The Museum and Exhibition Complex New Jerusalem is the largest cultural and educational center of the capital. It is located in the picturesque region of Moscow Region on Istra and is adjacent to the most beautiful Voskresensky New Jerusalem Monastery. Today it is a real miracle of architectural and engineering thought, combining the aesthetics of the classic museum space and the latest interactive technologies.
The beginning of the story
According to official documents, the New Jerusalem Museum and Exhibition Complex was opened in the 1920s. However, his story begins half a century earlier, with the organization of a small exposition in the refectory of the monastery in memory of Patriarch Nikon. The idea of its creation belonged to Archimandrite Leonid - a prominent church leader and scientist.
A modest exhibition of things, books and paintings opened in 1874. It was the first church museum in the Russian Empire. In this form, he lasted 30 years. At the initiative of the new archimandrite, the original museum was expanded, the collection was replenished with new donations, the monastery library began to work.
The twists and turns of fate: revolution
The power that has come has contributed to the development of the museum. In 1919 the monastery was empty, and a year later the first museum was opened on its territory. It is from its opening that the modern museum and exhibition complex “New Jerusalem” leads its history. The museum's collection could boast not only the variety of church monuments that once belonged to the monastery. It included an extensive collection of paintings, church utensils, decorative plastics, and exhibits from archaeological sites.
The period of the 20-30s for the museum in Istra is marked by turbulent events. The Museum and Exhibition Complex in New Jerusalem, then the State Art and History Museum, was gradually expanding, and art objects confiscated from private possessions were brought into the funds. After the restoration of the monastery buildings in 1925, the first permanent exhibition was launched, according to the evidence of that time, which was very popular with the public.
Reborn from the Ashes
During the war, the architecture and collection of the museum were hit hard. By the start of hostilities they did not manage to evacuate him. In November 1941, the most valuable exhibits were urgently taken out, the rest were hiding in hiding places here, on the territory of the museum complex.
The monastery buildings were badly destroyed by German troops during the retreat. In the postwar years, restoration work began to be actively carried out. A decade later, the collections exported to Moscow and Alma-Ata met Istra again.
The New Jerusalem Museum and Exhibition Complex in the post-war period was literally restored from the ashes. In subsequent years, the ensemble was supplemented by an architectural and ethnographic exposition located around the main buildings.
New life of the old museum
In the 1990s, life around the museum began to boil again. By that time, it is already the largest museum and exhibition complex. "New Jerusalem" gathered under its roof about 180 thousand exhibits, including collections of sacred and secular art. Designed for 300 thousand visitors a year, it is rightfully considered a unique scientific, tourist and exhibition center.
With the resumption of the work of the New Jerusalem Monastery, the question arose of reorganizing the museum and a separate pavilion for it. In 2009, a corresponding decree was signed, and three years later the museum moved to a new building, the main value of which was 2 thousand square meters. meters of specially equipped stock storage.
New building
The design of the architectural ensemble was planned on a grand scale. The total area of the main building occupies 28 thousand square meters. meters and includes exhibition halls, a storage facility, restoration workshops, as well as an entertainment area. Two years ago, the museum center was completely open to visitors. From that moment on, it bears the official name of the New Jerusalem Museum and Exhibition Complex of the Moscow Region.
The architects and engineers working on the concept of the new complex took as their basis the idea of combining the ensemble of the New Jerusalem Monastery and the museum building in one cultural space. This difficult architectural and landscape task was brilliantly solved, and the project itself was awarded several prestigious awards.
In addition to the main building, the complex of museum objects includes: an exhibition building, a museum of wooden architecture, which is located in the open air. The project also provides for an extensive landscape gardening area for walks, art and cultural events.
The construction of new objects on the territory of the museum complex continues and its final completion is scheduled for 2018.
Exhibitions and collections
“New Jerusalem” is a museum and exhibition complex, which today has no equal either in terms of its architectural solution or the scale and fullness of its collections. The permanent exhibition, divided into several thematic sections, occupies the basement.
The first hall is dedicated to Russian church art of the 16-19th centuries. Here is an interesting collection of icons and monuments of church arts and crafts. Do not forget that it was church art that was at the origins of the museum's collection, and today it houses one of the largest collections of Russian sacred art.
The next room is dedicated to secular art of the late 17th - early 20th centuries. Most of it is portraiture. The first parsuns, images of contemporaries of the Petrine era, a gallery of magnificent portraits of the Baroque and Rococo era, paintings of the 19th century are presented here in a well-thought out sequence.
An interesting exhibition concept of the connection of times is the Hall with columns. Its exposition consists of monumental works made in various techniques, where contemporary art is closely intertwined with the Christian tradition and the heritage of antiquity.
Most of the exhibition venues are occupied by temporary exhibitions and projects dedicated to both contemporary art and classical monuments.
