metal and wooden works, national costumes - the works of applied art of each nation have unique distinctive features and convey the spiritual culture of the people living in a certain region. Different attributes of rituals and festive ceremonies are on display, numerous photo help visitors to visualize calendar, wedding, funeral and other rites many of which are of magic character. For example, according to the Old Slavic mythological conception of the world a change of social status (the conversion of a marriageable young man into a husband or of a young girl into a wife, etc) was possible only through the symbolic death with the following resurrection. That's why the behaviour and the dress of a bride after the matchmaking changed greatly: she wore plain clothes, covered her face with a kerchief, moved slowly and as if with difficulties, lamented and didn't speak with other people. You'll know this and many other interesting facts if you visit the exhibitions devoted to rituals and tradition of Russian peoples.
The museum treasures the unique collection of exhibits, connected with the religions of people living in Russia and contiguous country. The overwhelming majority of the population were Orthodox believers, but such religions as Islam and Buddhism were also widely spread. Besides, many people of Siberia and the Far East preserved pagan religious cults and shamanism.
The visitors can see with their own eyes typical buildings of different regions of Russia: sectional houses of the population of Central Asia (round covered with felt and mats yurta (Nomad's tent); chum, in winter protected with corvine skins and in summer covered with birch bark), small many-tier stone buildings of Caucasian mountains, timber houses that were common on the extensive territory of Siberia. The majority of the models are full-size.
The collection of traditional clothes, numbering 100,000 exhibits, is very interesting. The cloth as a source of knowledge is very valuable: judging by it the family and social status, the age, the occupation, the nationality and the place of living of his owner can be determined. Very often the cloth and its elements served as protectors, a sort of amulet, of its owners from evil spirits and demons. The museum collection allows to trace the history of the national costumes, the interference of different cultures and the alteration of the costume due to urbanization and industrialization processes.
In the Special storeroom national jewelry, objects of cult and armory made from precious metal, pearl, precious and semiprecious stones have been collected. The majority of the exhibits are really unique as the secrets of their making, that had been carefully guarded by the masters of the past and handed down from the teacher to the pupil, unfortunately have been lost.
The museum has a souvenir salon, where you can buy works of applied art made by modern craftsmen.