Memory of Russia: “Faithful without flattery: A. A. Arakcheev (1769-1834)” in St. Petersburg

The exhibition "Faithful without flattery: A. A. Arakcheev (1769-1834). To mark the 180th anniversary of the death of the reformer" opens April 18, 2014 at the Museum of Political History of Russia (St. Petersburg).

"Faithful without flattery" was the motto of the coat of arms of the Count Alexei A. Arakcheev. The whole epoch in the political history of Russia in the first quarter of the 19th century is related to the name of this man. The new exhibition of the Museum of Political History of Russia covers his life and the activities as a statesman. This exhibition is part of the cycle of biographic exhibitions which reveal to visitors the eminent personalities of the past.

Vivid personality of the reformer is presented at the exhibition in photographs, documents, objects of fine art from the collections of the Museum of Political History of Russia, the State Historical Museum (Moscow) and the Military- Historical Museum of Artillery, Rocket and Signal Corps. An important place is occupied by reports and personal letters of the count telling about his relationship with Paul I, Alexander I, with prominent statesmen and military officials. Among them, the report of Arakcheev to the Emperor Alexander I on the creation of fund for financial assistance to wounded soldiers during the War of 1812; his reports addressed to the Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich.

Of particular interest are the materials on military settlements. Among the exhibits, which are displayed for the first time are: atlas of statistical districts of Novgorod military settlement, maps of military settlements in the Novgorod province, district map of arable soldiers of Starorusski county, plans of barracks in Gruzino .

One section of the exhibition tells the story of the count’s estate in Gruzino granted to Arakcheev by Emperor Paul I under the Decree of December 12, 1896. There are also materials about the museum-estate Gruzino, which, in the 1920s and 1930s, was a branch of the National Museum of the Revolution (today, the Museum of Political History of Russia).