"Treasuresof the Steppes"

Works of the Sarmatians' decorative and applied art from collection of the Azov History, Archeology and Paleontology Museum-Reserve will be presented in Kaliningrad for the first time. The exhibition "Treasure of the Steppes" will be opened in the Amber Museum on 18 December 2015 at 17.00.

The Azov Museum-Reserve was founded in 1917. Unique items of the archeological and paleontological museum collections, including over 350 000 showpieces, are presented in twenty two exhibition halls. For many years museum's team has been conducting archeological research on the territory of the city and region, that is why its archeological collection is one of the biggest in Russia. It includes artworks showing history of the numerous tribes inhabiting Don region in different times.

There will be objects found in burial mounds of the Sarmatian time (4 century – 4 century AD) presented in the Amber Museum. The showpieces feature the cultural distinction of this ancient steppe people that lived once on the territory of Rostov region. The exhibition is completed with photos of the items from the Azov Museum-Reserve's collection, nomads' clothing and horse harness reconstructions.

The Sarmatians is the generalizing name of the aggressive nomadic pastoralist tribes, who inhabited the steppe of the Southern Ural in the East till the separating ridge of the rivers Tisa and Danube in the West. They left unique and various pieces of decorative and applied art behind, keeping images of the Sarmatians' military glory, their nomadic way of life, distinctiveness of the complicated ornamental motives of the so called "animalistic style".

The Sarmatians, like other nomadic tribes, set a high value on gold. According to their beliefs, by means of this noble metal happened the connection between gods and spirits.There were always golden items – vessels, arms, adornments, household objects – present in the burials of Sarmatian rulers.  

The exhibition "Treasure of the Steppes" will work in the Amber Museum until 14 February 2016.