The State Museum of the History of Religion is one of the most famous in Russia and all over the world. It was founded in 1932, thanks to the initiative of Vladimir Tan-Bogorazov, a linguist and ethnographer. Among the three largest museums dedicated to this subject, one of which is located in the UK and the other in Taiwan, the museum in St. Petersburg is the oldest and has the largest collection of exhibits. Bright and colorful museum expositions introduce the history of major religions, ancient beliefs and rituals. Walking through the halls, you can travel back in time and plunge into the atmosphere of the world of followers of religious movements. In each hall, cult objects are presented with a detailed description understandable even to young visitors. Also, especially for children, the Museum of the History of Religion offers a “beginning of beginnings” section, where classes are held for children of all ages.
History of the creation of the museum
In 1930, an exhibition was held on the territory of the Winter Palace, where various religious objects brought from all over the world were presented, as well as a large number of icons,ancient manuscripts, sculptures, paintings and graphics. It was a tremendous success, such that it was decided to create a museum of the history of religion.
St. Petersburg at that time was shrouded in ideas about the incompatibility of the church and scientific approaches, so the purpose of the museum was to talk about religion as a form of ideology and show the development of materialistic and atheistic views. Due to these features, the Kazan Cathedral became the location of the museum. Initially, its name was as follows - "Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism." In 1991, it was decided to return the building of the Kazan Mother of God Cathedral to the Orthodox Church, and the museum was given premises on Pochtamtskaya Street, where it is still located. At the same time, he changed his name to the current one.
Exposure of archaic beliefs and rituals
In the first halls you can see the history of ancient beliefs, where the exhibits tell that from the very beginning of mankind, people have been trying to understand how the universe works and determine their place in it. Of course, the most incomprehensible event for a primitive man was the end of life, so the funeral rituals and objects associated with them make up a large part of the collection. Historians attribute the origin of religious rites to the Paleolithic era, where Neanderthals care for the dead, believing in the afterlife. The halls of the museum, thanks to a special acoustic system, convey a cave atmosphere, and rock paintings are recreated on the walls with amazing accuracy.
Exposure of Ancient World Religions
The next doors opened by the State Museum of the History of Religion lead to halls dedicated to the beliefs of Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, Minoan Crete. Here are exhibits such as Egyptian sarcophagi, ancient Greek vessels, funerary masks, as well as various small sculpted objects. This period has become a transition for humanity from the era of primitiveness to civilization.
Exposure of the religion of the Jews
Further museum halls tell visitors about the development of Judaism. Ritual items are presented here - cultural monuments, the decoration of the walls is based on the motifs of the Bible and the Jerusalem Temple.
There are several angles you can choose to view Judaism. The Museum of the History of Religion offers to get acquainted with the exposition, as with the biblical period, or as with the period of the emergence of monotheism, as well as present history through the eyes of Jews.
Exposure dedicated to Christianity
This part of the museum details the history of the development of Christianity, tells about the Jewish origins, the first prophecies, the life of Jesus Christ, as well as the history of the emergence of the first churches.
There are halls dedicated to Orthodoxy, in which exhibits such as icons, priests' vestments, books and temple utensils are presented.
The branches of Christianity - Catholicism and Protestantism - are highlighted separately. You can learn about their history of origin and development by visiting the respective exhibition rooms.
Exposure of Religions of the East
The Museum of the History of Religion has a large number of exhibits in this section. More than 1000 monuments open the religious world of the countries of South, Central and East Asia. Here you can get acquainted with the various religions of China, Japan and India.
Virtual Museum
For people who do not have the opportunity to come to St. Petersburg, the Museum of the History of Religion offers a virtual tour. On the official website, by clicking on the “virtual museum” tab, you can visit exhibitions and expositions, view collections, participate in discussions and get acquainted with the restoration process. In addition, the museum's educational portal leads to several information resources, and the media library contains interesting documentaries.
The Open University of the History of World Religions offers lectures on various aspects of beliefs. The topics and dates of lectures can be found on the official website of the museum.
Excursions in Moscow
If you are a resident of the capital, then to get acquainted with world creeds it is not necessary to visit St. Petersburg. The Museum of the History of Religion, of course, is difficult to replace, but it is possible to create a general concept and plunge into the atmosphere of religious life. To do this, you should visit an excursion called "World Religions in Moscow." The guide will tell you in detail about the architecture of churches, the role of symbols, the features of each of the creeds and much more. The program includes a visit to a mosque, an Anglican church, a churchEvangelical Baptist Christians, Synagogue, Lutheran and Catholic Cathedral. The Museum of the History of Religion in Moscow is, in fact, a museum of churches that actually exist today.
Museum Night
Both Moscow and St. Petersburg host an annual event called “Night at the Museum”. At this time, all museums open their doors to visitors and offer to see the collections for free. In addition, there are special performances, games and educational quizzes. The Museum of the History of Religion does not bypass this action either. During it, he introduces ethnic music and dances to residents and guests of the northern capital, conducts exciting quests and master classes, and also offers to participate in traditional rituals of the peoples of the world. Museum Night, as usual, takes place on the night of May 17-18. She will give children unforgettable impressions that will remain in memory for a long time.
Programs for kids
Performances, interesting and educational programs, fascinating stories and much more for children of all ages can be watched and listened to not only as part of the action, but throughout the year. According to the state target program for the creation of open education systems, the museum offers excursions and performances for boys and girls from 1st to 11th grade. This allows us to further strengthen cooperation between the school and the museum, to raise teaching and educational work to a qualitatively new level. Activating the creative abilities of the child is the goal of the entire museumpedagogy. It is worth noting that her museum reaches, and at the moment, 1/3 of all visitors are schoolchildren.
Contact information
In order to organize an excursion for children, please contact the excursion booking service by phone: (812) 314-58-38. By agreement, a special museum bus can come for schoolchildren.
To improve your level of education, there is an opportunity to participate in interesting discussions and listen to a course of exciting lectures. For information on these aspects of the museum's activities, call: (812) 571-47-91.
The official address where the Museum of the History of Religion is located: St. Petersburg, st. Post Office, 14/5.
Museum is open from 10:00 to 18:00 every day except Wednesday. Ticket offices - until 17:00.
Every first Monday of the month is a social day, when you can see all the exhibits for free.
You can get there by trolleybuses 5 and 22 or fixed-route taxis: 6, 62, 169, 190, 350 and 306.
