February, 14 - April, 17, 2005

The Kirov Regional Art V.M. and A.M. Vasnetsovs Museum

The exhibition, dedicated to the beloved amusement of Russian Tsars and Emperors, presents the unique complex of Moscow Kremlin Museums linked to the history of royal hunting.

In the XVIth-XVIIth centuries, in the Moscow Kremlin there was the Armoury and Stables Treasury as the basic part of the royal treasury. In Kremlin Workshops there were executed hunting weapons and armours for Russian rulers. In 1810, the collection of hunting weapons of the Emperors of the XVIIIth century was transferred to the Moscow Kremlin from Saint-Petersburg.

This way, the Armoury Chamber accumulated the best examples of Russian, Oriental and West-European armoury.

The display includes sections which do acquaint visitors with the Armoury Chamber and the Stables Office, the places of traditional execution and preservation of ceremonial armours and weapons and precious horse harness.

The section “Royal procession. The way” demonstrates rare exhibits – riding kaftan(suit) with the image of the state coat-of-arms, horse blankets and equipment.

Other exhibition sections represent hunting tastes of the first Tsars of the Romanov Dynasty. The last section of the display presents the best examples of hunting weapons created by makers of various armoury centers of the XVIIIth century Russia, i.e. Tula, Sestroretsk, Saint-Petersburg, Moscow. 
On display is unique edition “Royal and imperial hunting in Rus”, created by N.I. Kutepov on the order of Emperor Alexander III.