Regimental Museums (entry)

Categories / Science. Education/Museums
Categories / Army. Navy/Military Ceremonies, Life, and Service
REGIMENTAL MUSEUMS, historical memorial museums attached to guards and army regiments, stationed in St. Petersburg and its suburbs. They emerged in the middle of the 18th century as a relic depository within regiment churches (see Military Churches). In the 1820s some of the regiments formed collections of memorial items, related to significant events of their battle history (first temporary exposition existed in the Finlyandsky Life Guards Regiment in 1824-25). In the 1850-70s the collections in regimental museums were augmented through battle and portrait paintings and drawings, sculptures, armament, ammunition, uniform samples, collections of documents, rare books, etc. In the 1880s regimental museums were officially organised with officer assemblies of all guards regiments. In the early 20th century special courses for preparation of officer curators of regimental museums were set up, expositions and funds put in order, made up catalogues of items and their study was conducted, as well as methodical regulations for the organisation of excursions were worked out (also for lower ranks). After October of 1917 regimental museums were closed down and most collections were lost, while some exhibits became parts of other collections. The surviving exhibits are now kept in the Military History Museum of Artillery, Engineering and Signal Troops, in Suvorov’s Memorial Museum, in the Museum of Political History of Russia, in other museums, archives, libraries and at the Lenfilm Film Studios. A number of relics following October 1917 were taken abroad by guards’ officers, laying foundation for new regimental museums.

References: Потоцкий П. П. Исторический музей гвардейской артиллерии: (при офицерском собрании л.-гв. 1-й артиллерийской бригады. СПб., Литейная ул., д. 26) // Рус. старина. 1892. Т. 73, янв./март. С. 515-517; Григорович А. И. Пособие для составления полковых историй и устройства музеев. СПб., 1906; Воронович Н. В. Описание Исторического музея Л.-гв. конно-гренадерского полка. СПб., 1912.

G. V. Kalashnikov. Suvorov Alexander Arkadievich, Count
Потоцкий П. П. Исторический музей гвардейской артиллерии: (при офицерском собрании л.-гв. 1-й артиллерийской бригады. СПб., Литейная ул., д. 26) // Рус. старина
Григорович А. И. Пособие для составления полковых историй и устройства музеев. СПб., 1906
Воронович Н. В. Описание Исторического музея Л.-гв. конно-гренадерского полка. СПб., 1912 Finlyandsky Life Guards Regiment
Officer Assemblies
Military Historical Museum of the Artillery, Engineering and Signal Corps
Suvorov Memorial Museum
Museum of Russian Political History
Lenfilm, Film Studio