An exhibition of gold embroidery "Northern Sun" has opened at the Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum.

      At the NGM|Russian Art, the exhibition "Northern Sun" (0+) has opened. Nizhny Novgorod has become the first city in the country where it will be displayed after a successful showing at the Catherine Palace. This was reported by the Ministry of Culture of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. The "Northern Sun" project has united the State Museum-Reserve "Tsarskoye Selo," the Kargopol State Historical, Architectural and Art Museum, and the Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum.

      The exhibition features 70 items. Court dresses and uniforms of representatives of the imperial court, headdresses of the women of the Russian North, costumes and headgear of Nizhny Novgorod women will illustrate the transformation of folk art crafts — gold embroidery — from peasant life to imperial workshops. "Last year, the Tsarskoye Selo Museum-Reserve hosted the flagship project of our region – the music festival 'Music of Balconies.' At that time, the balcony of the Catherine Palace was opened for our performance, and the project fit perfectly into the summer event program. Today, Nizhny Novgorod is the first of the regional museums to host a significant exhibition project that demonstrates how the folk craft developed in the Nizhny Novgorod and Arkhangelsk lands has turned into art recognized at court. And this is not only an example of how diverse interregional museum cooperation can be today. It tells us that our country is connected and united by a common cultural code, and our task is to preserve it carefully for future generations," noted the regional Minister of Culture Natalia Sukhanova.

      Nizhny Novgorod Region was one of the largest centers of gold embroidery in Russia by the 18th century. The craft developed particularly actively in Gorodets, Lyskov, and in the Arzamas district in the villages of Vyyezdnoye, Kovaksa, and Chernukha. The traditional women's folk costume of the peasant women of Nizhny Novgorod villages was richly decorated with gold embroidery and was used until the early 20th century. The exhibition features a women's costume consisting of a sarafan with a dushegreya from the village of Bezdvodnoye in the Nizhny Novgorod province from the collection of the Nizhny Novgorod Museum-Reserve. Additionally, in Nizhny Novgorod, the exhibition is supplemented with items from the collection of the Nizhny Novgorod Art Museum, created by local craftswomen: girls' headbands and women's kerchiefs known as "golovki."

      The Tsarskoye Selo Museum-Reserve presented items from its costume collection, emphasizing the gold embroidery used to decorate uniforms and court dresses. Among the rarities are dresses belonging to Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, sister of Nicholas II, and Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna. One of them, made of light velvet with silver embroidery, was mentioned in an article in the magazine "World Illustration" in 1894 in connection with the exhibition of the grand duchess's dowry at the Winter Palace. The court dresses were made in the St. Petersburg workshop of Olga Bulbenkova, who specialized in creating women's ceremonial costumes for holidays and high-level receptions.

      From the collection of the Kargopol Museum, the exhibition includes shawls, sorokas, sashes, and kokoshniks with gold embroidery. All items date back to the second half of the 19th century and originate from Kargopol district and Vologda province.

      "Thanks to the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, 'Northern Sun' begins its journey across Russia. This exhibition is an image, a reflection on time and our common heritage. When we saw the gold embroidery from the museum's funds in Kargopol, there was no doubt – we must bring these items to St. Petersburg. We show that the women of the Russian North could compete with court ladies in the sophistication of gold embroidery patterns and, of course, in the pursuit of beauty. This aspiration was what our exhibition at the Tsarskoye Selo Museum-Reserve was about this year, and it generated enormous interest. We are glad that the exhibition's journey across the country began precisely in Nizhny Novgorod," noted Olga Taratynova, director of the Tsarskoye Selo Museum-Reserve.

      The author of the artistic concept is St. Petersburg theatrical artist Yuri Suchkov. He preserved for all participating cities the main image: the river of time along which boats sail. Golden threads connect epochs and cities: the high society of St. Petersburg, craftswomen of the Russian North, and Nizhny Novgorod province.

      A rich educational program has been developed specifically for the exhibition: inclusive classes, interactive tours, workshops for children and adults, as well as lectures from invited experts from Moscow and St. Petersburg.

      On July 5 at 12:00 and 14:00, interactive programs and workshops for parents with children titled "Golden Kanitel" and "Taming the Stamping" will be held by specialists from the children's department of the State Museum-Reserve "Tsarskoye Selo," and at 15:00, a scientific employee of the State Museum-Reserve "Tsarskoye Selo" and curator of the exhibition Ekaterina Shviglova will give a lecture on the concept, composition, and artistic solution of the exhibition. A more detailed program is available on the museum's website https://artmuseumnn.ru.

      At the beginning of the year, before the opening in Nizhny Novgorod, the exhibition of gold embroidery, supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Arkhangelsk Region, was held at the Catherine Palace. Over three months, it was seen by more than 155,000 people. After Nizhny Novgorod, the exhibition "Northern Sun" will head to Arkhangelsk. At the NGM|Russian Art (Kremlin, building 3), the exhibition "Northern Sun" will be available for visits from July 2 to August 30, 2026. Tickets are available via the "Pushkin Card."

      Let us remind you that the "Pushkin Card" program operates within the framework of the national project "Family," which started in Russia in 2025 at the initiative of President Vladimir Putin. Any citizen of Russia aged 14 to 22 can obtain a virtual card in the "Gosuslugi.Culture" app. The card limit is 5,000 rubles, which is renewed every year on January 1. The money can be spent on visiting museums, theaters, exhibitions, concerts, and cinemas across the country. The event schedule is available on the website: Kultura.RF. In 2026, the operator bank servicing the "Pushkin Card" changed in all regions of Russia.