The fact that there is a unique Museum of art glass on Elagin Island in St. Petersburg is far from known to all tourists visiting northern Venice. But fragile exquisite beauty deserves to be allocated 2-3 hours for its inspection.
How the museum was created
Sculptor V. Mukhina, chemist N. Kachalov and writer A. Tolstoy proposed to create their own factory for the production of art glass in Leningrad. In 1940, such a plant was opened, its products quickly gained popularity not only in the USSR, but throughout the world. Not a single exhibition could do without the unique products of Leningrad glassblowers.
But in 1996 the plant in Leningrad was closed. The richest collection of various glass products collected over many years - more than 7 thousand exhibits - could be lost or lost. Thanks to the care of the state and caring people, the collection found refuge in the walls of the Elaginoostrovsky Palace.
10 years later, in 2010, on the basis of this unique collection, the Museum of Art Glass opens in St. Petersburg. The magnificent Orangery building of the palace on Elagin Island was taken under it.
Exposition
Today, the museum area occupies almost 800 square meters. m
The exposition is represented by 700 unique products that are exhibited in 4 rooms, each of which has its own name:
- The black;
- Central;
- White;
- Northern Enfilade.
The permanent exhibition is located in the Central and Black Halls. There is something to see here, because the fund of the museum is more than 8 thousand items made of glass and crystal!
The entrance to the hall is lined with a glass path, seemingly fragile, but actually very strong, although many visitors cautiously step on transparent glass.
In the exposition “Hot Glass Production”, visitors learn about what they knew about glass in Mesopotamia, Egypt. The model of the glassblower workshop demonstrates how they worked before, what tools they used. Glass was boiled in a pot oven, and blown out with special tubes, pulled out with forceps and cut with special scissors.
Only in the Museum of Glass and Crystal can you find out how the glass was stained. The exposition presents glass products made in different techniques: sintering, filigree, molding. For thousands of years, craftsmen have learned to decorate glass products in different ways, working in the engraving technique, creating stained glass compositions, painting and folding into mosaics.
Presented on the windows are vases weighing more than 200 kg and the product is covered with cracks, but does not allow moisture to pass through.
The White Hall is given for exhibitions, presentations, meetings, conferences, master classes are held here - all these events of the Glass Museum in St. Petersburg attract many artists, glassblowers, art historians not only from Russia but also from other countries.
In all the halls you can watch interesting films about glass on large screens.
In order for visitors to receive as much diverse and useful information as possible, even when traveling around the museum without a guide, they are made:
- information plates for exhibits;
- interactive touch screens.
More recently, only in 2018, a hall was opened called the Northern Enfilade. In this exhibition space, new arrivals are collected - gifts or acquisitions of the city committee on culture. In the Northern Enfilade you can see the products of Soviet and European artists.
Glassblowing workshop
The Glass Museum recently opened a glass workshop, the only one of its kind in Russia. In the workshop you can not only see firsthand how glass products are created, but also learn how to work with fragile material yourself. The workshop conducts excursions, master classes, theatrical performances, quests.
The workshop is open on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 13 to 18 hours. Interesting and informative interactive programs have been prepared for visitors.
How the museum works
Monday at the museum, as in other institutions of this kind in the city, a day off. On other days, the doors are open from 10 to 17:30, on Wednesday from 13 to 21 hours.
The price of familiarizing with art
The cost of visiting the glass museum is low. For the entrance of an adult you need to pay 200 rubles., 75 rubles. for the student. A ticket to a pensioner will cost 100 rubles.
Take part in a master class and paint a glass product costs 300 rubles.
Tour ticket costs:
- for an adult visitor 250 rubles.;
- for students from 1 to 11 classes of 100 rubles.;
- for pensioners 130 rubles.
It is more profitable to purchase a single ticket to all the museums of Elagin Island (palace, Stables, Pavilion under the flag). Such a ticket for adults will cost 400 rubles., 260 rubles. schoolchildren, 250 rubles. seniors.
Museum Road
The Museum of Glass on Elagin Island is easy to find. It is necessary to get to the station. m. Krestovsky Ostrov and, leaving the metro, turn right onto Ryukhin Street. On the bridge over Wed Nevka road takes 15 minutes.
You can get to the station. m. Staraya Derevnya, turn right from the metro to Lipovaya Alley. The road will take about 25-30 minutes.
