Some Pushkin Relics
- 1. Puskin’s Quill Pen, With his signature and caricature self-portrait. Pushkin's House Museum Gift Shop, Moika 12, St. Petersburg, Russia. Late 20th century, c.e.
- 2. Tile with the Image of Pushkin. From the Pushkin House, St. Petersburg. Contemporary Origin.
- 3. Vine (Sp. Currently Unidentified) From the House Pushkin Lived in ca. 1824 - 1826, c.e. Saint Petersburg, Russia.
- 4. A Sample of Russian Bread, Dried. Representing the bread sent by Pushkin to his friend Kukhelbeker, a participant in the Decembrist uprising, who was deported to Siberia.
- 5. Ceramic Statue of Alexander Pushkin. White ceramic with gold leaf and feather. Here the poet is shown as quite a young man, in the state of rapturous dreaming conducive to true poetic output. Contemporary.
- 6. Two Decks of Russian Playing Cards. Text in cyrillic on box, “Dog and Cat, Playing Cards”. These cards, small in stature, are stand-ins for the deck of cards used by Pushkin when he lost his servant boy to Katenin. The poet was practically addicted to gaming, among other things.
- 7. Locks of Hair of Alexander Pushkin. From the poet’s estate. Part of the collection of Pushkin memorabilia of Svetlana Borisovna Kunznetsova, St Petersburg, Russia.
a. From his childhood b. From his young adulthood c. From his adult years
- 8. Puskin as a Young Man. Painting, oil on canvas.
- 9. Needlepoint Pushkin. By Petr’s Aunt.
- 10. Engraving of Pushkin.
- 11. Other Items: Statues, postcards, engravings and needlepoint featuring images of the Great Poet.
- 12. Some of the Personal Effects of Alexander Pushkin. From the collection of Susie Katz and Petr Shevtsov.
a. Small Drinking Glass for Vodka or Brandy. Glass. Ca. 1820, c.e. b. Cufflinks. Mother of Pearl with gold stems. c. Decorative Alabaster Cigarette Holder with Snake-motif. Personal effects of Pushkin from his estate and the estate of his wife, Natalia Goncharova. Collected mid-20th century by Svetlana Otchestvo Borisovna, St. Petersburg.
- 13. Flower (family Violaceae, sp. currently unidentified). Dried and pressed. First half of the 19th century, c.e. According to the histories of his life, Pushkin plucked a small flower when he realized he would never be able to leave Russia. Altho Tsar Nicholas I once referred to Pushkin as “the wittiest man in Russia”, a visa—permission to leave the country—was hard to obtain, and was granted only to those with the full favor of imperial authority. Pushkin never obtained this. Within this context, this small flower symbolizes the perishable nature of our human happiness—and indeed, of our existence itself.
- 14. Handkerchief Belonging to Pushkin’s Wife, Natalia Nikolaevna Goncharova. From the collection of Svetlana Borisovna Kunznetsova
- 15. Wax Cast of the Fatal Bullet Wound of Alexander Pushkin, Showing also his Navel. Beeswax on wooden base. Pushkin died from wounds sustained from a pistol 29 January, 1837 died 2:45, Examining Drs. Ivan Timofeevich Spasski, Vladimir Ivanovich Dahl made the cast at 7:17 p.m.
16. Bullets from the 19th Century. Lead. With abrasions. a. Bullet from a Colt pistol, dug at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Bullet dates from 1863. b. Bullet used in a pistol of French design. Also dug at Gettysburg, this round, ball-shaped bullet dates from 1863 and is similar to the type and size of the bullet that intersected with the physical part of Alexander Puskin in 1837 with fatal consequences.
17. The Smallest Books Containing Poems by Pushkin. Leather boards. Folded bindings. a. Talisman. With Self-portrait of Pushkin. b. Confession. The Master of Art, micro-manager Andre Rikovanov. www.pushkin-town.net/microcosim
Red Ribbon displayed in a length of 8 m. in the center of the gallery (signifying the 11 steps taken by Puskin during his fatal duel.) Start at the beginning. Walk the same 11 paces. at the end, there is a bullet waiting for you.
