Besides the permanent collection, the museums hosts also temporary exhibitions, and if you go to Saint Petersburg between the 23rd December and the 29th March you will have the chance to visit the exhibition Heraldry on Russian Porcelain. Around 250 items will be displayed: vases, plates, cups and others, all realised at the Imperial Porcelain Factory and at other private Russian manufactories (such as Gardner, Batenin, Yusupov, Popov, brothers Kornilov and Kuznetsov) in the 18th and at the beginning of the 19th century. In the beginning the Imperial Factory, created by the order of Empress Elizabeth to support Russian art and trade, produced porcelain items only for the Romanov and the Russian Imperial Court, and only after a long time it began to furnish a wider market.

The Hermitage exhibition will show visitors a part of the porcelain objects produced in those factories, with a focus on those items that have historical coats of arms depicted on them, and is divided into 3 sections: the first one is dedicated to items with state and territorial coats of arms and with family crests; the second section includes items with the highest awards of the Russian Empire, while the third part comprises the material used to reproduce heraldic symbols on porcelain, such as graphic sketches, lithographs and books.

This exhibition make visitors understand the importance of Heraldry in Imperial Russia: Russian territorial heraldry was widespread during the reign of Peter I, and at that time there was a strong connection between coats of arms and cities, while family heraldry dates back to the 12th century. Family crests began to be reproduced on porcelain, and the first items decorated in this way were snuffboxes.

The primary function of crests was marking one's property and assets, and indeed they were placed on residences gates, but also on carriages and other personal objects like costumes, books and porcelain items. Porcelain objects, indeed, were a privilege of Emperors and nobility, they were considered as luxury and elite goods which could highlight the rank of their owner. Visiting the exhibition makes us discover a piece of Russian history and culture.

Saint Petersburg is a very appealing city, and the Hermitage Museum is famous all around the world. Take the time to visit it entirely, book a cheap hotel in Saint Petersburg.

Date: 23rd December 2008 ? 29th March 2009

Location: Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia