The peoples of North-West Russia and the Baltic region in XVIII–XX cc.

The exhibition is dedicated to twelve peoples of the region and arranged in format of four cultural-anthropological reviews - "The People of Sea”, “The People of Land”, “The People of Forest” and “The People of Tundra”. They reveal the brightest aspects of ethnic tradition and give examples of historical and cultural mutual influence of the peoples of region. 

The exhibition of the Russian Museum of Ethnography “The Peoples of North-West Russia and the Baltic Region in XVIII – XX cc. is devoted to twelve peoples of this vast region  which since times immemorial played an important role in history of Russian state. For many centuries these lands were specific crossroad between Eastern, Middle and Northern Europe. Here Baltic, Finnish-Baltic, Germanic and Slavic peoples lived, traded and not infrequently waged wars. Early cultural contacts of eastern areas of Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were dealt with neighboring Russian lands; local population paid tribute to certain Russian princedoms. The Finno-Ugric peoples Chud’, Vod’, Ves’, Lop’. Korela, Izhora – the indigenous population of territories to the east of the Narva River in the areas of Volkhov and Luga Rivers and the Lake Ladoga were included In the sphere of allied, cultural-economical and later state-economical relations with Rus’.

The raids of Crusaders started in XII c. C.E.в. incorporated Finns, Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians in the sphere of development of the West-Christian culture and history. In many aspects the specific of cultural tradition determined by coexistence of various confessions– Orthodox, Lutheran, and Catholic. 

With time two cultural zones appeared in these lands; The East one with evident influence of Slavic culture, and the West zone with equally evident influence of Germanic and Scandinavian cultures.