At the exhibition, visitors will see gold and silver items, luxurious jewelry belonging to the elite of Kievan Rus, treasures hidden by merchants and treasures that became the spoils of war or grave robbers. They will be complemented by Viking weapons and items related to everyday life, crafts and trade, coins that circulated in trade at that time, exhibits commemorating the times of the baptism of Kievan Rus.
“In recent years, for self-explanatory reasons, there have been many opportunities in Lithuania to get acquainted with the cultural heritage of Ukraine, but these exhibits are exceptional – they commemorate the times of the creation of Kievan Rus. In Lithuania, exhibits of such importance will be exhibited on such a scale for the first time. This is a part of the gold fund of Ukrainian museums, which they agreed to lend to us for the exhibition. These exhibits will represent the heritage of Kievan Rus, full of luxury, and will allow us to present the history of the creation and prosperity of this early medieval state covering almost three hundred years,” says LNM General Director, exhibition curator Dr. Rūta Kačkutė.
More than 300 exhibits with a total value of more than 10 million euros are brought to the exhibition from Ukrainian museums alone. In total, more than 700 exhibits will be exhibited at the exhibition.
Gold and articles belonging to princes
Table of Contents
The biggest impression at the exhibition should be the part of the jewelry treasure found in 1900 near the village of Sachnivka in the Cherkasy region. The treasure consisted of gold and silver bracelets, various gold necklaces, a dozen of three-necked gold earmuffs – head ornaments very popular with Slavic women.
“The sumptuousness and expensiveness of the jewelry making up this treasure leaves no room for doubt that these are items belonging to the prince or his closest entourage. There was no way it would have been bitten by ordinary people. It is believed to be the spoils of war, when the princes of the lands of southern Kievan Rus, having united military forces with the Polovtsians, devastated Kiev in 1203. The treasure was extremely large, according to the founder, put in two pots. We bring a small one to the exhibition, but probably the most valuable part, ”says Eglė Zaveckienė, an archaeologist and curator of the exhibition.
One of the most wonderful pieces of jewelry from this treasure was brought to the exhibition – an exceptional necklace with four medallions depicting the Saviour, St. John the Baptist, the Mother of God and Archangel Michael, as well as a gold enamel diadem with the image of Alexander the Great. The value of the last exhibit alone reaches one million euros.
Treasures collected from trade
The people of that time – both Scandinavians and residents of Kievan Rus – accumulated wealth from trade, the development of which along the Volga and Dnieper rivers was the reason for the creation of Kievan Rus itself. It is the hidden treasures of the merchants that form a valuable and interesting part of the heritage of this state.
“Treasures indicate intensive trade and accumulation of wealth, but with a lot of money, life became dangerous. Treasures were hidden everywhere, hoping to return to that place. Of course, some of the assets were brought home – studying one Viking homestead is also found in 10 treasures. The biggest treasure found in Gotland weighed 67 kilograms, ”says E.Zaveckiene.
Merchants’ treasures are mainly made up of various jewelry or parts thereof, coins, silver alloys. The most coveted reward for goods for the goods of Scandinavian and Kiev Russian was Arabic coins. They are abundantly found in treasures and will be exhibited in the exhibition.
Photo by Pauliaus Peleckis/BNS/Exhibition “Kiev Rusia. Home” unpacking the exhibits
The curator urges the visitors of the future exhibition to pay attention to the Kopijivka treasure found in 1928: “It consisted of 500 Arab coins, 2 silver alloys, 38 Slavic and 6 Scandinavian ornaments. This treasure perfectly reflects the wealth accumulated by merchants who traded on both the Volga and Dnieper trade routes.”
Merchants’ hidden treasures are found throughout the region, from the shores of the Baltic Sea to the Black and Caspian Seas. This is a vast territory, the trade arteries of the Volga and Dnieper rivers, and in its epicenter, Kievan Rus was formed and flourished.
Vikings and weapons
A separate group of exhibits includes items and weapons used by the Vikings. Trading was a dangerous business, so weapons are an inevitable part of this exhibition. A 10th century sword with an impressively decorated handle found in Kiev will be exhibited at the exhibition. This artifact is well known to weapons researchers and has been published many times in the scientific literature. Some parts of the handle are inlaid with Scandinavian-style copper and silver wire, and the handle itself is decorated with an ornate silver plate made by the Magyars, the ancestors of today’s Hungarians.
“Initially, the Scandinavians went to the lands of Kievan Rus with their inventory, some of it was produced locally, but around the third generation of newcomers assimilated, adopted the Slavic language and local customs. Some items made in Russia are a reflection of various cultural influences – Byzantine, Scandinavian, Slavic, nomadic. For example, jewelry production techniques can be taken over from Byzantine masters, but the ornamentation is Scandinavian or the form of the jewelry is Slavic,” says R. Kačkutė.
The exhibits of the exhibition will also reveal aspects of everyday life – in a pendant depicting a Scandinavian woman found in the Scandinavian settlement of Trus, one can see the style of clothing and hairstyle of the 8th-11th centuries – hair tied in a knot, and the preserved glass walkers of the board game “Hnefatafl” allow us to draw attention to the way of spending leisure time.
Photo by Pauliaus Peleckis/BNS/Exhibition “Kiev Rusia. Home” unpacking the exhibits
Part of Ukrainian identity
The brought exhibits have not only artistic, but also great cultural-historical value. Ukrainian museums lend particularly important exhibits to the exhibition, which have already become part of their identity. They reflect the greatness of Kievan Rus, on the foundation of which the current identity of Ukraine is built.
“This is best illustrated by a brick found near the first brick church built in Kyiv with the Trident, the personal sign of Grand Duke Vladimir of Kyiv, which is now the coat of arms of the Ukrainian state. The church itself in the 13th century. it was destroyed by the Mongol-Tatars in the middle of the 19th century and it was not rebuilt, and until now only more than 10 fragments of such bricks of various sizes have been found”, says R. Kačkutė.
At the exhibition, it will be possible to see exhibits depicting various versions of the Trident, as the personal signs of the ruling princes had to be somewhat different, as well as the first coins of Kievan Rus minted by Vladimir with the Trident.
“The sign similar to the trident was used by Vladimir’s father Sviatoslav. True, at that time it was still only in doubt. Vladimir himself used several variants of this sign, one of which is now used by Ukraine. Others will be seen on coins minted by Vladimir, which will be exhibited at the exhibition. Dukes who ruled after him kept changing something to make it easier to associate the sign with a specific duke. Some added a cross, others relied on a minimalist form, simplified to lines,” points out R. Kačkutė.
Photo by Pauliaus Peleckis/BNS/Exhibition “Kiev Rusia. Home” unpacking the exhibits
A logistical challenge
This exhibition is the result of the close cooperation of the Lithuanian National Museum with the museums and cultural institutions of Ukraine and other European countries as well as Lithuania. The exhibition would not exist without the trust and support of the Governments of Lithuania and Ukraine, the Ministries of Culture and other state institutions.
“It was a huge challenge to deliver exhibits worth more than 10 million, which are particularly important for Ukraine. Finding someone willing to insure and transport exhibits in a country at war was not easy. Transportation of exhibits in Lithuania received the help of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union. Communication with institutions in Ukraine is also stalled, and the leg is inserted by electricity restrictions in Kiev. Only 24 days before the opening of the exhibition, we received confirmation that all Ukrainian institutions have permits to export these exhibits”, says Simona Širvydaitė-Šliupienė, the coordinator of the exhibition.
Other exhibits from various European museums reached the museum last week. Exhibits are on loan from the National History Museum of Ukraine, the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Lviv Museum of History, the Museum of Local Lore of the Zaporizhia Region, the Elbing Museum of Archeology and History, the Latvian National Museum of History, the University of Oslo Museum of Cultural History, the University of Tallinn, the Saaremaa Museum, the Gotland Museum.
Photo by Pauliaus Peleckis/BNS/Exhibition “Kiev Rusia. Home” unpacking the exhibits
The exhibition will also be complemented by material from Lithuanian museums: the Money Museum of the Bank of Lithuania, the National Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis Art Museum, the Vytautas the Great War Museum, the Directorate of the State Kernavė Cultural Reserve, and the Trakai History Museum.
They will be lived live at the international exhibition “Kiev Rusia. Beginning ”from September 18, 2024 to March 30, 2025, stories at home. T. Kosciuška st. 3, in Vilnius. The exhibition is under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda.
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2024-09-11 00:40:31
Kievan Rus flag
Unveiling the Treasures of Kievan Rus: Vikings, Merchants, and Princes
The exhibition “Kiev Rusia. Home” is a fascinating journey through the history of medieval Ukraine, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Kievan Rus. The exhibition features over 700 exhibits, including gold and silver items, luxurious jewelry, Viking weapons, and artifacts related to everyday life, crafts, and trade.
The Elite of Kievan Rus
The exhibition’s centerpiece is the stunning treasure from Sachnivka, Cherkasy region, discovered in 1900. This treasure consists of gold and silver bracelets, necklaces, and earmuffs,
