a symbol of Russia, which developed into a world power with Peter the Great at the helm. The tsar adored the sea and was an excep- tional shipbuilder and seafarer. Still, an exhi- bit that’s perhaps even more interesting is an actual replica of Peter the Great’s handprint. It was created in 1707, when the tsar tripped at the ironworks in Lipetsk and left his hand- print in the moulding sand. - A plaster cast was made immediately, and one is still preserved at the Hermitage. Visitors to the exhibition at the Russian Ho- use will be able to touch it and literally shake hands with the emperor - reveals Bahareva. CATHERINE THE GREAT – WORKER ON THE THRONE The Hermitage Days also bring the Bel- grade premiere screenings of the feature film Catherine the Great. The story of the em- press who founded the Hermitage and was among Europe’s most important rulers is truly impressive. St. Petersburg glistened in all its glory during the time of her rule, while scien- ce and art flourished and great Russian litera- ture was born. The empress continued what Peter the Great had started: she expanded the empire’s borders and consolidated Ru- ssia’s status as a world power. Catherine was the first Russian empress who, like Peter, was truly a “worker on the throne”. The function of a museum is to build bridges, says Bahareva, concluding by quo- ting Hermitage director Mikhail Piotrovsky. And a bridge between Serbia and Russia has long since existed – shared history, spiritua- lity, kinship of mentality. That’s why the Her- mitage Days aren’t just an event, but rather a tradition in the making – a coming together of cultures, arts and memories that will also continue to live in the years to come, thanks to the company Gazprom Neft and others who recognised the importance of this cultu- ral exchange.
HERMITAGE DAYS IN SERBIA MUSEUMS EXIST TO BUILD BRIDGES Find out why Peter the Great remains a strong symbol of Orthodoxy to this day; what it looked like to shake hands with a tsar and why Catherine the Great remains a ruler without equal
Despite being located in St. Petersburg, the Hermitage has never been closer to Bel- grade. You can find it at Belgrade’s Russian House, under the scope of the Hermitage Days programme, where you can enjoy a ri- ch cultural programme – encompassing ex- hibitions, film screenings and meetings with experts of one of the world’s largest mu- seums – until 30th January. The focus is on the periods of Peter the Great and Cathe- rine the Great, two rulers who shaped Ru- ssian history, but who also left strong traces on Serbia’s spiritual and cultural space. We will become closely acquainted with them thanks to Natalia Bahareva, a senior scientific associate and curator at the Hermitage and the woman who has brought part of the ma- gic of this beautiful St. Petersburg museum to Belgrade... PETER THE GREAT – PROTECTOR OF ORTHODOXY - The Hermitage isn’t just a museum. It’s an entire universe – says Bahareva, revea- ling the essence of this place that preserves more than three million artefacts. Alternating through its 500 halls are pieces covering al- most all of the world’s epochs, civilisations, artistic movements and cultures. She for- med the Peter the Great Gallery together wi- th her colleagues, which is why it is her favou- rite, and when she speaks about this famous tsar we learn that he wasn’t only a great re- former of Russia. He has long been a sym- bol of protection for Serbs too, as the ruler of the last Orthodox country to preserve its in- dependence. - Petar maintained strong links with the Serbian Orthodox Church, sent gifts to mo-
nasteries, supported national leaders and expanded education by sending teachers and books to Serbian lands. Many Serbs also found themselves in his service, with their in- fluence evident in key reforms. They were ski- lled diplomats who spoke several languages and experienced seafarers that were nee- ded by the fledgling Russian Empire. Many Serbs left a significant mark in the history of Peter the Great’s reforms and military victo- ries. At the exhibition “Peter the Great and Serbia”, you will discover the stories of the Serbian collaborators of the Russian tsar: Sa- va Vladislavic-Raguzinski, Matija Zmajevic, and Mikhail Miloradovic. We will also discuss the connection between Peter the Great and the Serbian Patriarch Arsenije III, as well as the naval school of Marko Martinovic– expla- ins Bahareva. SHIP SYMBOLISM AND SHAKING HANDS WITH THE TSAR Visitors will be greeted in the Russian House’s central hall by a ship that serves as
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