History and culture: The exhibition “From the history of regimental museums” in Saint-Petersburg

December 18, 2015 at the Military Historical Museum of Artillery Engineering and Signal Corps (St. Petersburg) is opened the exhibition "From the history of regimental museums. Life Guards the 1st Artillery Brigade. To the 125th anniversary of the museum".

It is no exaggeration to say that most museums in pre-revolutionary Russia were military-historical. This fact has a very simple explanation, given that the largest group among them was the regimental museum of the imperial Russian army, which in 1917 numbered more than 300. And this despite the fact that they began to be created relatively late - in the last quarter of the XIX - early XX century.

Each military unit had its own unique history, so the regimental museums were not similar to each other. It has a unique collection of valuable exhibits not only in the history of the regiments themselves, but also the military history of Russia. The initiative for the establishment of such museums was usually officers in their own funds museums and contained.

One of the most unique collections of war relics was collected by History Museum of the Life Guards the 1st Artillery Brigade, created in 1891 by a unanimous decision of the officers. On the eve of the 125th anniversary of this historic date in the Museum of Artillery was opened a thematic exhibition, which is scheduled to become the first in a series of exhibitions dedicated to the history of the regimental museums.

The new exhibition is a whole layer of previously exhibited objects which introduce a unique phenomenon in the history of the Russian army - regimental museums.

Among the exhibits there is the oldest relic of the regimental museum - the Museum of the Life Guards the 1st Artillery Brigade.

Museum visitors will see more than 70 authentic archival documents, books, photos and phototypes of the museum displaying the history of its creation. Many of them are shown for the first time.

The main part of the exhibition is photographs. The prints of the late XIX century captured the first exhibition of the museum, its exhibits. The photographs of the second half of XIX - early XX centuries - the daily life of the Life Guards the 1st Artillery Brigade, parades, shows, teaching. The large volume is portraits, including members of the royal family during a visit to the various activities involving the 1st Artillery Brigade.

The exhibition will run until the end of January 2016.