The exhibition “Paris – Saint Petersburg. 1800 – 1830. When Russia Spoke French…”

In spring of 2003 the exhibition “Paris – Saint Petersburg. 1800 – 1830. When Russia Spoke French…”, dedicated to the Tercentenary of Saint Petersburg, was opened in Paris. Objects of the French and Russian art of the first thirty years of the 19th century were exhibited at the Hôtel des Invalides from May to August. The State Hermitage provided the majority of exhibits. In autumn 2003 the exhibition moved to Saint Petersburg to the premises of the State Hermitage.

In spring of 2003 Paris saw the launch of a Russian-French cultural event dedicated to the Tercentenary Anniversary of Saint Petersburg. Exhibition of Russian and French art “Paris – Saint Petersburg. 1800 – 1830. When Russia spoke French…” at the Hôtel des Invalides has become the key point of the project. The exhibition was conducted under the auspices of President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of France Jacques Chirac. “Interros” Company initiated, organized and sponsored this Russian-French cultural event.

The exhibits were provided by the State Hermitage, Musée de l’Armée (Paris), the State Historical-Site Museum of History and Culture “Moscow Kremlin” (Moscow), State Historical Museum, State Archives of the Russian Federation and the State Palace Museum “Pavlovsk”.

Art objects (paintings, drawings, china, bronzes, silver, arms) date back to the first third of the 19th century. The authors deliberately addressed the dramatic Napoleonic era of the European history. Though victories and defeats are not the main subject of the exhibition. Its main topic is the common cultural history of France and Russia.

There are genuine chefs-d”oeuvre among the 300 exhibits: portraits by Ingres and Borovikovsky, silverware by Biennais and Tenner, arms by Boutet and Bushuev, bronzes by Thomire, porcelain by Sèvres Porcelain Workshops and Saint Petersburg Imperial Porcelain Factory. The venue, Hôtel des Invalides, was not a random choice. This shrine of the French military glory, designed and built on orders of Louis XIV in 1671 – 1674, is towering above the crypt of the tomb of Napoleon carved out of Russian red porphyry.

The exposition occupied six chapels of the Hôtel des Invalides with the thematically grouped art objects. The selection criterion was to match the Russian and French exhibits by the subject and application. The purpose of such selection was to show the affinity between the French and Russian cultures, despite the historical sinuosities, continued developing and complementing each other.

The chronology of the exhibition was defined by the two major historical figures: Napoleon I and Alexander I. The entrance of the exhibition is decorated with the full-dress portraits of Napoleon sitting on the Imperial throne (by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres) and Alexander I against the backdrop of a landscape (by George Dawe). Four corner chapels were turned into pivotal centers of the exhibition: the “Emperors’ Chapel”, the “Chapel of War”, the “Palace Chapel” and the “Artists’ Chapel”. The other two chapels were transformed into passage galleries.

The center of the “Emperors’ Chapel” was dominated by a formidable 222 cm high vase “Russia” created by the French and Russian artists to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Alexander I victory over Napoleon, a kind of a monument to the two Emperors. It was for the first time that this vase, as well as the enormous painting by Horace Vernet “Invalid Petitioning Napoleon at the Guards Parade by the Tuilieries Palace in Paris”, ever traveled outside Russia. The painting was ordered by Nicholas I and was hanged in his study as an example of the omnitude of the notions of prowess and honour.

In time for the exhibition the “Slovo” Publishing House with the support of the “Interros” Company issued the French-Russian Dictionary of Arts Terms. The Dictionary introduces its readers to the French terms of art: from megaliths to pop-art.

Ms. Michelle Alliot-Marie, French Minister of Defense (Musée de L’Armée is under the Defense Ministry), Mikhail Shvydkoy, Russian Minister of Culture, and Serguey Mironov, Chairman of the Council of Federation of Russia, opened the exhibition. All those present were unanimous on one subject, that the common culture of the early 19th century constitutes the solid basis for the construction of relations between our two nations in future. Russia and France are banded by numerous things. The exhibition at the Hôtel des Invalides is a persuasive proof of solidarity of the two great cultures.

The final touch of the exhibition’s opening was a concert by Yury Bashmet’s Chamber Orchestra “Soloists of Moscow” at the adjoining Soldiers’ Church.

Exhibition “Paris Saint Petersburg. 1800 – 1830. When Russia spoke French…” was open for three months and became, beyond doubt, the most large-scale celebration of the Tercentenary of Saint Petersburg in Western Europe.

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