30 january – 31 december
The new exposition reveals surprising aspects of Russian folk life and shows the rarest examples of the folk art from the museum's collection, which was started by the Russian patron of art Sergey Timofeyevich Morozov at the end of the XIXth century.
More than 500 items are presented in four halls, including valuable exhibits of the XVIII- early XX century, created by folk masters. You will see wooden carvings from the Volga region, elements of house decor from Tomsk, painted sledges from the Arkhangelsk Province, wooden toys from Sergiev Posad, clay toys from the village of Bogorodskoye, Kargopolskaya, Romanovskaya, Abashevskaya, furniture items of the XIX - early XX century, ensembles of festive women's costumes from different regions of Russia. You will learn to understand the various signs, images and meanings embedded in the colour scheme and ornamentation, in the painting of walls and utensils, in the lace of bedskirts and embroidery.
"These are not just ordinary items - they are the best samples selected since the end of the XIX century by professional artists and researches. Each object demonstrates beauty in its folk understanding. Verified, simple and strict forms, richness of colour solutions, ornamental decoration, warmth of natural materials - all this is a reflection of national consciousness, the assembly point of the "cultural code" of the society, and performs the role of transit of cultural memory, connects generations and eras", - says Elena Titova director of the All-Russian Decorative Art Museum.
"It is impossible to imagine folk art separately from its natural environment - the peasant house with its special way of life and sense of beauty. We were inspired by the beauty of this world, the richness of its symbols, the harmony of its structure, its amazing spectacularity, thoughtfulness and wholeness, - says the main artist of the exhibition Mila Vvedenskaya, - This is a collective image of the Russian house as a way of thinking: about space, man, the world, that is read from the main features of its structure, regardless of the regional peculiaroties, and based on the objects of the museum collection".
The exhibition space includes an interactive part, where children and adults will be able to make an independent journey, taking replicas of traditional objects in their hands to understand their functions, spinning on a spinning wheel, rocking an ancient cradle - "zybka", feeling themselves "inside" the past. Our exhibition is a journey into the depths of collective memory - a journey HOME.