The Hustling and Bustling Ball
from 30 October 2014 to 13 September 2015
Entertainments of high society in St Petersburg from the 18th-20th centuries
Peter and Paul Fortress, Engeneers' House
The exhibition brings together more than 500 objects from the collections of the State Museum of the History of St Petersburg and Russian National.
Balls in St Petersburg reflected the luxurious and splendid lifestyle of the capital of the Russian Empire. They were the most popular kind of entertainment among the high society of Petersburg of the 18th – early 20th century. Every year, 200-300 balls were held in St Petersburg, from the fashionable, strictly regulated for courtiers to the private and masquerade balls of the merchants and middle class. Lithographs, photographs, posters and invitations, displayed at the exhibition demonstrate the diversity of the St Petersburg ballroom celebrations over two centuries. Of particular interest are the posters for the themed balls of the late 19th - early 20th century, showing the inexhaustible imagination of the organizers: “In the Snow”, “Spring Ball”, “Monster's Ball”, “Underwater Kingdom Ball”, “In Hell” among others. Also on display are photographs of balls held in the Russian capital during the early 20th century, in particular the portraits taken for the famous costume ball in the “Russian style” held in February 1903 in the Winter Palace.
Each ball celebration required serious arrangements to be made by the organizers as well as participants. The exhibition tells the story about the St Petersburg balls from the moment of preparation: where and how one could obtain an invitation or purchase a ticket to the ball, how to select and order a ball gown or costume, and learn the latest trends of ballroom fashion. Specially designed interactive programs will help visitors to learn the basics of “ball culture and etiquette”: learning to dance the waltz and polonaise, to use the language of fans and flowers, to make a mask and artificial flowers, to find out which ingredients were used for the most popular perfumes. The exhibit even explains how to solve the problem of the “parking” the coach at the entrance to the palace.
The centerpiece of the exhibition is the selection of ballroom costumes from various periods, which afford visitors an idea of how gentlemen and ladies should dress for the official court balls. Ladies gowns reflect the elegance and fine artistic tastes of the early 20th century, including dresses made from flowing silk fabrics, and richly decorated with beads, and sequins. Costumes and masks, shown at the exhibition, are also of the early 20th century. Costume ball accessories include fans made of silk, lace and ostrich feathers; porte-bouquets, dance cards, shoes, handbags, gloves and boa.
Magnificent ball gowns can also be seen on the portraits of the Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna and Duchess Sofia Schcherbatova.
Traditionally, the program included not only music and dancing. The guests participated in lotteries and best costume contests, and received treats and gifts; performances, concerts, live paintings and costume parades were held.
The exhibition presents a reconstruction of part of the decorations for the thematic ball “Underwater Kingdom” organized by the St Petersburg Artists Society in 1907: a traditional buffet, kiosk selling champagne and a lottery stall, open to all visitors to the exhibition. A served table reminds visitor of the famous dinners that concluded every ball and menu cards can give some idea about the dishes served for these dinners. For example St Petersburg Nobility Ball, held on November 21, 1866 on the occasion of the marriage of the heir Tsarevich and Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna (nee Princess Dagmar of Denmark).
After 1917, the courtiers and high society balls disappeared, but the charity balls and fancy-dress balls were still held in Petrograd until 1920s. Christmas balls gained popularity from the late 1930s. During the later Soviet years, the word “ball”, was primarily associated with student proms. Posters of balls held in Petrograd-Leningrad during the Soviet era, can be seen in the exhibition.
State Museum of the History of St Petersburg and IZI.travel released two mobile audio guides in Russian language:
- about the exhibition “The hustling and bustling ball…”
- a mobile audio guide around St Petersburg “10 addresses. Balls in St Petersburg”. It tells about 10 addresses where the most famous balls of the 19th – early 20th century were held.
Partners:
Admission: full – 150 rub.; students – 80 rub.
A catalogue about the exhibition was recently published in Russian language.
