The Russian Museum of Ethnography is one of the largest and richest museums in Russia. Our collections include objects of ethnic culture of more than 150 peoples of Russia and its neighbours. Various cultures and religions meet in the space of the Russian Museum of Ethnography which has been created to function like a medium between people and science that comprehend their everyday life as an object to study. People give ethnology the matter of its studies - artifacts, music, folklore - and then find it in the space of ethnomuseums whose task is not to mummify their culture but to help them in identifying and understanding themselves.

    The history of the Russian Museum of Ethnography began in 1902 when the Russian Emperor Nicholas II issued the special Edict No. 420, establishing the Russian Museum of the Emperor Alexander III. This outstanding project appeared as a demonstration of the might of Russian state and of the loyality of it subjects: hundreds of peoples and tribes settling on Russian land. The Russian Museum included an Ethnographic Department as well - as a part of the memorial department dedicated to the rule of Alexander III . This strange neighbourhood was to emphasize the continuity of the policy of Nicholas II toward the Russian peoples with that pursued by Alexander III. Thus science was called to help the government in providing its policy, to study Russia in order to rule it.

    The contemporary life of the Russian Museum of Ethnography include exhibition activities as well as providing ethnological conferences and educational programs for students and children. The collections from our Museum travel around the world and are on display at the museums of America, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, France and other countries. You can get the complete information on the loan exhibition projects at the Exhibitions page http://www. ethnomuseum.ru on the official site of the Russian Museum of Ethnography!