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A large-scale exhibition entitled "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Treasures from Tsarskoye Selo, Residence of the Russian Monarchs" will be held at the Hong Kong Museum of History from tomorrow (October 29) until March 16, 2015, to showcase artefacts from Russia's Romanov dynasty.
Speaking at the opening ceremony today (October 28), the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, said that this exhibition represents a major collaboration between government museums in Russia and Hong Kong. The Hong Kong and Russian governments signed a memorandum of understanding on cultural co-operation in September 2011.
He pointed out that the Russian artefacts exhibition is the largest of its kind ever staged in Hong Kong. Hundreds of exhibits selected from the collections of the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Preserve of Russia are on display. These include paintings, costumes, porcelain, works of art and a spectacular carriage. They will give a clearer picture of the history and culture of Russia and, in particular, evidence of the long-lasting exchanges between Russia and China.
The exhibition is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Preserve of Russia, with the Hong Kong Museum of History and the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Preserve of Russia as the co-organisers. Solely sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, it is one of the exhibitions in the 2014 Hong Kong Jockey Club Series.
Tsarskoye Selo, a summer residence of the Russian monarchs, witnessed not only the birth of the Russian Empire in the 18th century, but also the end of its monarchy in 1917.
One of the exhibit highlights, a richly decorated carriage with harnesses used for the coronation of Emperor Alexander II in Moscow in 1856, has been loaned out by the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Preserve of Russia for the first time.
Since the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty in 1913, the full set of carriage and harnesses has not been used again or put together for public viewing. The Hong Kong Museum of History has taken this opportunity to showcase the full set of the artefacts with a view to introducing the splendour of the coronation of the Russian monarchs as well as the high standards of craftsmanship maintained by the imperial manufactories in Russia. Other highlights include decorative items from Tsarskoye Selo produced by imperial manufactories in Russia and diplomatic gifts presented to Russia from foreign royal houses.
In addition, visitors will be able to see Chinese artefacts, including an 18th century Guangdong lacquer vase presented to the last Russian emperor, Nicholas II, in the name of the last emperor of China, Puyi, as well as Chinese-style works of art produced by imperial manufactories in Russia.
Beyond the attractive exhibits, multimedia programmes will also be available during the exhibition period. For instance, the Catherine Palace, one of the palaces in Tsarskoye Selo, will be presented in a 360-degree virtual reality zone, where visitors will be shown eight of its rooms in life size, including the Amber Room, which has been acclaimed as the "Eighth Wonder of the World".
To tie in with the exhibition, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra will host three sessions of Russian music performances at the 1/F Lobby of the Museum of History for visitors to learn more about the history and culture of Russia. The performances will be held on November 16, December 28; and February 8, 2015. The exhibition is also being supplemented by two publications: a fully illustrated catalogue and a specially designed pop-up children's booklet. This is the first time that the Museum of History has produced a children's booklet with rich graphics, easy-to-read text and interactive elements, including pop-ups, through which readers will be able to familiarise themselves with the history of Tsarskoye Selo and the broader context of Russian history.
Other officiating guests at the ceremony included the Consul-General of the Russian Federation in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, Mr Vladimir Kalinin; the Director of the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Preserve, Russia, Ms Olga V Taratynova; the Deputy Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Anthony Chow; the Chairman of the History Museum Advisory Panel, Mr Stanley Wong; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Michelle Li; and the Museum Director of the Hong Kong Museum of History, Ms Susanna Siu.
The Hong Kong Museum of History is located at 100 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. It is open from 10am to 6pm on weekdays, and from 10am to 7pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. It is closed on Tuesdays (except public holidays). The standard admission fee for the "Treasures from Tsarskoye Selo, Residence of the Russian Monarchs" exhibition is $20. Groups of 20 persons or above can obtain a 30 per cent discount, with each ticket priced at $14. The concession ticket is $10. Free admission on Wednesday is not applicable for this special exhibition.
For details of the exhibition, please visit the website at hk.history.museum/en_US/web/mh/exhibition/current.html, or call 2724 9042.
Ends/Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Issued at HKT 18:45
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