MOSCOW, May 17, Galina Sokolova. In May, the Tsarskoye Selo Museum-Reserve celebrates the 20th anniversary of the revival of the Amber Room. For more than a quarter of a century, the best craftsmen have been working on recreating the masterpiece. About the secrets of the «eighth wonder of the world» — in the material .
The Amber Room — the beginning
The story of the appearance of the Amber Room resembles one of Hoffmann's fairy tales, and its loss is a gloomy thriller.
In the 1700s, the wife of the Prussian King Frederick I, Charlotte, came up with an idea: to make an amber office for her husband.
But the work was never completed during the life of the monarch. Panels made of «solar stone» gathered dust in the halls of the palace for several years, until in 1716 Prince Friedrich Wilhelm I handed them over to Peter I as a diplomatic gift.
The panels were folded in the Summer Palace and the valuable gift was forgotten for almost a quarter of a century.
Already under Elizabeth Petrovna, an office was assembled in one of the chambers of the Grand Palace in Tsarskoye Selo. It was small — about 25 square meters.
To expand the space and make it more attractive, the court architect Francesco Rastrelli added several elements: an amber frame and four Florentine mosaics. In addition, rich gilded carvings and bronze sconces appeared. The room became the pride of the palace.
Here the emperors and empresses received distinguished guests, distinguished figures, celebrated holidays, arranged concerts or played cards.
Under Catherine II, the Amber Room was lit by 565 candles, the flame of which was reflected in 24 mirrored pilasters and two huge mirrors.
A miracle also needs maintenance: the first restorations
A special custodian once a week tapped each amber fragment to make sure it was firmly attached to the wall. This tradition still exists.
In the 1830s, the first major restoration took place in the room with the participation of German masters. Details did not have to be removed from the walls.
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The next restoration work was carried out only after 60 years.
In 1913, Nicholas II also planned to put the room in order. But the First World War began, then the revolution. And then World War II.
In the early 1940s, the Amber Room was in a deplorable state.
“We know this for sure. Even 20 years ago, we had to meet eyewitnesses who found the original Amber Room,” says Iraida Bott, deputy director for research at the Tsarskoe Selo State Museum Reserve. “I talked with a woman who was then a child, and she said about the Amber Room: «Dark, small».
The Second World War and the revival of the Amber Room
Pushkin did not believe until the very end that the Germans would reach the city. Therefore not all exhibits were taken away and hidden in storage, and the Amber Room was simply covered with panels.
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Once in Tsarskoe Selo, the invaders removed the precious walls in a few days and transported them to Koenigsberg. Since then, the office has disappeared, and the search for it continues to this day.
Some experts believe that the room is still stored somewhere in the basements of Kaliningrad houses. Others are sure that a mysterious collector from the USA is admiring it.
In 1979, the USSR decided to revive the missing masterpiece. A special restoration council was created.
However, the masters had only about a hundred black-and-white photographs of the room, one color (pre-war) and a scattering of miraculously surviving amber decor.
It took more than 25 years and tens of thousands of amber plates to recreate.
«To be honest, we didn't even consider it,» admits Natalia Mazur, a category III restorer of the Tsarskoye Selo Amber Workshop, who took part in the reconstruction of the room.
It is easier to work with amber than with other stones, Natalia notes. «We only saw it with the participation of water, the rest we cut everything dry, without water, with clean hands,» she says. media-type=»ar16x9″ data-crop-ratio=»0.5625″ data-crop-width=»600″ data-crop-height=»338″ data-source-sid=»rian_photo» class=»» />< br />
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According to the master, the most difficult thing is to do engraving and carving on small details. For the most delicate work, Natalia uses «scratches» — tools created from a blade and an old slate pencil. You also need a microscope, bright lighting and a drill.
Then, the amber parts are coated with powder dyes diluted with water and alcohol, giving them red, terracotta or burgundy shades.
«The stone fades over time. But we've had it for 20 years and haven't faded yet due to rich colors and UV-protected windows,» says the restorer.
In order for the amber to sparkle and the pattern to be seen, gilded foil is placed under the transparent plates.
< br />«Those were happy years. A lot of events, discoveries of wonderful, interesting people. Disputes, discussions, advice,» recalled Boris Igdalov, director of the Tsarskoye Selo Amber Workshop.
Amber room now
Millions of tourists come to see the «8th wonder of the world» every year.
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Original items in the Amber Room, a chest of drawers assembled from different types of wood and a Florentine mosaic «Touch and Smell» of 1740 (the only one lost during World War II and returned to Russia in 2000) have been preserved. The latter is usually kept in the fund, but for the anniversary it was exhibited in amber interiors.
It stands next to an exact copy of the mosaic, recreated by Russian restorers. The differences are almost invisible.
It's the same with the recreated room, which celebrates its 20th anniversary, but miraculously transports visitors to the museum three centuries ago.