The history of Indochinese collections

The Indochinese collections of the MAE began from the gifts donated to Prince Nikolai Alexandrovich (the future emperor Nikolai II) during his travel around eastern countries (1890-1891) including Siam and Vietnam. Among these gifts is the giant figure of the god of hunting from the mountain region of Vietnam that can be seen n the entrance hall of the Museum, and the personal armor of the King of Siam Rama V Chulalongkorn, etc.

In 1896 Russia established diplomatic relations with Siam (Thailand) that in 1902 took part in the International industrial fishing exhibition that was held in St.Petersburg, and after it donated the items brought to the exhibition to the Museum. It was at the same time that the troupe of the Siamese khon ballet was touring in St.Petersburg and gave theater masks to the Museum. Samples of clothes, shoes and jewelry of the peoples of Vietnam and Laos were obtained by the Museum after the First International exhibition of historic and modern costumes. In 1906 N.I.Vorobieb, staff member of the Museum, brought a collection of Buddhist sculpture, weapons, china, clothes, etc. from Siam.

In the second half of the 20th century the Indochinese ethnographical funds of the Museum were enriched due to Russian ethnographers and orientalists G.G. Stratanovich, A.I. Mukhlinov, L.N. Morev, I.G. Kosikov, A.K. Ogloblin, Yu.M. Osipov, S.E. Trfonov, journalist I.V. Danilin, as we as thanks to researchers and public figures of Vietnam, Laos, Burma, Thailand, etc. Most exhibited objects characterize the culture of large valley peoples, the so-called “title peoples” – the Burmese, the Thai, the Lao, the Khmer, the Viet who form the majority of population in their countries.  The Indochinese collections of the MAE contain 1.5 thousand items.

The Queen of Thailand  Sirikit's visit commemorated 110 anniversary of diplomatic relations establishment  between Russian and Thailand. St. Petersburg.  2007