Russian Window East: Museum Research and Exhibition Projects (1996—2023)

Abstract

The ongoing political and economic transformations have resurfaced the perpetual Russian inquiry into its civilizational identity. Against this backdrop, it's impossible not to take note of several noteworthy exhibition and publication initiatives pertaining to Russia's eastern policy throughout the ages. For nearly 30 years, the biggest Russian museums have carried out quite important exhibition projects in various cities, including St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan, Washington D. C., Lisbon, London, Amsterdam and Groningen, among others. These exhibitions trace the significant stages of cultural exchange between Russia and the East. The collections of Russian museums are an important indicator of the importance of the East in the formation of the Russian state and the development of Russian culture. The article opens a new permanent section of the journal called In angello cum libello (“In a corner with a book” = “Alone with a book”). This is an abbreviated form of a motto often attributed to Thomas à Kempis (1380—1471), author of a number of treatises on monastic life. The full saying is a mixture of Latin and Dutch: “In omnibus requiem quaesivi, sed non inveni, nisi in hoexkens ende boexkens” (“I have sought peace everywhere, but I have not found it except in nooks and in books”).