The State Historical Museum of Moscow contains cultural monuments of Russia and other countries from past eras. All exhibits in the museum are unique and tell about the history of bygone times. Despite the huge number of exhibits, among them there are those that are especially popular with visitors and arouse greater interest.
Saber of Napoleon
The exhibit has an interesting history. After Napoleon's abdication, he was exiled to Elba. The road there was very dangerous. Due to the constant attacks of angry people on the motorcade, it was impossible to stop. Count Shuvalov was one of the emperor's escorts, and during the next attack, Shuvalov defended Napoleon, overshadowing him. In gratitude for his help, Napoleon presented the Count with his legendary saber.
The saber was kept by Shuvalov and his descendants until the Civil War. After being confiscated in 1918, the saber was used as a weapon in the war. After a while, the exhibit ended up in the museum and is still there.
Medal for drunkenness
The medal introduced by Peter I in 1714 was not given as a reward. The cast iron medal was distinguished by its rather large size and weight of 5-6 kilograms, for which it was considered the heaviest medal in the world. Until the 15th century, strong alcohol was rarely drunk in Russia, often only on holidays. However, since 1533, alcoholic beverages have become available to everyone. Therefore, earlier the exhibit was used as a punishment for drunkenness.
The offender wore a medal with engraved letters "for drunkenness" for a week. Due to the thick chain, it was impossible to remove the medal on your own, and due to the large weight, the neck muscles began to tire quickly. Such a punishment was a real torment for a person, often people with such a medal walked with their heads down from the severe weight.
Wooden canoe
At first glance, this boat looks quite ordinary, but its uniqueness lies not in its appearance at all. Cheln is the same age as the Egyptian pyramids and was presumably created there. Seven meters long, the boat made of an oak trunk could fit about ten people. At the bottom of the boat, traces of an ax and other stone tools are visible, which proves that it was made about 3,000 BC.
Despite the fact that the boat was made in Egypt, they found it in Russia in 1954 on the Don coast. The exhibit is a real monument left over from the ancient era. The boat is very practical, has ledges for sitting and tabs-ears for attaching ropes. Only by looking at the canoe, we can already say that it was made by real masters who know their business.
Borodino treasure
The treasure was discovered in 1912 by German colonists during the extraction of stone. The exhibit is considered a true embodiment of the Bronze Age. Among the items of the treasure are arrowheads, maces, a dagger, axes and bronze plates. Disputes about the origin of this treasure have been going on for about a hundred years. The objects show the peculiarities of different countries, the treasure is the unification of the cultures of the whole world.
The materials from which the items were made can be found in different parts of the world, which makes it difficult to pinpoint the exact place where they were made. At the moment it is known that the owner of the treasure was a rich and noble person of his time. All items of the treasure were made by true masters of their craft.
Portrait of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich
Many do not understand what is the uniqueness of this portrait. In fact, the work is considered special and there are several reasons for this:
- the tsar posed for the portrait himself;
- the king appears in clothing for coronation or special occasions;
- the portrait was painted by an unknown artist;
- the picture is perfectly preserved.
Basically, the portraits of the kings of that time were of the iconographic type and were made on their deathbed. Also, inscriptions were rarely left on the images of the rulers. However, this portrait goes beyond the ordinary and is considered unique for its time. The picture and the lines on it praise the king. The author clearly tried to show all the magnificence of the autocrat in his work.
