Welcome to this exhibit celebrating the 300th anniversary of Saint Petersburg! The Special Collections Library is pleased to be a part of this campus-wide commemoration, and we invite you to spend some time with the amazing array of materials assembled by curator Janet Crayne, Head of the Slavic and East European Division of the University Library.
The bulk of the items in this exhibit date from 1890 to 1925, a span including the "Silver Age" of Russian art and literature. During these harrowing years of political explosion, there was a corresponding cultural explosion, an upswell of creativity in literature, art, theater, music, and dance. The seemingly silent pages in this exhibit in fact shout their messages of revolution and redemption, tsars and satirists, and dance and design when examined through the lens of the curator’s interpretations.
The materials in this exhibit came to be part of the Library’s collection through the dedicated work of many librarians and booksellers both here and in Russia, and the generous donations of several collectors and scholars. We are particularly grateful to Ellendea Proffer for the donation of the Ardis Archive. This collection is not only a rich source for research and study, but a tangible link between Ann Arbor and the world of Russian literature, including Saint Petersburg.
We are very grateful to the Friends of the University Library for their support of this exhibit and of the guest lecture by Kelly Miller on September 25, 2003.
This exhibit was possible only through the dedication and hard work of curator Janet Crayne. Janet’s knowledge of both the library collections and the subject matter are combined in this outstanding presentation.
Peggy Daub, Head
Special Collections Library
