On Saturday, September 9, Michael Perekrestov presented “Mysteries and Odysseys: Stories of Unlikely Journeys and Unexpected Discoveries” as a part of the Russian History Museum’s Second Saturday online lecture series.
Michael Perekrestov, the museum’s Executive Director, shared some of the surprising recent revelations about objects in the museum’s collection and their circuitous journeys to the Russian History Museum. Perekrestov highlighted the intriguing stories of five artifacts, including strands of Nicholas II’s hair from a forensic investigation; a scrapbook chronicling the history of the Severskys – a family of aviation pioneers; and an impressive icon of St. Nicholas connected to the Imperial State Duma. Unfolding against the dramatic backdrop of the tumultuous 20th century, the stories in this presentation featured a varied cast of characters, from Catherine II to Walt Disney, from an American heiress to a stuffed toy monkey.
All the objects mentioned in the lecture are on view in our current exhibition, “Mysteries and Odysseys,” curated by Michael Perekrestov.
About the Speaker
Michael Perekrestov is the Executive Director of the Russian History Museum, where he has worked since 2012. Past exhibitions curated by Michael include Last Days of the Last Tsar (2018) and Revealing the Divine: Treasures of Russian Sacred Art (2019). Michael earned his MLIS and Master of Arts in Museum Studies degrees at Syracuse University. Prior to joining the Russian History Museum, he was a junior fellow at the Library of Congress and worked at the Syracuse University Art Museum.