Petersburg is set to host a remarkable exhibition showcasing the clothes of the Russian Emperor Peter I. The restoration and storage center of the State Hermitage, Staraya Derevnya, will mount a curated presentation featuring around 300 wardrobe pieces drawn from Peter I’s private depot, under the banner The Emperor’s Wardrobe. The display is scheduled for December as part of Hermitage Days, commemorating the 350th anniversary of Peter the Great’s birth. – according to TASS
The organizers describe this display as the year’s defining event tied to Peter the Great inside the Hermitage. The curators note that the project brings to light two complementary facets of the emperor: the austere, carpenter Peter who built with his own hands, and the flamboyant, fashion-forward Peter, who sourced patterns from Paris and curated a wardrobe that reflected contemporary European trends. The Hermitage’s director, Mikhail Piotrovsky, emphasizes that visitors will witness a dual image of Peter the Great and will be able to observe the breadth of his attire from functional garments to ceremonial ensembles, all presented with careful scholarly context. – according to TASS
Among the items on display will be the emperor’s children’s shirts, formal suits, business jackets, and home dressing gowns. These garments are presented not merely as clothing but as artifacts that illuminate the daily life, responsibilities, and style sensibilities of a ruler who helped shape a modern Russia. The exhibition aims to place Peter I’s wardrobe in a broader narrative about statecraft, cultural exchange, and the evolving identity of the Russian empire during the early 18th century. Visitors can expect to gain insights into textiles, tailoring techniques, and the social signals encoded in attire that accompanied the emperor in official duties and private moments. – according to TASS
In addition to showcasing the outfits themselves, the project highlights the painstaking work of restoration and archival preservation that accompanies any large-scale museum display. The Staraya Derevnya center has devoted considerable resources to stabilizing fragile fabrics, recreating missing elements where appropriate, and building a protective environment that preserves color, texture, and stitching for future study and admiration. The exhibition also invites reflection on how clothing served as a form of political communication, signaling authority, taste, and international connections at court and beyond. – according to TASS
As the public engages with these historic garments, the exhibition provides context about the era, the technologies of garment making, and the fashion networks that connected St. Petersburg to Paris and other European centers. The display will include explanatory panels, labeled features, and illustrative panels showing the steps of tailoring, the materials used, and the care routines required to keep fabric alive for centuries. In this way, the Emperor’s Wardrobe becomes a lens through which visitors can understand both the private life of a sovereign and the public expectations placed on imperial attire. – according to TASS
Separately, industry observers note that the team behind Peter I’s life is planning to expand their historical storytelling. Filmmakers connected with the project are reportedly preparing a series about Russia’s monarchs, with Peter I likely to be a central figure. This broader cinematic initiative would complement the wardrobe exhibition by offering a visual chronicle of the era, blending documentary-style exploration with artistic interpretation to illuminate the legacy of Peter the Great. – according to TASS