The exhibition was part of the Year of Italy in Russia and Year of Russia in Italy.
17 December 2011, as part of the Year of Italy in Russia and Year of Russia in Italy, an exhibit entitled Herculaneum Antiquities was held in the State Hermitage Museum in the General Staff Building; it was jointly organized by the State Hermitage Museum, the Ministry for the Preservation of the Cultural Heritage of Naples and Pompeii with the support of the Italian embassy in Moscow, and Consulate General in St. Petersburg. This is the first exhibit to give the Russian public a chance to view these world-famous works of classical sculpture, discovered at the ancient city of Herculaneum, which like Pompeii and Stabia, perished during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, and was also well preserved.
All of these artifacts, which once decorated the so-called Basilica or Augusteum (a building for ceremonies of the Imperial cult), are now held in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. At this exhibit, they were brought together in one place, as a united whole, with additional cartographic materials, reconstructions, data from archaeological and historical research.
First and foremost are the colossal sculptures of the Julio-Claudian emperors, Augustus and his successor Claudius. This is the first time that classical sculpture of such size brought from other museums could be seen at the Hermitage.
The famous frescos from Herculaneum have particular artistic value. They have been well-known since the end of the 18th century, when the first systematic excavations began at Herculaneum. These artifacts have been used to study painting and high style, and many Russian and European artists have been inspired by them. The classical frescos of Herculaneum, Stabia and Pompeii are rightly considered the source of classicism in European art. Specialists hold that these frescos are Roman copies from the 60-70’s made from more ancient Greek originals that depicted plots from classical mythology.
