Iconography Department

The basis of the department stock is the collection of iconographical documents of the Maly theatre archive. Later it was filled up with the remarkable collections of M. Zagorsky, S. Mokulsky,N. Gorchakov, A. Tuhnkel.

The collection of the illustrative material contains reproductions, drafts of sceneries and theatre costumes, paintings of different architectural structures and apartment decoration; ethnographical materials (views of towns and villages, peculiarities of clothes); applied graphics, etc.

During its existence the department overgrew the limits of stacks of iconographical documents and functionates as a laboratory which is a necessary part of the process of creating performances, films, editions, exhibitions.

The information on the stocks.

The stocks consists in two parts: sheet materials (postcards, original photographs, reproductions, engravings, etc.) and book editions (albums, books, magazines).

The collection of the engravings of the end of the 18-th – beginning of the 20-th includes the works by G. Geisler, D. Atkinson, E. Korneev, Barelli`s portraits of crowned persons. The theatre collection presents original sketches and drawings by I. Bilibin, K. Juohn, V. Khodasevich, A. Ekster, and others.

There is a very valuable collection of original photographs by M. Sherling, B. Fabisovich, K. Fisher, I. Aleksandrov, V. Petrusova.

These masters showed eminent figures of the native theatre both in life and on stage from 1890-ties to our days: M. Ermolova, V. Komissarzhevskaja, A. Juzhin, A. Pavlova, T. Karsavina, M. Kshesinskaja, G. Ulanova, L. Sovinov, F. Shaljapin, N. Obukhova, S.Lemeshev, I. Smoktunovsky.

The most valuable copies of the stock “Actors” are the photographs with the autographs of the eminent representatives of the theatre world. The stock of the everyday photographs of the 19thand early 20th is also very interesting.

The collection of postcards presents theatrical and everyday types, genre scenes, pictures of cities, architectural buildings, etc. Among postcards that are requested most often there are
“The gallery of Dashkova`s Ethnographical museum and N. Shabelskaja`s collection devoted to the Russian folk costume.

The main services to users. The department has a special reading – room. Its workers advise the users on their work with catalogues and cards and assist them in searching iconographical materials they need. The department offers paid services:

• the selection of the iconographical material,
• tutorials for students.

The chief of the department is Elena Khaplanova
Times of opening: 11a. m. – 7. 00p. m.

Contact tel. +7(495) 692-35-08