MANCHESTER Museum’s latest exhibition Siberia: At the Edge of the World combines rare artefacts and photographs alongside unique specimens such as a baby mammoth preserved in permafrost (soil at or below the freezing point of water 0 °C for two or more years).
“We are really excited to bring the marvels of Siberia to the UK for the first time. Collaborating with museums from Russia has been a great opportunity to look beyond the stereotypical view and reveal the true Siberia.”
This is the first UK show on Siberia, and reveals a surprisingly rich and varied picture of this vast, diverse and little known territory. The exhibition includes works from major museums in the UK and Russia, alongside those from Manchester Museum’s collection.
Highlights of the exhibition include the body of a female baby mammoth named ‘Masha’, preserved in the Siberian permafrost for thousands of years, on loan from the Zoological Museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg. The baby mammoth will be shown alongside a woolly mammoth model and related objects.
Other taxidermy from Siberia will be on show, including a brown bear bought by Manchester Museum which will be exhibited for the first time, as well as reindeer, wolverine and some rare Siberian birds.
Siberia: nippy
The exhibition gives an insight into the local landscape and people, with sections on life from the Arctic Circle to the wilds of the Taiga Forest and the grassy plains of the Steppes. Hunting, fishing and the everyday life of the Siberian people are explored through objects and portraits.
The exhibition shows how the size, geographical position and rich natural resources of Siberia has shaped Russian national identity. Siberia’s notorious past as a place where criminals, prisoners of war and political convicts were exiled is also featured through photographs and paintings.
The exhibition is curated by Dr Dmitri Logunov, Curator of Arthropods at Manchester Museum and Dr David Gelsthorpe, Curator of Earth Science Collections at Manchester Museum.
Dr Logunov said: “We are really excited to bring the marvels of Siberia to the UK for the first time. Collaborating with museums from Russia has been a great opportunity to look beyond the stereotypical view and reveal the true Siberia.”
Dr Nick Merriman, Director of Manchester Museum said: “This is a very special exhibition. It is the first time Siberian culture and environment has been on show in the UK and it includes some rare items, not least the preserved baby mammoth. This exhibition really shows the diversity of Siberia and is a fascinating insight into an area and cultures we haven’t seen before.”
Siberia: At the Edge of the World will run from Saturday 4 October 2014 to Sunday 1 March 2015 in the Museum's Temporary Exhibitions Gallery.
