MNfusion: 'Faces Of War' Comes To Museum Of Russian Art
For many, the country Russia calls up images of ornate orthodox churches, fur trapper hats, desolate winters and vodka.
More or less what the rest of the country thinks of when they envision Minnesota. Just replace "orthodox" with "Lutheran" and lose the vodka.
But aside from sharing brutal winters and roughly the same longitude and latitude, both places are frequently misunderstood. And both have a culture that goes much deeper than the stereotypes assigned to it.
So while it may seem odd that there is a museum dedicated to Russian art in the heart of south Minneapolis, it's just another way the two are overcoming expectations.
Established in 2002, the Museum of Russian art actually lives in a building that once was a Minnesotan church.
The museum houses rotating exhibits that stay anywhere from six months to a year. Their latest, "Faces of War: Russia in World War I," opened on Sept. 26.
Artifacts, photographs, clothing, movies and propaganda fill the main hall and second floor of the museum. Using technology as a driving force, it bends these mediums to create its narrative.
The exhibition, the first to be co-organized with the Russian Ministry of Culture in five years since a loan embargo was instituted, was based on a similar one displayed in Moscow.
"Gaze Into The Eyes Of War" opened in Moscow on August 28, 2014.
According to the museum director Vladimir von Tsurikov, the Russian exhibit was one of the first of its kind. It used this technique of blending still images and artifacts with documentary footage to create the story.
Taken with this approach, the Minneapolis museum decided to pursue creating a similar exhibit.
Moving through the museum, visitors learn about the political climate in Russia and surrounding Europe in 1914.
It begins with the Romanovs. Photos and letters from the royal family paint a picture of Nicholas II, his family, his leadership and show the relationship between royal families across Europe.
The first floor builds up to the war, with sections devoted to the political climate, army leadership and propaganda. In the back of the first floor, several touch screen computers offer a timeline of events through 1916.
The second floor houses photographs from the battle field, as well as soldier's uniforms and tools. A special section is also devoted to battles fought at sea.
Scattered on both the first and second floors is documentary footage portraying Russian soldiers going out to battle, propaganda messaging and more.
Traveling back down to the first floor, a special room is devoted to peace after the war.
Six countries aside from Russia contributed to the exhibit, including Armenia, Belarus, Germany, the Netherlands, Serbia and Ukraine.
When welcoming guests, von Tsurikov noted that the opening of this particular exhibit was notable.
"The exhibition is taking place during a political time," von Tsurikov said.
While tension between the two nations is nothing new, it has re-emerged with the situation in Syria.
He alluded to the strained relationship between the United States and Russia, heightened as President Obama and President Putin were set to meet.
But von Tsurikov remained positive, believing that the exhibit could help bring attention to the problem.
"The relationship has always been crucial for a mutual understanding and intercultural dialogue," von Tsurikov said. "We hope positive changes result in this collaboration."
"Faces of War: Russia In WWI" will be on display through March 13, 2016. The Museum of Russian Art is located at 5500 Stevens Avenue in Minneapolis. Admission cost $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for children over 14 and students and free for children under 13. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit the TMORA online.
