"Yaroslavl Treasures"

An exhibition "Yaroslavl Treasures" opens on 15 December in the Amber Museum. The Yaroslavl State Historical-Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve will present the most precious part of its collection – items of ecclesiastical and folk art of the 17th – early 20th centuries.

A significant part of the exhibition includes objects of ecclesiastical art originating from the ancient Yaroslavl temples, monasteries and convents. These are jewellery items – liturgical vessels, details of icons ornaments, as well as pieces of church attire made of art textiles embroidered with silken, golden and silver threads.

The 17th century  is called "golden" in Yaroslavl history. Extraordinary rise of artistic culture and crafts in this time was provided by the merchant assets. The city located in the  good trading spot – junction of trading routs as leading inside the Russian State, so to the outer territories.  After the Time of Troubles the city was decorated with gold of domes, roods and cornices of its numerous churches inside of which iconostasis with icons in gilded settings, precious and embroidered vessels,  pontifical and priests'' canonicals were glimmering with noble light.

A special place at the exhibition is given to elements of traditional festive women's dresses having ancient symbols and showing Russian women's love for adornments. Head dresses were particularly rich decorated. They were an important and symbolic part of a woman's costume. It is form and character of the decor that allowed to define age and social status of a woman, her ethnical and territorial origin, as well as her class status.

Head bands, povoiniks, shawls, maiden bands, fillets – everything was very beautiful. Under them women hid their hair  – their main decoration, that is why head dresses had to compensate it. There were various methods of decorating expensive silken and brocade textiles such as: pattern weaving, embroidery, gold embroidery, threading pearls and beads.

All together the showpieces give an idea of Yaroslavl as the biggest center of Russian gold and silver craft and of what the city had preserved despite the fires, wars and revolutions.

The exhibition "Yaroslavl Treasures" will continue to work until 11 February 2018.