I.S.Lysenko
Krasnoyarsk Cultural Historical Museum Center
International Cultural Center of Krasnoyarsk Region
Dear participants of the seminar, guests and residents of our city, now we are at the area of the exposition "The turning point of the times. The history and the culture of Russian Germans".
The presentation of this project took place in December of the last year. It turned out to be the first at the chain of posterior projects, which were implemented by Krasnoyarsk Cultural Historical Museum Center in cooperation with Germans during the time of 2004. As it is known the year 2004 is declared in Russia as the year of Germany.
The realization of the project is the result of partnership cooperation of the authorities, education and cultural establishing, as well as social associations.
The idea of the project creation belongs to Krasnoyarsk Regional national cultural autonomy of Russian Germans. The financial support was provided by the General Consulate of Germany.
Among the partners there are: the chair of German in Krasnoyarsk state pedagogical university, the center of German culture and education in Krasnoyarsk state pedagogical university. The exposition was made on the grounds of the materials collected by students of Krasnoyarsk state pedagogical university during the linguistic researches.
The evangelical Lutheran community gave more than 100 Bibles, which were found in Krasnoyarsk region during the decade for the realization of the project.
And of course one of the main partners is the Krasnoyarsk Cultural Historical Museum Center. It develops different excursions, selection the materials of the respective themes. All exhibits are on the temporary possession in the funds of our Museum.
The main idea of the project is to show the life of Russian German through the prism of their everyday life, the documents and photographs, at the time of their spiritual life, holidays and hard working days.
The theme of the Motherland and nostalgia goes through all exposition. That is why the main point of the exposition is the land.
The land is a sign of people's freedom and the life with dreams and ideals. Besides Germans as well as many other nations identify the land with the left home.
The main place in the exposition area is near the cross, which made of glass. It is a symbol of the Christian humility and accord with the God's will. Inside this cross placed the documents connected with the sudden changes in the history of Russian Germans (deportations, repression).
There are a special place for more than 100 old German Bibles and for sacred manuscripts around the foundation of the cross. The earliest Bible was issued in 1812.
Sacred manuscripts, rewriting by a pen or even by a pencil in a ordinary copy-book, eloquently says about the religions role in Russian German's life and about resistance of his character.
One more interesting idea is multitude of photographs. There are more than 150 of tem on the exhibition. They goes as a stripe in two lines along the perimeter of exhibition space. Bottom line consists of black and white photos of past or present generations. Upper line is a colored images of living today people. Visitors always pay attention to the unique photos of White Guard army officers with uniform and with medals. And so they ask: "How they could save their family reliquiae in spite of the threat to their and their relations lifes?". The answer is: they hid it in things, sewed up in their clothes, - says elderly owners of photographs.
The photo line is added by an ancient rack of art, scientific and children's books. One of books deserves special attention. It is " new economic policy and crisis of the party after Lenin's death ". Actually it is the tattered bible, which disappears for a brightly red colors cover.
The special display cases are made for the celebrating traditions, which will change with the approach of this or that holiday
Among the exhibits, describing German culture and the lives of the Russian Germans, are represented the self-made knife, which made by the German prisoner in the Siberian camp, a distaff, the sewing machine with a Gothic type on the case, a silver pocket mirror, a wedding wreath and many other things.
At the exhibition the past borders with the present. About the life of the modern Russian German tells the stand with constantly updated material about activity of a national - cultural autonomy of the Russian Germans, about work of the center of German culture and faculty of German language in the Krasnoyarsk state university.
I want to pay your attention to the important component of the project. The project was reflected not as the exhibition with demonstration of the unique things. First of all it is the communication museum project in which it is supposed to work with the ideas and sensual images of visitors through various forms and methods.
For all, who interested, the seminars, round tables on the history of the Russian Germans are carried out here, also the competitions on the best translation of poetry from German into Russian. Anyone can take part in the competition of readers of German poetry.
And it is not casual that this year on August 28 the day of memory of Germans’ deportation was started at this exhibition, where numerous visitors told their memoirs and the words of wishes to young generation.
The rich material of the exhibition opens the great opportunities for the formation of new space’s technologies with the help of the museum for the international communication, based on knowledge and understanding of culture of other people.