History of Russia: Kazan exhibition reviews a history of New Year celebrations in Russia

"The Eldest Ever New Year" exhibition, dedicated to the history of New Year celebrations in Russia, is open until January 24, 2016, at the Gun Court Museum of the Kazan Kremlin State National Park and Museum. The exhibition tells the stories of more than 1000 items, including greeting cards, Christmas-tree decorations, toys, carnival masks, garlands - everything that served to a coming-to-be of the most favorite national holiday in Russia since Tsarist times.

A separate theme of the exposition is devoted to the most colorful period of the turn of the XIX and the XX centuries, when the old Christmas rites have already exceeded the scope of its religious meaning and spread to the national celebration of the New Year. The cards illustrate the process of this merger, the dialogue between Russian folk traditions and secular Western adoption. By looking on these postcards could be followed, how in the difficult years at the turn of the centuries Russian society was growing and changing.

Unique works of artists-miniaturists that have survived in single copies, as well as Christmas cards and Christmas decorations, produced at the end of the XIX century, are real adornments of "The Eldest Ever New Year" exhibition. Christmas tree decorations, handmade toys, antique dolls, and much more were brought from the private collections of Kazan gatherers.