World memory: Museum “Russia in the Great War” in Tsarskoe Selo to become national

About 2 thousand items were managed to collect in the “Tsarskoe Selo” Museum-Reserve for the holdings of the future museum “Russia in the Great War”, which opens in August 2014 – to the 100^th anniversary of the start of the First World War. Currently,  it is completed the restoration of the Ratnaya Sovereign’s Chamber, developed the museum concept, created a thematic-exposition plan, continued the work in exhibits obtaining: weapons, equipment, awards, photographs, documents.

The project is financed mainly from the funds allocated by the Ministry of Culture of Russia; the exhibits are also purchased extra budgetary of the museum. A considerable help is from patrons of Russia and other countries – organizations and individuals. 

-We are grateful to everyone who contributes to the formation of the collection of the new museum. It is already clear this will be a truly national museum. We are donated items from different parts of Russia – from Moscow, Siberia, Tatarstan as well as Europe. This is a wonderful example of self-sacrifice and patriotism, - says the director of the “Tsarskoe Selo” Museum-Reserve Olga Taratynova.

The museum “Russian in the Great War” will be the first museum in modern Russia, dedicated to this period of the history.  Initially the Ratnaya Chamber was conceived by Emperor Nicholas II as a pantheon of military glory. With the entry of Russia in military actions of the First World War, a part of the collection was trophies, brought from the fronts. Thus, Ratnaya Chamber formed as the Museum of the Great War. Its exposition was ready to start to be open in 1917 and already in 1918 the museum was closed.