The Kunstkamera is one of the most amazing museums in St. Petersburg, founded by Peter I. From the German, the name “Kunstkamera” is translated as “room of arts”. The museum contains amazing exhibits, many of which were made by famous masters and brought by Peter I himself during his travels. Among such a variety of exhibits, several of the most interesting and must-see ones are distinguished.
Gottorp Globe
One of the most famous and interesting exhibits of the Kunstkamera. With a diameter of three meters and weighing three and a half tons, the globe made a strong impression on Peter I, who was a great lover of rarities. The author of the project, the famous cartographer Adam Olearius made this masterpiece by order of the Duke of Gottorp, Frederick III, who gave the globe to Peter I as a diplomatic gift.
The peculiarity of the exhibit lies not only in its size: the frame is equipped with a special door, passing through which a view of the starry sky map on the inner surface of the globe opens. The Gottorp Globe survived a fire and restoration, was stolen and returned several decades later.
Heavenly rook
This is one of the oldest exhibits in the museum and an example of a combination of European mechanics and oriental art. The exhibit is a boat on which a wealthy Chinese man, accompanied by a patron deity and servants, travels the world. It is known that the masterpiece was created in a watch workshop in Beijing at the court of the Kangxi Emperor. The rook can be called a fantasy of Chinese craftsmen about how a sky ship might look like.
It was not possible to leave the ship completely intact. During the restoration, many parts of its mechanism had to be replaced. The heavenly rook is wound with the key like a clock. The whole exhibit seems to come to life: the ship is spinning, the servants are dancing, the musicians are playing music. Despite the fact that it is impossible to see the mechanism of the ship in action with your own eyes, the exhibit continues to attract the views of museum visitors.
Geisha O-Matsu
The exhibit was brought to Russia by Emperor Nicholas II after a tourist trip to Japan. During his journey, the emperor viewed many sights and met new people, among whom was the geisha Moroka O-Matsu. When the Japanese Emperor Meiji learned about the sympathy of Nicholas II for the geisha, he decided to leave some kind of reminder of her. By order of Meiji, sculptor Kawashima Jinbe II made a full-length geisha doll. The doll was given to Nicholas II before leaving Japan.
For some reason, returning to Russia, the emperor did not leave the geisha doll with him, but handed it over to the Kunstkamera. The exhibit shows the work of a real master: the beauty of a geisha seems to be imprinted in a doll. This masterpiece continues to amaze museum visitors.
The skeleton of Nicolas Bourgeois
Peter I brought from his travels not only rare things, but also unusual people. The king met Nicolas Bourgeois during one of his travels. The height of the Frenchman was 226.7 centimeters, thanks to which he liked the king. Peter I immediately hired the giant to serve as a footman. In Russia, Nicolas aroused great interest among citizens and courtiers. After working for seven years, Bourgeois died of a stroke.
Peter I decided to give the body of such an unusual person to the Kunstkamera and leave it as an exhibit. The skeleton of Nicolas Bourgeois is still in the museum, and many eerie stories revolve around it. For example, during the fire in 1747, the head of the skeleton disappeared, after which the Kunstkamera workers noted many times that the spirit of the Frenchman wanders the museum in search of his head and frightens people. However, one of the employees put another one instead of the lost skull and the paranormal phenomena stopped.
Paleolithic venus
This exhibit is found all over the world as a trace of the Upper Paleolithic era. All figurines have hypertrophied body parts that are responsible for the signs of femininity. Previously, such women were highly valued and considered the ideal of beauty. According to some versions, the figurines were the embodiment of the goddess of fertility, according to others, they were amulets.
The figure shown in the Kunstkamera was carved from the tusk of a mammoth. The exhibit is approximately 21-23 thousand years old. It was found during excavations in Central Russia in 1936 and was placed in a museum.
