The new Costume Gallery at the Hermitage Museum brings old clothes to light.
Peter the Great’s quilted (стеганный) house coats and stylish velvet costumes, canonical clothing of Orthodox priests, embroidered (вышитый) ceremonial dresses of Russian aristocrats and colorful wedding gowns of Cossack women — these are just some of the amazing items of clothing on display at the Costume Gallery of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, each with its own story.
The Gallery, which opened in December at the Hermitage’s Staraya Derevnya Restoration and Storage Center, is unusual. It isn’t a traditional (традиционный) museum, but a hybrid between an exhibition space and a repository (хранилище).
The exhibits are displayed in dimly lit halls that go completely dark as soon as visitors leave (they are equipped with motion sensors). This is designed to protect the fragile (хрупкий) items, which are sensitive to light and humidity (влажность).
Behind the mannequins dressed in the gowns of Russian tsars and peasants, there are rows of lockers containing most of the precious collection, which give the visitors (посетители) a sneak peek at the museum’s “backstage” area.
The Hermitage’s collection of costumes features more than 24,000 items covering the period from the late 17th century to the beginning of the 21st century. The Gallery currently displays 130 mannequins and numerous small items, such as hats, shoes, fans, bags, suitcases, mirrors and hangers. Because the venue is a repository, there are no labels (ярлыки) or descriptions.
