Petersburg of the 19th century and ancient church frescoes available in the Presidential Library’s new historical calendars

The next year, 2023, is marked by several commemorative dates in the history of Russia at once. On its eve, the Presidential Library traditionally issued historical calendars marking significant events.

The calendar Marking the 320th anniversary of the foundation of St. Petersburg is illustrated with unique visual materials from the library's collections - twelve etchings (engravings on metal), hand-painted in watercolor, with views of St. Petersburg at different times of the year. Drawings for them, at the direction of the British royal court, were made by the artist Mornay in 1815.

He captured the historical and architectural dominants of the city: the Theater Square, the Bronze Horseman on the Senate Square and the Senate building itself, next to which, in the historical building of the Synod, the Presidential Library is housed today, the Field of Mars, the Summer Garden, the Kazan Square and the Kazan Cathedral.

The calendar shows not only what the Russian capital was like more than two centuries ago, but also to learn from the explanations written by a contemporary the unusual details of city life - lacquered iron rotundas, in which bonfires were lit for walkers on Theater Square in winter, fashionable night walks along the Moika in gondolas, The Bolshoy bridge, which was dismantled when the Neva froze and people crossed over the ice, and much more.

An event significant for the history of our country is reflected in the calendar Frescoes of Russian churches: marking the 1035th anniversary of the Christianization of Rus'. This calendar features 17th-century frescoes from the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Suzdal, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ and the Church of the Savior on Senya in Rostov Veliky. These are copies of the surviving temple murals, included in the publication of the architect, one of the founders of the scientific restoration of Fyodor Richter Monuments of Ancient Russian architecture... (1850-1856).

Both calendars include accompanying texts in Russian and English and are freely available on the Presidential Library’s portal in the Presidential Library’s Calendars section. More information and interesting details are available in the materials of the St. Petersburg and Antiquities in Russian Art collections.