ВДНХ is an exhibition center located in the north of Moscow. One of our students will write a piece on ВДНХ in a later post but this post is about a relatively new museum of history inside ВДНХ. Россия – Моя история is museum about the history of Russia under the two ruling families of the Ruriks and Romanovs. Molly Saul describes our visit to the Romanov Dynasty part of the museum.
Following our group’s trek through the Rurik dynasty at the Russian History Museum, came the presentation of the Romanov dynasty in 1613 with the coronation of Mikhail Romanov. Ultimately, the Romanov lineage would be the last to rule Russia, coming to a rather sudden end in 1917 with the abdication of Nicholas II and the breakout of the Russian Revolution. The empire had lasted 304 years, having celebrated the family’s tercentenary only a few years before. Our group was introduced to the former emperors and empresses (or Tsars and Tsarinas) in a modern, interactive format. Each had an entire room devoted to their lives, notable figures (like authors at the time, dancers, etc.), and significant events that happened during their rule. Some of the more famous (or sadly infamous) Romanov rulers included Peter the Great (Peter I), Catherine the Great (Catherine II) who was a powerfully strong empress and revitalized Russia, the “Tsar Liberator” or Alexander II whose name comes from his liberation of serfs, and Nicholas II who became the last Tsar of Russia, and who after his abdication and arrest along with the rest of his family, were tragically murdered by the Bolsheviks in Ekaterinburg.
For me, I was the most excited about getting to learn more about the Romanov dynasty in Russia. The history of this empire is something that I have actually studied ever since I was a child and is what I call my “bread and butter”. Getting the opportunity to visit a museum such as this one and receiving that first-hand experience into the rich history of the former Russian Empire, only increased my interest. It was remarkable!
USA in Russia 2019 