Historicism, Nationalism, and Museum Architecture in Russia from the Nineteenth to the Turn of the Twentieth Century

Abstract

Starting in the mid‐nineteenth through the beginning of the twentieth century, museums as cultural monuments became instruments for national awakening and symbols of statehood and nations. Museums preserved and constituted the people's past. They were places for the public to learn more about nations' histories and cultures. Elements of various historical styles were used for museum decoration to create a harmony between collections and the museum environment, while representing the history of visual art. Russian museums were no exception in this trend. Russia's position between East and West found its reflection in its museums' architecture and iconographic programs. While stressing links to the European tradition, Russian museums, especially those in Moscow, used elements of “Russian style” as a symbol of political and religious originality. This iconographic system enabled Russian art to be placed in historical contexts while emphasizing its unique national character.