Numismatics exhibition. Numismatics Department

The department's exhibition features more than thirty private collections received from donors since the 1980s. Currently, the museum collection includes over seven thousand works of Russian and Western European art of the 15th–20th centuries. These are painting, graphics, sculpture, applied art and artistic photography. The collections differ from each other in their focus and structure. They are divided by type of art, among them there are monographic and thematic.

From the practice of large museums around the world, it is known that when private collections enter their collections, they are disbanded and works of various types of art are distributed among several funds. Only the best works are selected for exhibition. Thus, the integrity of a private collection is violated, its originality is lost, the personality of the collector fades into the background, being of interest, as a rule, only to specialists.

The exhibition of the halls of the Department of Personal Collections does not violate the integrity of individual collections and seeks to emphasize the original intention of those who created them over many years. At the same time, special attention is paid to the personality of each collector, his tastes and preferences. According to the definition of one of the first authors of the idea of ​​​​creating a museum of personal collections in Russia, Prince Sergei Shcherbatov, such a museum is designed to preserve the “spiritual connection” between the collection and its former owner.

A special place in the collection is given to the collection of the museum’s founder – a famous scientist and cultural figure of the 20th century. I. S. Zilberstein. It contains over two thousand works of painting and graphics, occupying four exhibition halls. This is work the highest level, performed in various techniques and genres, representing the work of individual masters and various artistic associations, in particular the masters of the “World of Art”. Such collections themselves can be independent museums.

Many collections are valuable due to the preservation of the original intentions of the collector and high artistic quality. These include the collection of Russian realistic painting of the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries by S. V. Solovyov, a metal carver, whose example was the work of P. M. Tretyakov; collection of Russian painting of the late 19th - early 20th centuries by Leningrad professor A. N. Ramm; collection of bronze animalistic sculpture by foreign and Russian masters of the 19th century, Colonel of the Veterinary Service E. S. Stepanov.

The museum also introduces visitors to the collections that were collected throughout their lives by representatives of the Russian artistic and scientific intelligentsia. They include not only works of art, but also memorial objects that introduce the personality of the collector. The theme of the artistic environment of a creative personality is embodied in the hall, where paintings and graphic works from the collection of the great musician and pianist Svyatoslav Richter are presented. He was a friend of the Pushkin Museum and the inspirer of the December Evenings music festival, held annually at the museum. Svyatoslav Teofilovich donated to the Department of Personal Collections a collection of paintings and graphics by R. Falk, V. Shukhaev, N. Goncharova, D. Krasnopevtsev and other artists.

The Numismatics Department of the State Historical Museum stores over 1.7 million items, including doublets, Russian (over 600 thousand), ancient (58 thousand), Eastern (138 thousand), Western (188 thousand), paper coins banknotes(471 thousand), domestic (38 thousand) and foreign commemorative medals (21 thousand), orders, award medals and badges, Russian and foreign (over 27 thousand), seals, official and official insignia (more than 8 thousand) . The basis of the collection is an exceptionally complete collection of monuments of Russian monetary circulation.

The numismatic collection of the Historical Museum began to take shape in the first years of the museum’s existence from individual items and small collections donated. Soon it began to be completed systematically, often through procurement. In 1886-1917 The museum received: a collection of Russian coins of the founder of Russian numismatic science A.D. Chertkov, a collection of P.O. Burachkov, a famous collector and researcher of coins of the Northern Black Sea region, many items from the magnificent collections of P.I. Shchukin, G.A. Stroganov, A. . S. Uvarova. The Imperial Archaeological Commission actively participated in the acquisition, thanks to which many wonderful treasures of Russian coins entered the museum’s funds.

Since 1895, obligatory samples of products from domestic mints began to be transferred to the museum. The entire numismatic collection was under the supervision of the museum’s chief curator, A. V. Oreshnikov, an outstanding specialist in Russian and ancient numismatics. The formation of the department of coins, medals and seals is associated with the transfer in 1918-1919. a huge collection of oriental coins and Russian medals that belonged to the largest Moscow collector P.V. Zubov. The department was headed by A. V. Oreshnikov. P.V. Zubov became the head of the sector, located in his house on the street. Malaya Alekseevskaya. After the death of P.V. Zubov (in 1921), his numismatic collection (200 thousand coins in 14 cabinets) and library (in 30 cabinets) were transported to the main building of the museum. After the formation of an independent department of coins, medals and seals, its collection was replenished by the collections of the abolished Moscow Numismatic Society, the Museum of the Book, the Soviet Philatelic Association, and the Military History Museum. Many interesting items came to the department from Gokhran. The numismatics department of the State Hermitage helped in the acquisition of the funds, in 1930 it transferred to the State Historical Museum a rare Russian coin - the ruble of the never-reigning “emperor” Constantine, minted in 1825.

The process of expropriation of private property, which began after the October Revolution of 1917, led to the rapid growth of the numismatic collection, which received requisitioned collections. Many collectors voluntarily donated what they collected to the museum, hoping in this way to save historical valuables from looting. The department systematically received excavation materials and coin treasures. As a result, by the end of the 30s. The Historical Museum became the owner of a numismatic collection, quite comparable in its significance to the collections of coins, medals, bonds, orders and decorations of the British Museum in London, the National Library in Paris, the Berlin Munzkabinet (as part of the Berlin Museums), the Museum of the American Numismatic Society in New York. York, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

On October 7, 2015, the “International Numismatic Club” with an exhibition museum hall was opened in Bolshoy Afanasyevsky Lane in Moscow. The museum is located in the restored historical building of the Zinoviev-Yusupov chambers, built in the 17th century.

The MNK Museum was created on the initiative of Vagit Alekperov, President of PJSC LUKOIL. The museum's exposition is entirely based on the personal collection of V.Yu. Alekperova.

The MNK Museum works closely with the scientific and museum community and supports research in the field of numismatics.

The MNK Museum is a member of the most authoritative Russian and international organizations:
- Union of Museums of Russia
- International Council of Museums, ICOM (International Council of Museums)
- International Numismatic Council, INC (International Numismatic Council)

The main goals of the museum:

• promote the development and popularization of numismatics;
• give new impetus to the development of interest in national and world history;
• promote the development of private museum business.

In this regard, within the walls of the museum it is planned to organize thematic exhibitions of both public and private collections; hold conferences and lectures.

The museum is equipped with modern interactive equipment. On tablets you can see descriptions of coins; consider images of the front and back sides of coins photographed in excellent quality and with high resolution. For each showcase it is given additional information about the era, events and personalities.

About the building

The Zinoviev-Yusupov Chambers, located in Bolshoy Afanasyevsky Lane, are oldest house district, the only large stone chambers of the 17th century north of Prechistenka. Even the fact that its facade extends beyond the red line of the alley indicates that it has been here for a very long time and has a long history.

In 1685, the steward P. Zinoviev built stone chambers here and then for more than a hundred years the owners of the house were representatives of the noble family of the Zinovievs. One of them was the wife of Peter the Great’s midshipman and Moscow governor, Prince Boris Yusupov, Irina Mikhailovna. At the end of the 18th century, the house came into the possession of Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy’s great-grandfather, Count Andrei Ivanovich Tolstoy. The last owner of this house before the revolution was the brother of Leo Tolstoy’s wife, Alexander Andreevich Bers, an actual state councilor and Oryol vice-governor.

In 2010, restoration of the building began and was completed in early 2012. For this work, the Center for Traditional Culture "Preobrazhenskoye" (project manager - architect Tatyana Borisova) received the prize of the "Moscow Restoration - 2012" competition.

On December 15, 2015, in St. Petersburg, as part of the IV International Cultural Forum, Vagit Alekperov, President of PJSC LUKOIL, was awarded the Phoenix Prize. The award was presented by the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky. The prize was awarded for assistance in the preservation of architectural monuments and their adaptation to modern use.

On the sidelines of Moscow numismatic auctions it has long been rumored that the president of Lukoil owns perhaps the best collection of coins in Russia. How big it is and what is there was not known until October 2015, when Vagit Alekperov opened his Museum of Numismatics in Moscow, in a restored mansion in the Arbat area. The exhibition includes more than 700 coins: Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, Byzantium, medieval Europe, Russian Empire, RSFSR and USSR. This is only the fourth part of Alekperov’s collection, but it is quite representative. The most old coin in the museum - the golden hectae of the city of Phocaea 480-450 BC. e. (according to Forbes, purchased in 2012 at the Nomos auction for 12,500 Swiss francs, or $13,500). The youngest is silver 20 kopecks from 1931 (at least $7,000). Least valuable coin— 20 kopecks from 1922 in perfect condition (approximately $1000). The most expensive is platinum 12 rubles from 1844 (purchased in 2013 at the Maison Palombo auction for 380,000 Swiss francs, or $410,000).

“Coins have a story. Each of them probably contains an entire era,” explains the owner of the collection. - This is a material that is not affected by time. Especially if it’s a noble material.”

On one of the stands there is a tiny - only half a gram - gold penny of the Time of Troubles with the name of Vladislav Zhigimontovich. The Moscow boyars called the Polish prince Vladislav to the Russian throne and swore allegiance to him in August 1610. The elected tsar did not appear in Moscow, but a foreign army was stationed there. Gold kopecks (each equal to 10 silver kopecks) were minted to pay the salaries of officers and soldiers. But the Troubles continued, the treasury became scarce, church utensils and gold from the “sovereign outfit” were turned into coin. The Poles were expelled from Moscow in October 1612 by the militia of Prince Pozharsky. Very few gold coins of Vladislav Zhigimontovich have survived; they are extremely rarely found in treasures. At the “Coins and Medals” auction in 2010, such a penny went for 175,000 rubles.

Another stand, almost three centuries in the future: a gold imperial from 1896 in proof condition (polished mintage). In the first years of the reign of Nicholas II, gold coins were not minted for circulation. The Witte government was preparing a reform that was supposed to eliminate the existing disproportion in the value of the credit and gold rubles and strictly tie the paper ruble to gold. The State Bank created a gold reserve corresponding to the amount of banknotes in circulation, taking into account the planned devaluation, and in 1897 the minting of new gold notes began - one and a half times lighter than the previous ones. Ten-ruble notes with the inscription “imperial” and in the old weight were issued in 1895-1897 according to the highest order for gifts (125 pieces per year). Already at the beginning of the 20th century they were considered a numismatic rarity. The auction price of the 1896 proof imperial is $175,000-185,000.

“The history of the collection began with coins of the Russian Empire, or rather, with gold coins,” says Alekperov. — This direction seemed to me the most interesting. Even ordinary coins on this topic were not easy to collect, since only the best preserved specimens were selected for the collection. Gradually, the scope of my interests expanded, and I decided to replenish the collection with antique gold coins. Silver coins from the Soviet period are presented to form a more complete picture, and the same applies to European thalers.”

There are 125 gold coins of Tsarist Russia in the museum. The regular issue of gold money was started by Peter I, who in 1701 ordered the minting of chervonets - coins in the weight of a European ducat. Deposits precious metal It had not yet been explored in Russia, the treasury purchased Chinese gold through Siberia, the circulation of chervonets was therefore small - several thousand a year. In Alekperov’s collection there is a copy of the first chervonets (auction value of at least $50,000). But the chervonets of 1711 is more valuable: a double-headed eagle holds four St. Andrew’s flags, symbolizing dominance over the Azov, Baltic, White and Caspian seas. True, the annexation of the Baltic states was still a long way off, and Russia lost access to the Sea of ​​Azov that year in an unsuccessful war with Turkey. Perhaps this is why gold coins with this version of the coat of arms were no longer minted. Chervonets 1711, owned by the head of Lukoil, was purchased in 2011 at Sincona for 75,000 Swiss francs (about $85,000).

A native of Baku, Vagit Alekperov remembers how as a child he constantly collected things - stamps, matchboxes, wine stickers. When I studied at high school, his housemate gave him a pile of pre-revolutionary securities kept in the family. This is where, the billionaire says, his love for the history of money and coins began, which has lasted for more than 50 years. “Of course, financial opportunities were different at different times,” he notes. “But the collection was always being formed. Working in Western Siberia, I sometimes came to Moscow and visited Taganka [an informal gathering place for collectors near the Numismat store. - Forbes]. I bought coins there. It was the late 1970s, when I was already making good money and had the opportunity to buy.”

The days of going to the flea markets are long gone. According to Alekperov, he has a group of experts monitoring the numismatic market, Russian and international. “The main factor is how well the coin complements the collection. As a collector, of course, I have my own preferences, and this is what plays the most important role in deciding whether to buy a particular coin,” he explains.

On the topic of Tsarist Russia, an exception is made for platinum. The Russian Empire was the only country that issued platinum money for circulation - this was made possible by the rich, relatively easy-to-mine placers of the Urals and a convenient method invented by the engineer Sobolevsky to obtain malleable platinum. Platinum three-ruble notes were minted from 1828 to 1845 in tens and hundreds of thousands of pieces, coins of 6 and 12 rubles in thousands. But in some years, the issue was limited to one to three hundred and even single copies - for sale to wealthy collectors. For example, only eleven six-ruble notes were made in 1836. They, of course, appear infrequently at auctions and invariably increase in price. The head of Lukoil has such a coin in proof condition - it was exhibited in March 2013 on Kuenker and was sold for €150,000 with an estimate of €24,000.

“I have three platinum coins that I acquired completely by accident six years ago. They are very valuable, there are only two of them,” Vagit Alekperov is proud. When he mentions this 1839 kit, he is slightly mistaken. Three-ruble notes were then minted in six pieces, and six- and twelve-ruble notes were actually minted in two pieces each. One platinum set from 1839 is kept in the Hermitage. The other, as far as Forbes knows, once belonged to a Russian financier who bought the coins in 2001 at a UBS auction for $150,000. Apparently, this set became the property of Alekperov. How much could it cost now? According to Igor Lavruk, general director of the Coins and Medals company, it is about $1 million.

“Every collector is an egoist,” admits Vagit Alekperov. — He loves his collection. I always liked moving coins from one place to another. I can do this for hours. But I believe that if you have collected beautiful things, then people should see them. My museum will be open to the public. Let's create a numismatists club here. I am confident that it will be able to function effectively because membership fees will be minimal. We will hold lectures, exchange information, and republish literature. You know me - when I get down to business, I never stop halfway, I bring everything to its logical conclusion. Unfortunately, my son did not take over my love for coins, so the museum and numismatic club will not be supported by the right of inheritance. A system will be created that will allow the museum and club to function for many years after me.”

About five years ago, the billionaire recalls, he became interested in ancient coins: “They have thousands of years behind them. We are history Ancient Rome We know a lot from the coins that were issued then.” Paradox, but gold Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire is no more expensive, and sometimes cheaper rare coins XIX-XX centuries. The numismatic market is the absolute embodiment of the law of supply and demand. The value of a coin is determined not by its age, type of metal, or artistic merit (although all of these matter), but by the number and ability to pay of collectors who are passionate about a particular topic. Antique coins are very diverse, collecting requires a lot of special knowledge, and therefore the demand for them is different than for coins of recent centuries, which are more understandable in all respects.

The Alekperov Museum displays 226 ancient Greek and Roman coins. Among them is the lifetime ¼ stater of Alexander the Great, minted in the city of Sardis. Status - uncirculated. The coin was purchased in 2013 at the Sincona auction for 5,000 Swiss francs (approximately $5,200). This is a price comparable to some Soviet coins, interest in which has grown greatly in recent years. For comparison: in the museum’s exhibition there are silver 20 kopecks from 1931 without traces of circulation - “excellent” condition. At the auction of the company “Coins and Medals” in 2011, a similar two-kopeck coin, but in “very good” condition, was sold for 200,000 rubles (about $7,300). What is so special about this coin? 1931 - last year of existence silver money in the USSR. Issue silver coins did not stop until the minting of copper-nickel coins was established. A certain amount of silver went into circulation (and was then confiscated); the rest of the 1931 edition was melted down.

But the silver in Vagit Alekperov’s collection is the exception that confirms the rule. “I’m interested in putting together a collection that will represent the history of the development of coinage in Russia and the world,” the businessman-numismatist reveals his goal. “Since this is an extremely ambitious task, I am limiting myself to gold coins for now.”

Currently, private museums and galleries are increasingly opening, the founders of which make their collections available to the general public. One example is the founding of a numismatic museum in the capital. The great interest of specialists in such an event is evidenced by the fact that a board of trustees was created at the institution, which included heads of museums with large numismatic collections (M. Piotrovsky, E. Gagarina, M. Loshak).

Exhibits of the exhibition

The opening of the International Moscow Numismatic Museum was a landmark event last year. This event attracted not only the Russian but also the international community. The collection, presented to specialists, scientists, and, finally, the interested public, is unique: it contains coins from antiquity to the Soviet period. Among the exhibits are not only rubles, kopecks, chervonets, but also Ancient world and the Middle Ages

Numismatics as an auxiliary historical discipline

Numismatics is one of the auxiliary historical disciplines that studies coins: their origin, dating, external features, and so on. This section of science is one of the main ones, along with paleography, chronology, and sphragistics. The study of the monetary system allows one to analyze not only the economic situation in a particular city, principality, or state, but also to show the political development of the country, since minting one’s own coin is an indicator of the wealth and power of the ruler. The study of coins is the object of serious research by domestic and foreign historians. The main source of materials is the excavation of treasures, in which money from various states can be found in abundance.

Exhibitions of the Moscow Museum of Numismatics

Serious scientific interest in monetary units arose in Russia in the 18th century along with the emergence of historical science as an independent discipline. Since then, Russian scientists have accumulated vast experience in studying coins, collecting and processing this most valuable source.

A museum of numismatics opened in Moscow in October 2015 (in the restored Zinoviev-Yusupov chambers of the 17th century), which should be considered as a new stage in the study of monetary units of various countries. Its founder is V. Alekperov, president of OJSC Lukoil, whose collection formed the basis of the fund. The Museum of Numismatics in Moscow includes not only an exhibition hall, but a library, a conference room, and a Numismatics Club, which allows not only specialists, but also simply interested people to get acquainted with the exhibits and receive all the necessary information.

Coins of antiquity and the Middle Ages in the Moscow Museum of Numismatics

The International Museum of Numismatics in Moscow includes a collection of approximately five thousand items. Alekperov collected them for fourteen years, so you can see a lot of interesting things in the new museum. At the exhibition, it is worth paying attention to coins from antiquity: Ancient Greece, as well as the Byzantine Empire (about three hundred in total). The Middle Ages are represented here by thalers, Russian history- five hundred coins as well as the period. The oldest example is a hectae with the image of a rooster from the city of Phocaea, dating back to the 5th century BC. e.

The Numismatics Museum in Moscow houses medieval thalers. The most interesting of them are Bavarian coins.

Russian moneyXVII- XVIIIcenturies in the numismatic museum

From Russian coins We should highlight the gold penny of Vladislav Zhigimontovich, the son of the Polish king Sigismund III, who, according to the treaty near Smolensk on February 4, 1610, was supposed to convert to Orthodoxy and become the Russian Tsar. After the deposition of Vasily Shuisky in the summer of the same year, the Moscow government - the Seven Boyars - recognized Vladislav as king and even issued a coin in his name. The above-mentioned golden penny of the Polish prince testifies to Poland's claims to Muscovite Rus'.

The Museum of Numismatics in Moscow also keeps curious chervonets minted in the 1700s. This was the time of the reign of Peter I, who was interested in updating the economic system in Russia. New coins from the beginning of his reign are an example of the king’s concern for the country’s finances. There is also a trial ruble of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna from 1756.

Coins of the Tsarist period in the Moscow Museum of Numismatics

In addition to the above images, the collection includes a set of coins from the 19th century. The Numismatics Museum in Moscow stores platinum coins from the reign of Nicholas I (1825-1855). The samples date back to 1839 - the time of the reforms of the Minister of Finance E.F. Kankrin. The presented denominations - three, six and twelve rubles - are a valuable source of the history of monetary reform in the empire at the end of 1839-1843.

Undoubtedly, such an exhibition of the collection will attract not only specialist scientists, but also the general public. The fact that private individuals are collecting antiquities and presenting them as exhibits indicates that historical science is gaining popularity in Russian society.

This is what the Numismatics Museum in Moscow is like. Address: building 24. The institution holds lectures at which scientists talk about the exhibits, and the Numismatists Club proves the development of interest in coins among non-professionals.