Museum “New Jerusalem”.

Museum “New Jerusalem”

The State Historical and Art Museum “New Jerusalem” was founded in the early 20th century. It is located in the western direction of the Moscow region – in the small but cozy town of Istra. “New Jerusalem” is one of the largest museum and exhibition complexes in Russia and the most prominent in the Moscow region. The area of the modern exposition zone is 10,000 m2!

Video: Museum “New Jerusalem”

• Highlights
• History of the New Jerusalem Museum
• Expositions
• Icon painting
• Face and ornamental sewing
• Tile collection
• Painting
• Ethnographic Collection
• Tourists
• How to get there

Highlights

Until 10 years ago, the museum complex occupied a different territory – it was located in the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery. However, some time ago the exposition was moved from the right bank of the Istra to the opposite bank. The new location was an unusual three-storey building, which is a vivid example of “green architecture”. From now on, numerous exhibits of the museum collection are available in a space enhanced with visual and sound effects.

The unique collection of the New Jerusalem Museum, located 300 meters from the New Jerusalem Monastery, has 190,000 exhibits! These are historical, artistic, ethnographic, as well as archaeological specimens, among which are:

• relics related to Patriarch Nikon (founder of the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery), as well as to the historical past of the religious community;
• rare books, photographic documents, manuscripts, writing samples;
• a collection of Russian and Western European paintings;
• monuments of folk life and art;
• unique specimens of Old Russian embroidery;
• a collection of icons of the XVI-XIX centuries;
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• collection of stove tiles;
• items of arms;
• antique coins and much more.

The exhibits presented are a reflection of the cultural and historical development of the Moscow region since the appearance of its first inhabitants. However, the content of the museum is not limited to the permanent exposition. Regular temporary exhibitions are also held here.

The exposition area of the “New Jerusalem” includes:

• exhibition halls;
• stock rooms;
• souvenir stores;
• restoration center;
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• archive;
• a concert venue.

History of the New Jerusalem Museum

Expositions

Permanent exhibitions include the following:

• “New Jerusalem – a monument of history and culture of the XVII-XX centuries”. Opened in 2017, the exposition occupies an area of 1.5 km2. The exhibition tells about the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery and its creator (Patriarch Nikon);
• “Special Pantry”. This is a subsection devoted to Russian ecclesiastical and secular art. The exposition contains: items of church furnishings made by the masters of the Golden and Silver Chambers of the Moscow Kremlin, monuments of Russian ornamental sewing. The exhibition runs from 2019;
• “Russian Art. Church and secular art of the XVI – early XX century”. The exposition, opened in 2018, shows unique items of decorative and applied art, furniture, icon painting, sculpture. However, most of the exhibition is given to painting. It includes works by: F. S. Rokotov, I. K. Aivazovsky, A. K. Savrasov, V. A. Tropinin, V. L. Borovikovsky. Among other things there are works by unknown authors.
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There are also temporary exhibitions at New Jerusalem. There are currently two of them:

• “The ABCs of a Masterpiece.” This is an exhibition that opened at the end of 2021. To date, it is recognized as the largest in all the years of the museum’s existence. The exposition occupies an area of more than 2000 m2, uniting 123 works painted by 81 artists, among them: Malevich, Bryullov, Petrov-Vodkin, Shishkin, Serov, Kandinsky and many others;
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• “The French Taste of the Princes Yusupovs”. The exposition opened in November 2021. This is a collection of paintings of the famous family, which was started by the famous collector – Prince N. B. Yusupov. The collection includes the following names: C. J. Vernet, J. Tassel, A. S. Karaff. Some of them can not boast even the most famous museums in Russia.

Icon painting

A special place in the collection of the New Jerusalem Museum is occupied by icon-painting monuments, of which there are more than 300. These are art objects that managed to collect in the post-war period of time. As it was said earlier, most of the former icon-painting works (icons of the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery) were destroyed during the retreat of the German army.

Face and ornamental sewing

Ancient Russian church fabrics are a special pride of the museum’s collection, some of which have been preserved from the previous collection and some of which were formed in the period from 1920 to 1940.

The collection is quite diverse.

The collection is quite diverse and expressive. Some of the most significant works include:

• The Praise of the Theotokos, dated 1510, is a painting depicting the Virgin Mary seated on a throne in the center. On Our Lady’s lap sits the Infant Jesus Christ. Surrounding them are prophets, saints, reverends, cherubim and seraphim;
• sewn Vladimir icon of the Mother of God, dating back to the middle of the 17th century. Using silk, velvet, gold and silver threads, a pattern was created – the Virgin Mary holds the Infant Jesus in her arms, pressing his cheek against her. This is a famous religious image, reflecting the tenderness, heartfelt affection of mother and son;
• the shroud “Christ with the Apostles” from 1510. In the center of the composition, in the bowl of a flower, depicts Jesus Christ in full height. In his hands he holds stalks with flowers. In some of them sit the apostles, who look at the Lord and at the same time at each other.”

Collection of tiles

The collection, formed at the end of the 20th century, traces the development of stove ceramics over three centuries. It includes two directions: kiln tiles and architectural ceramics.

At the same time, the exposition includes not only copies of the former (pre-war) collection, but also what was found during archaeological excavations in the territory of Istra.

Painting

Works by masters of painting belong both to modern times and to the pre-war period.

A small part of the collection is made up of works by Western European masters:

• Geritte Berckheide (1638-1698);
• Pieter van Assch (1603-1678);
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Russian painting is represented with greater completeness. Works cover the period from the 17th to the 20th centuries.

Among the works one can observe portraits of the following authors:

• A. F. Riziner (1767-1828);
• F. С. Rokotov (1735/36-1808);
• G. Gampeln (1767-1828);
• I. Rombauer (1782-1849).

Among the exhibits guests will find works by famous landscape painters:

• A. К. Savrasov (1830-1897);
• L. V. Turzhansky (1875-1945);
• M. N. Vorobyov (1787-1855);
• I. K. Aivazovsky (1817-1900);
• S. Y. Zhukovsky (1873-1944).

One of the most unique directions of Russian painting refers to the period of XX-XXI centuries. and counts more than 600 works. These are the creations of:

• L. V. Zhegin (1892-1969);
• A. F. Sofronova (1886-1958);
• A. V. Shevchenko (1883-1948);
• E. P. Levina-Rosenholtz (1898-1975);
• A. N. Volkova (1886-1957);
• A. A. Osmerkina (1886-1958);

Ethnographic Collection

The collection of 2500 exhibits includes monuments of folk life and art belonging to different regions of Russia: Tula, Tambov, Penza, Moscow.

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Among the items of the ethnographic fund of “New Jerusalem” are the following:

• peasant costumes;
• women’s headdresses;
• shawls and shawls;
• elements of peasant everyday life (yokes, utensils, pots).

Tourists

Admission prices in 2022:

• single ticket to visit all exhibitions – 500 rubles;
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• discount ticket – 350 rubles;
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• permanent exposition – 300 rubles;
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• privileged ticket – 200 rubles;
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• foreign citizens – 300 rubles;
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• audio guide – 250 rubles;

Some prices for excursions in 2022:

• A two-hour tour of the exhibition “New Jerusalem” will cost 2000 rubles. If the number of listeners in the group exceeds 5 people, then you will have to pay an additional 400 rubles for each additional visitor;
• a 45-minute tour of the exposition “Special Pantry” for a group of up to 10 people will cost 2000 rubles. From 10 to 15 people – 200 rubles. Per visitor;
• a three-hour sightseeing tour of the museum will cost 3000 rubles (if the group is from 1 to 5 listeners). If there are more than 5 people in the group, then the additional payment will be 600 rubles for each additional guest;
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• excursion lasting 1 h. 30 minutes on the exposition “ABC of the masterpiece” for a group of up to 10 people will cost 3000 rubles. From 10 to 15 people – 300 rubles. Per visitor;
• excursion lasting 45 minutes at the exposition “French Taste of Princes Yusupovs” for a group of up to 10 people will cost 2000 rubles. From 10 to 15 people – 200 rubles per person.

Going to the museum “New Jerusalem”, do not forget to check the schedule:

• Monday – day off;
• Tuesday-Wednesday, Sunday – from 10:00 to 19:00;
• Thursday-Saturday – from 10:00 to 20:00.

How to get there

First of all, the State Historical and Art Museum “New Jerusalem” can be reached by car in two ways:

• by the Volokolamsk highway. Before reaching the monastery, you need to turn right – to the village Buzharovo. After 500 meters there will be a left turn with the necessary sign;
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• by Novorizhskoye highway. First you will need to exit on the highway A-107, then (after 9 km) turn left in the direction of the town of Istra. After another 7 km will be followed by a right turn (to the village Buzharovo), then after 500 meters – left, to the museum.

Guests can also use public transportation:

• electric trains of the Riga direction, having reached the station “Istra”. Then it is necessary to transfer to the buses following the routes № 4, 32, 33, 40, 46, 48. Having reached the stop “Museum”, visitors should move towards the village Buzharovo;
• by bus from the Tushinskaya metro station to the station “Istra”. Then follow the transfer to one of the following buses: № 32, 33, 4, 40, 46, 48. Once at the stop “Museum”, it is necessary to go towards the v. Buzharovo. Buzharovo. The walk will take 10-15 minutes.