Memorable dates of Russia: Exhibition “Dreams of Siberia”, marking the 130th anniversary of the Trans-Siberian Railway, opens in Moscow

The exhibition Dreams of Siberia, telling about the ancient and medieval past of Ural, Siberia and the Far East, opens in the State Historical Museum (Moscow) on October 28, 2022. The project, organized by the Tavolga Foundation for the Development of Science and Culture, is timed to coincide with the 130th anniversary of the longest railway in the world – the Trans-Siberian Railway (TSR), which became the main artery that connected the far corners of Russia with its European part.

For the first time in Russia, an immersive exhibition, which brings together archeology, modern art and advanced exposition technologies, opens to present the vivid image of the ancient history and the cultural diversity of the regions, located near the TSR – a railway, the construction of which was completed in record time for the turn of the XIX-XX centuries.

Visitors to the exhibition will have an opportunity to see interesting findings, discovered on the territories covered by the Great Siberian Route, which is another name of the Trans-Siberian Railway. The exposition includes artifacts of the Neolithic Age, zoomorphic images of the Iron Age and wonderful compositions, associated with the Perm animal style. Of special interest are the copies of millennial stone steles, made in full size and based on the specially constructed three-dimensional model.

The exposition features tactile models, labels with Braille and many other things that will help visitors to dive deeper into the historical and cultural context.

Collections for the exhibition have been provided by the State Historical Museum, Shatilov Tomsk Regional Local History Museum, Pushkin Cherdynsk Local History Museum, as well as the Museum of History and Culture of the Peoples of Siberia and the Far East under the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The design of the exhibition halls is reminiscent of the diversity of the nature of Siberia and the Far East. Visitors will have a chance to go on a journey through the “forest”, “mountains” and “steppes”, full of architectural and sculptural forms.

In addition to ancient artifacts, there are exhibited works by modern artists residing in various cities of Siberia and redefining its culture.

The exhibition presents sculptures by Dashi Namdakov that clearly include the artistic motifs of the indigenous peoples of Eastern Siberia, vitreous enamels from the series 12 shamans by Sergei Anufriyev, panels by Oleg Komarov made of birch bark, leather and wood, works by the stone carver Alexander Baranmaa, ceramics by Tatiana Yeroshenko, as well as bronze, stone and jade sculptures by Zandan Dugarov.

A large lecture program for children and adults is planned in the museum within the framework of the exhibition.

The exhibition will run until January 30, 2023.