In celebration of the Day of Family, Love, and Fidelity
A joint project of the State Hermitage Museum and the Russian House in Brussels
On July 1, 2025, the Russian House in Brussels will host an online meeting as part of the “Hermitage Evenings” project. The topic of the event — “Wedding Ceremonies in Russia” — is dedicated to the celebration of the Day of Family, Love, and Fidelity, marked by the Russian Orthodox Church.
Language: Russian/French
We invite you to an engaging online meeting with Yulia Valeryevna Plotnikova, PhD in History and Senior Researcher at the State Hermitage Museum. She will guide you through a video tour of the exhibition in the Small Church of the Winter Palace and talk about the key stages of an imperial wedding — from engagement and blessing to the wedding ceremony and festive banquet.
You will learn:
– how the details of the dresses indicated whether they were intended for engagement or the wedding itself,
– the symbolic meanings of icons, dowries, crowns, and jewelry,
– and how wedding traditions reflected the social status of the couple.
Special attention will be given to weddings in the imperial family — from the attire of Nicholas I to the famous 10-kilogram gown of Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna.
After the tour, Yulia Valeryevna will continue her presentation and answer viewers’ questions live.
