Fashion And Style, Empresses of Russia

The Exhibition hall of federal archives hosts the historical and artistic documentary exhibition «Empresses of Russia: Fashion and style. End of the XVIII – beginning of the XX centuries». On the occasion of the four-hundredth anniversary of the Romanovs House the organizers of the exhibition have prepared an unusual exposition that discloses a fascinating theme: fashion and style of the Russian Empresses. Fashion and women are inseparable, and style reflects the human character and taste. The subject of the exposition is life of seven Russian Empresses (end of the XVIII — beginning of the XX centuries) — wives and mothers of the Russian Emperors.

The Empresses enjoyed dressing up, as all women do; and they also were the trendsetters. Their luxurious clothes, accessories, jewelry formed a part of the Russian state image. All of them were very different: ingenious Ekaterina the Great (1729–1796); «cast-iron» Maria Feodorovna (1759–1828); Yelizaveta Alekseevna (1779–1826), retired into her shell because of grief and calamity; Aleksandra Feodorovna (1798–1860) — Lalla Ruk in a golden cage; Maria Aleksandrovna (1824–1880), plunged in loneliness after loss of her son and husband’s love; Maria Feodorovna (1847–1928) — the sovereign from top to toe; and the last one — Aleksandra Feodorovna (1872–1918) with complicated temper and tragic fate. 

Nicholas I decree from the 27th of February, 1834 on «The most important statement of the description of the women’s clothes for arrival to the Imperial Court at gala days», set the cut and design of the so called «Russian dress». Some designs of such dresses were presented by the Russian state historical archives.

Owing to the Royal Embassy’s support, Russian viewers have an opportunity to watch the things that belonged to the Empress Maria Feodorovna and her husband the Emperor Aleksandr III that nowadays are kept in the private collection in Denmark. The exhibition consists of dresses of the State Hermitage Museum and culture preserve «Gatchina», among which are also some models of the studios of Charles Worth, Alber Brizak, Olga Bulbenkova, including paintings, engravings, porcelain and jewelry, diaries, letters, drawings, photos and books.

The exhibition lasts  till the 13th of June, 2013; from 12.00 till 18.00.

Address: Moscow, Bolshaya Pirogovskaya Street-17, Exhibition hall of federal archives.