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Muscat Daily
7 days ago
- Politics
- Muscat Daily
Neo-Russian art exhibition opens at National Museum
Muscat – The National Museum on Saturday inaugurated the Neo-Russian Style exhibition, presented in collaboration with the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, under the patronage of H E Qais bin Mohammed al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion. The exhibition is part of the wider cultural initiative 'The Russian Seasons' and will run until November 2, 2025. Showcasing a collection of artworks and historical pieces, the exhibition highlights the Neo-Russian style that developed during the reigns of Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Visitors can explore applied arts, portraits, court costumes and imperial gifts that reflect the grandeur of Imperial Russia. Among the highlights are a silver presentation dish given to Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna by oilmen of the Absheron Peninsula in 1888, and a silver saltcellar presented to Emperor Nicholas II after his Eastern journey in 1890–1891. Also on display are a lace fan once owned by Empress Maria Feodorovna, a portrait by Sofya Yunker-Kramskaya, and elaborate masquerade costumes worn by members of the Russian aristocracy, including a grand costume worn by Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna at the 1903 Winter Palace masquerade. Jamal Hassan al Moosawi, Secretary-General of the National Museum, described the exhibition as a cornerstone of Oman-Russia cultural cooperation and part of ongoing efforts to strengthen ties with Russian institutions. He said the museum plans further collaborations, including musical seasons at Bayt Al Greiza, an exhibition on Omani fine art with the State Tretyakov Gallery, and Imperial Russia and the East in partnership with the Moscow Kremlin Museums. H E Oleg Vladimirovich Levin, Ambassador of Russia to Oman, called the exhibition a strong example of cultural diplomacy and a bridge between two nations that share an appreciation for heritage. Professor Dr Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum and member of the National Museum's Board of Trustees, noted the historical importance of the pieces on display in a video address, adding that future joint initiatives include a new exhibition at the Oman Hall in St Petersburg. The Neo-Russian Style exhibition follows other successful joint projects under the Russian Seasons banner. Earlier this year, the National Museum hosted Gifts of the Emirs of Bukhara and Central Asia to the Russian Imperial Court. Meanwhile, the Oman Hall at the Hermitage has attracted strong interest, with its second major exhibition, 'The Omani Empire Between Asia and Africa', drawing more than 414,000 visitors between December 2023 and January 2025.
Hindustan Times
06-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
A sky train, a death rail, a station with no staff: 200 years on, trains have come a long way
The fastest commuter train in the world, in Shanghai, China, has no wheels; it uses magnetic levitation for a smoother, faster ride. The longest route in the world sits within just one country: Russia. It spans nearly 9,300 km. The world's highest railway station, part of the Qinghai-Tibet railway line built by China, sits more than 4,000 metres above sea level. Tucked amid the Himalayas, one of its stations is so remote, it has no staff at all. The air is so thin, passengers cannot alight. (Read on for more on this). Where else do the railways create a little bit of history every day? Take a tour. Largest rail network: USA The railroad was so pivotal in the US that towns lived and died by its proximity (until the roads took over, hurling themselves across the vast expanses with greater ease, and taking over where the trains had once ruled). Between the 1830s and 1850s, the reach of these tracks expanded so rapidly, it birthed a generation of rail barons — people who had invested in these ventures, and were now raking it in. It also birthed the Panic of 1873, as overextended banks and companies now facing a dip, took a tumble together. The tracks laid down still serve the country, though. The US has the largest rail network in the world: over 250,000 km of track. Today, this vast network is used overwhelmingly for freight, in a country where cars, private transportation and cheap oil take precedence. The longest line: The Trans-Siberian link, Russia This is a single line that essentially spans a continent. It reaches from Moscow in western Russia all the way to Vladivostok in the far east. It was built as a power move, by the Russian tsar Alexander III and his son and successor Nicholas II. But really, it was built, between 1891 and 1916, by generations of prisoners. To keep costs down, convicts were put to work on the project. Parts of it came to be nicknamed the Death Road because of its high toll. The model would be so successful that it would live on as Russia turned communist and Joseph Stalin took over. Dissenters, resistant landowners and political prisoners were sent to camps scattered across this vast land, to work on roads, canals, railroads and in mines. The horrors of this punishment, with many labourers never heard from again, inspired Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's remarkable non-fiction work, The Gulag Archipelago, released in 1973, two decades after Stalin's death. The Trans-Siberian Railway remains the longest single rail link in the world, spanning nearly 9,300 km. The journey from Moscow to Vladivostok takes up to eight days (depending on the route and rake), and passes through eight time zones. The world's busiest station: Shinjuku, Japan Serving over 3.5 million passengers a day, the Shinjuku station sits in Tokyo's busy business and entertainment district, linking the densely populated city and its suburbs, and connecting commuters with major hubs of bus transit and the airport. In an indication of its scale, the station has more than 200 exits. World's highest railway station: Tanggula, Tibet This unstaffed station is also the highest in the world, sitting 5,068 metres above sea level. Built by China as part of the Qinghai-Tibet line, the 'sky train', as it has been nicknamed, halts here for a few minutes, so that passengers can take in the breathtaking views. They cannot alight; the air is too thin. The train itself has an internal air-pressure system, and supplemental oxygen piped through it. Busiest railway system: India (With input from Vandana Dubey)
Forbes
02-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Louvre Acquires Rare Fabergé Triptych From Imperial Russia
The Louvre Museum recently acquired a 19th triptych created by the House of Fabergé and presented as a gift to Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra for the birth of their first child. The Russian artwork will be one of the centerpieces of a new wing in the Louve dedicated to Byzantine Art and Eastern Christianity that will open in 2027. The triptych depicts layers of Russian Christian Orthodox symbolism in a creation made with paint, gems, pearls and organic material from Russia. The historic artwork was acquired by the Société des Amis du Louvre (Society of Friends of the Louvre), for €2.2 million ($2.5 million) and donated to the Louvre. The French organization exists to 'enrich' the collections of the Louvre and to acquire, for donation, objects of artistic, archaeological or historical value. The acquisition was announced publicly in April. The seller was A La Vieille Russie, a well-known New York-based art and antiques dealer. The multi-generational family-owned firm was founded in 1851 in Kyiv then moved to Paris before ending up in its current home in New York in the 1930s. It is a leading dealer and international expert in the works of Carl Fabergé (1846 – 1920), who was also a client. Sébastien Fumaroli, deputy director of the Friends of the Louvre, said the acquisition took about two years to complete. 'This acquisition is the story of a friendship,' Fumaroli said by email. 'The Louvre bought its first Russian icons in the 1950s from the New York gallery A La Vieille Russie. In memory of this legacy, the director of the Byzantium Arts Department, Maximilien Durand, visited Mark Schaffer, the (New York) gallery founder's grandson, at the (TEFAF) Maastricht fair two years ago. I met him again in New York where the triptych was kept in the private collection of the gallery and was not for sale. Both Schaffer and Durand quickly understood that the triptych could become an iconic work of the new department…. By offering the triptych to the museum's new department, The Friends of the Louvre have allowed the history of the collection of Russian icons in the Louvre to continue.' He added, 'What marks the exceptional value of this work is its prestigious provenance perfectly identified. We can follow the history of this work day-by-day through archival documents….What is moving in this work is its original brilliance perfectly preserved beyond the torments of 20th century history, as if we were coming into contact with a world that has disappeared.' Mark Schaffer explained that his grandfather, Alexandre Schaffer, acquired the triptych in 1930-1931 at a time when the Soviet government was selling off its imperial collections to raise funds for its young government, to rid itself of its Imperial past and to suppress religion. Alexander Schaffer acquired the Imperial icon directly from the government-sanctioned office, known as Antiquariat, set up to sell art to the West. He was one of only a few persons who were allowed to purchase items from this dedicated office. 'It's been in our collection ever since,' Mark Schaffer said. 'My grandfather acquired it as part of the active efforts of the young Soviet Union to sell off imperial items.' When speaking about the triptych's current home at the Louve, he said, 'I can't think of a better home for this piece.' The triptych appeared in public in New York once, as part an exhibition by Alexander Schaffer of the Imperial Russian Treasures at the Rockefeller Center in 1934. It was titled, 'Collection of Authentic Art Treasures,' which presented more than 250 works by Carl Fabergé. Other than that, it has remained in the gallery's private collection. The triptych was created in 1895 by Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (1860-1903), a craftsman of the House of Fabergé. He was responsible for the workmanship of the iconic imperial Easter eggs until his death in 1903. The triptych was presented as a gift in 1895 by the Saint Petersburg aristocracy to Nicholas II and Alexandra for the birth of their first child, Grand Duchess Olga. Both Mark Schaffer and Fumaroli said the triptych was typical of the kind of extravagant gift that a Russian Tsar would receive to mark an important occasion. But even by such a high standard this triptych is special as a work of art and a piece of history. The shape of the triptych evokes the silhouette of a Russian Orthodox church with an onion-shaped dome, as explained by a statement by the Department of Byzantine and Christian Arts in the Orient Louvre Museum. The body of the triptych is made of Karelian birch wood, a rare species native to a region in northwest Russia. 'Its fresh butter color, with pearly reflections, is particularly appreciated in the field of Russian decorative arts of the late 19th century,' the Louvre's Byzantine department said in its statement. 'It was often used in the production of triptychs for the imperial family in the Art Nouveau style by artists of the time.' The face of the triptych has an oil painting. On the central panel, the iconography is divided into two registers. In the lower part, the two 'chosen saints' of the imperial couple stand, Saint Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra (4th century), and Saint Alexandra, the legendary wife of the Emperor Diocletian. A bust is depicted Saint Olga. The paintings are executed on an ochre-brown background. The slender figures wear precious garments, enhanced with cabochons and pearls, and adorned with ornaments. Fumaroli said that the range of colors used and the miniature character of the ornamental details 'reflects the renewal of the art of the traditional icon by using 'Modern' forms, characteristic of the Modern Style under Nicholas II. The dark character of this painting contrasts with the brightness of the ornament. When unfolded, it takes the form of a traditional church. The painting of this triptych was made by an artist from the Mstera cooperative, a production center for folklore of ancient Russia.' The triptych is set in a silver and gilt mount, enhanced with colored enamel, precious stones, emeralds, rubies and sapphires and pearls, the Byzantium department said in its statement. A golden lattice on a light blue background forms the frame of the figures of the evangelists on the shutters, while arabesques in the Modern style (which is how Russians referred to Art Nouveau at the time). It emphasize the architectural structure of the object. Fumaroli said bringing this Russian Imperial triptych to the Louvre is in line with its overall mission of bringing important objects to the museum for the benefit of the public. 'The Fabergé Imperial Triptych is a jewel. It corresponds to a time when the icon, under the reign of Nicholas II, is no longer only an art of devotion but becomes an art of contemplation. It is an imperial treasure that belongs to the history of the European courts which is added to the many precious art objects offered by the Friends of the Louvre to the contemplation of the Louvre visitors.'
Spectator
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Catholics are praying for a speedy conclave
The Conclave, which meets in the Vatican today to elect a new pope, is likely to be brief. For the past hundred years, no conclave has exceeded four days, with two days being the most common. It seems unlikely that this one will be an exception. Many Catholics, at least, hope as much. The cardinals will not wish to expose the divisions within the Church to the world through a prolonged and fractious conclave. Taking their time would suggest a Church paralysed by competing factions. Convening quickly would project unity and resolve. But this being the Catholic Church, nothing is certain: deliberations can range from hours to years. Conclaves emerged from the 1059 papal bull of Pope Nicholas II, In Nomine Domini, which gave cardinals the sole responsibility for electing the pope.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The first modern steel battleship to be sunk by gunfire was an Imperial Russian flagship
The Russian battleship Oslyabya had a grand legacy. Named for a Russian hero, the vessel was little more than two years old when it went into battle against the Japanese in the Russian Far East. It would end up making history, but not for the reasons the Russian Empire would hope for. Its first naval engagement would be its last. Steaming into the 1905 Battle of Tsushima against the Imperial Japanese fleet, it would become famous as the first modern steel battleship to be sunk solely by enemy guns. The Battle of Tsushima went about as well for Russia as the rest of its ill-fated war against Japan, which is to say: not at all. On paper, the war shouldn't have been such a complete drubbing for the Russians. Both sides utilized similar, modernized technology, had a roughly similar number of troops available to fight and as a result, inflicted a horrendously similar number of casualties. But in naval terms, the number of Russian ships in its various fleets should have outmatched the Japanese – but that did not happen. In fact, the opposite happened. Twice. Japan was a relative newcomer to the modern world, but its military modernized and grew at a rapid pace, and that includes its leadership. Japan rocked China's world in the First Sino-Japanese War that ended in 1895, acquiring control of Korea and the Liaodong Peninsula with its warm water port of Port Arthur. Russia, Germany and France forced the Japanese out of China, and that's when Japan got the idea that the Europeans weren't taking their empire seriously and had to be taught a lesson. When Japan offered to recognize Russian dominance in Manchuria in exchange for Russian recognition of Japan's dominance of Korea, the Russians not only rejected it but suggested that Japan cede Korea. That's when Imperial Japan went for the sucker punch it would soon be famous for. It launched a surprise attack on Port Arthur in February 1904 and then laid siege to the city. In a war that would see upwards of 200,000 Japanese killed or wounded and 250,000 Russians killed or wounded, the Russian leadership would not win a single battle. Despite the Russian Empire's massive population, large military and nearly unlimited resources, all of that stuff was in Europe and the railroad to the Pacific wasn't finished yet. When the Japanese crippled the Russian Far East Fleet at Port Arthur, Tsar Nicholas II had to send his largely untested Baltic Sea Fleet to the Pacific. Under the command of Adm. Zinovy Rozhestvensky, the Baltic Fleet almost immediately fired on ships it thought were Japanese torpedo boats… in the North Sea. Those enemy warships turned out to be British fishing boats. Two British sailors were killed along with two Russians (somehow). The Russians even managed to mistake their own ships for Japanese vessels and fired on each other. The British would decide not to go to war over it, but the new Russian battleships opted to go around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, rather than steam through the British-controlled Suez Canal. The Baltic Sea Fleet's mission to relieve the Siege of Port Arthur would ultimately fail, mostly because it took seven months to get to the Sea of Japan. The city had fallen to the Japanese by then, and the battleships in port were sunk by Japanese land artillery. After steaming 18,000 nautical miles to the theater of war, the Russians weren't really in the best shape to do battle with Japan's veteran sailors and battleships. They were poorly maintained, many were old, and almost all of them were gathering microorganisms on their hulls, slowing them down and reducing their maneuverability. To be fair, they weren't looking to fight; they wanted to slip past and head to Vladivostok to regroup – but they tried the fastest, shortest, and most dangerous route past Japan: the Tsushima Strait. So, of course, a Japanese cruiser caught them, then sent a telegram to Adm. Tōgō Heihachirō, who went to sea with his entire fleet. It took six hours to catch up to the Russian fleet and less than an hour for Japan to cross the Russians' T, which meant the Japanese could fire full broadsides while the Russians could reply only with their forward batteries. Just 90 minutes into the battle, the Oslyabya, flagship of Rear Adm. Baron Dmitry von Fölkersam, was sunk by Japan's guns, the first modern steel battleship to go down that way. Fölkersam went down with the ship, which is probably another historic first. By the time the sun went down on May 27, 1905, Adm. Rozhestvensky was unconscious and the Russians had lost four battleships. Torpedo boats and destroyers harassed the Russians throughout the night (because the Russians decided to use their searchlights to try to find the enemy, giving away their positions in the dark). The next morning, what was left of the Russian ships tried to retreat but they were outclassed. They surrendered. Along with the Oslyabya, the Russians lost five more battleships during the Battle of Tsushima, as well as a littoral battleship and 14 other vessels. Two battleships, two coastal battleships, and a destroyer were captured, and more than 11,000 Russian sailors were killed or captured. The Battle of Tsushima also featured the first time wireless telegraph was a decisive part of the battle, as it signaled the Japanese fleet the Russians were present. The defeat forced Russia to sue for peace, setting the stage for Japan's rise as a true imperial power.
