Exhibition Patriotic War of 1812 perceived through medals and engravings

19.09.2012

August 27, 2012 the exhibition «Patriotic War of 1812 perceived through medals and engravings» will be opened.

The exhibition is dedicated to the Bicentennial of victory at the Patriotic War of 1812. It is the second exhibition in the series devoted to the famous victories of the Russian army. The first one was prepared in 2009 and dedicated to the Poltava victory.

This time c. 350 Russian and European medals, coins and awards as well as 40 engravings will be on display.

The exhibition will be focused on the art of medal and engraving in the context of the events that caused their creation.

Medals dedicated to the French Emperor Napoleon the Great who was the main actor of the drama at the beginning of the 19^th century would be exhibited. Medals devoted to the Russian Emperor Alexander I reigning the state that faced the conqueror of Europe would be on display too. The theme of confrontation of these two Emperors will be accentuated with two bronze busts, namely bust of Napoleon after the model of A.D. Chaudet from the collection of the State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the bust of Alexander I after the model of K.D. Rauch from the collection of the State Historical Museum.

The most part of the medals is dedicated to the events of the epoch of Napoleonic wars from 1796 until 1812 as well as to the central events of the Patriotic war of 1812 and the War of the Sixth Coalition known in Russia as abroad company of Russian army and to the conclusion of the most important treaties of 1815 – 1818.

Events of the Patriotic war of 1812 and especially the battle of Borodino that was considered as victorious one by the both fighting armies are in the centre of the exhibition. . It is reflected in medals on the victory in the Borodino battle made by the Russian and French medalists.

Medals, coins and badges refered to the anniversaries of war events at the beginning of the 19^th cent. as well as to their participants will be also represented at the exhibition.

One would be able to look at the rarest exhibits from the collection of the Pushkin Museum, namely, the seals of general P.I. Bagration and minister of the Interior Affairs V.P. Kochubey as well as rare awards and the platinum medallion made by Alexander I’ mother Empress Maria for his 50^th birthday.

The art of invention of Russian and French medals will be illustrated with various numismatic and graphic materials.

Visitors will be seeing this greatest epoch through such miniature monuments as medals. Combination of the medals and engravings properly expresses dramatic and heroic character of Russian and European history at the beginning of the 19^th cent.