Muchaeva I. Nomadic Culture in the International Exhibition Space: Kalmyk Exhibition at the Tauride Palace

Irina Muchaeva
National Museum of the Republic of Kalmykia named after N. N. Palmov
Elista, Russian Federation
ORCID: 0000-0002-7555-3182
E-mail: muchaevaii@yandex.ru

 

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ABSTRACT. The problem of organization and participation of the Russian Empire in international exhibition events has not received due attention of scientists, with the exception of its economic aspect. The issues of participation of foreign administrations, for example, the Administrative Office of the Kalmyk People, which represented the interests of the Kalmyks, did not enter the field of research optics, which determined the relevance of the development of this topic. The aim of the study is the examining of the Kalmyk exhibition at the First International Exhibition of historical and modern costumes and their accessories, that was held in 1902 in St. Petersburg under the auspices of Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna. In the course of the analysis of the archival documentation found in the funds of the Russian State Historical Archive and the National Archive of the Republic of Kalmykia, drawing on the general scientific methods of research, the author comes to the conclusion that the exhibition events were not only a platform for demonstrating the achievement of the domestic industry, but also showed the greatness and power of the state which territories extended over vast expanses. The Kalmyk exhibition in the halls of the Tauride Palace, which represented the culture of the nomadic people professing the Buddhist worldview, became one of the most attractive exhibitions, serving as a clear example of the multi-ethnic and multi-confessional diversity of the Russian Empire. Despite the fact that participation in this event was not the first experience for the Kalmyk population and the Administrative Office of the Kalmyk People representing them, there were difficulties in collecting items for display. Authentic exhibits, including the Kalmyk wagon, which reconstructed the nomadic way of life, aroused genuine interest of the public and the administration of the museum institution.

 

KEYWORDS: Kalmyks, exhibition, St. Petersburg, Tauride Palace, historical and modern costume 

 

DOI 10.31250/2618-8619-2022-4(18)-116-126

 

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