This fall, as part of the France-Russia Year 2010, the musée de l’Armée (Army Museum) in Paris and the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, are jointly presenting an exhibition dedicated to the history of the Russian Imperial Guard, and more broadly to the history of Russia.
For over two hundred years, from the 1700 to the October Revolution in 1917, the history of the Russian Imperial Guard has been closely tied to that of Russia, not only in relations to the military, but also in the political, social and cultural fields, providing an accurate mirror image of its wealth and complexity.
This exhibition, the result of a new collaboration between the two institutions, will allow for the greater public to see over 150 objects of exceptional and sumptuous characteristics: paintings (landscapes and portraits), personal items and uniforms belonging to key figures, weapon (sabres, pistols...) and art objects (tea service…). The greater part of these objects comes from the Hermitage Museum, some of which had never yet left national soil. Those coming from the collection of the musée de l’Armée and the musée des Cosaques (Cossacks Museum) in Courbevoie, evoke the future of the Guards after 1917 and the exile of great Russian families to Paris.
These two centuries of history narrate in 8 sections:
1/ The birth of the Imperial Guard – Peter I the Great
2/ Plotting at the palace – the Guard at the heart of Society
3/ The Napoleonic Wars
4/ The Decembrists
5/ Nicholas I - Splendour of the Guard
6/ Keeping the Throne: the reigns of Alexander II and Alexander III
7/ The October Revolution
8/ Relics
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Exhibition Curators:
Musée de l’Armée
Emilie Robbe, Curator, Modern Department (1643-1870)
Julien Voinot, Assistant, Modern Department
Hermitage Museum:
Georges Vilinbakhov, Assistant Director
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Musée de l'Armée, Hôtel national des Invalides
129 rue de Grenelle 75007 PARIS
www.invalides.org
Tel. +33 (0)8 10 11 33 99 or +33 (0)1 44 42 38 77
Admissions
> Exhibition only: 8 euros
> Combined ticket exhibition + museum: 11 euros
This ticket grants access to the exhibition In the Service of the Tsars, to the permanent exhibition rooms at the musée de l’Armée, to the Dôme Church (Tomb of Napoleon I), as well as to the musée des plans-reliefs (Museum of 3D Relief Maps) and the musée de l’Ordre de la Libération (Museum of the Order and of the Liberation).
AROUND THE EXHIBITION - cultural programme
- Guided tours of the exhibition:
Groups starting from 10 people – reservation mandatory: visites-ma@invalides.org or +33 (0)1 44 42 37 72
Duration: 1h30)
Tickets: guided visit + admission ticket, 8 € / pers. (exhibition only) or 11 € / pers. (exhibition + museum)
- Catalogue
Au service des Tsars,
La Garde impériale Russe, de Pierre le Grand à la Révolution d’Octobre
Co-publication Musée de l’Armée-Somogy
Available: Octobre 2010
Format: 22*29 cm / 200 pages, 175 illustrations / 34 €
- Series of conferences, leading up to the exhibition (in French only)
This series presents several aspects of the multiple interactions between Russia and France in the XIX century.
17 September
Alexander I and France, by Marie-Pierre Rey, Professor at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.
20 September
The Franco-Russian Alliance: Myths and Military Realities, by Emmanuel Pénicaut, Curator at the Service historique de la Défense (SHD).
27 September
From the Théâtre Michel to the Russian Ballet: Dramatic Arts between France and Russia in the 19th Century, by Jean-Claude Yon, Master of Conferences at the University of Versailles-St-Quentin-en-Yvelines.
29 September
The Russian Romantic Genius at the Time of Gogol and Pouchkine. Treasure from the Tretyakov Gallery, by Daniel Marchesseau, Senior Curator for the Patrimoine, Director of the musée de la Vie Romantique (Museum of Romantic Life) in Paris.
Auditorium Austerlitz, from 1:45 pm to 3:00 pm.
Free - reservation mandatory: histoire-ma@invalides.org or +33 (0)1 44 42 51 73
- Film programme:
- Saturday 20 November – 5:00 pm: L’Arche Russe d’Alexandre Sokourov in official competition at the 2002 Cannes Festival, was filmed in the most famous palace in Russia: the Hermitage. In what many consider one of the greatest museums in the world, Sokourov depicts Russian history throughout several generations in a unique single shot, demonstrating true technical achievement and a distinct artistic sense.
- Saturday 27 November – 5:00 pm: Le barbier de Sibérie, directed in 1998 by Nikita Mikhalkov. This Romanesque panorama immerses the viewers at the heart of Russian soul and the treasures of its culture.
Auditorium Austerlitz
Free - reservation mandatory: +33 (0)1 44 42 38 77
- Concerts
>Thursday 23 September 2010, at 8:00 pm – Cathédrale Saint-Louis des Invalides
Harmony orchestra of the MUSIQUE DE L’AIR
> Programme: RIMSKI-KORSAKOV, RACHMANINOV,
> Free entry
> Tuesday 28 September 2010, at 8:00 pm – Cathédrale Saint-Louis des Invalides
LES CHANTRES DE MOSCOU – Russian Orthodox Chorus of deep bass
> Programme: Sacred Music if Russian Orthodox Church – Songs of the Imperial Russian Guard – Popular Russian and Cossacks songs. RACHMANINOV – TCHESNOKOV – LVOVSKI – GONTCHAROV – TROUBATCHEV – BORTNIANSKI – KRILOV …
> Tickets (conditional): 9 € / 7 €
>Thursday 21 October 2010, at 8:00 pm – Cathédrale Saint-Louis des Invalides
Harmony orchestra of the MUSIQUE PRINCIPALE DE L’ARMÉE DE TERRE
> Programme: MOUSSORGSKI, TCHAÏKOVSKI, TCHEREPNIN, RIMSKI-KORSAKOV, SCRIABINE, PROKOFIEV
> Free entry
> Friday 19 November 2010, at 8:00 pm – Grand Salon
To celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the death of Leon TOLSTOÏ (1828 – 1910)
Conference closing concert « The Work of Leon Tolstoï », from the University of Paris IV-Sorbonne (17-20 Nov.), “La Sonate à Kreutzer ”
> Programme: BEETHOVEN
> Tickets: 25 €
CYCLE JEUNES TALENTSpremiÈres armes
EN PARTENARIAT ARTISTIQUE AVEC LE CONSERVATOIRE DE PARIS (CNSMDP)
Friday 15 October, at 12:15 pm – Grand Salon
Duo AZAR
Programme: GLAZOUNOV – RACHMANINOV – DENISOV
Friday 5 November, at 12:15 pm – Grand Salon
Programme: SCRIABINE – LEKEU
Friday 26 November, at 12:15 pm – Grand Salon
Programme: CHOSTAKOVITCH
Free entry for all 3 concerts
