Elsewhere in Shanghai, visitors to the Shanghai Museum can see treasures transported from The Winter Palace, residence of Russian Tsars from the 18th to the beginning of 20th century. These wonderful pieces tell stories from the golden age of the Russian Empire.

 

The 290 royal treasures brought over from the Winter Palace in Russia are now being enjoyed by visitors to the Shanghai Museum.

They include relics that belonged to four rulers that lived in the Winter Palace: Peter the Great, Empress Elizabeth, Catherine the Second, and Alexander the First.

Among them the private collection of Catherine the Second account for the greatest number of exhibits and have thus become the core of the show. There are royal adornments, furniture, pieces of sculpture and jewelry, as well as oil paintings, prints, and busts. They all attest to the exquisite taste of the queen and her frequent contact with artists. It also provides a panorama of the art scene in late 18th-Century Russia when the queen lived and reigned.

To allow visitors a more intimate view of the treasures, Shanghai Museum doesn't set up the familiar stanchions to remind people to keep their distance. Instead, they have placed a one-meter-wide step at visitors feet to serve the same purpose in a less intrusive way.

Chen Xiejun, director of Shanghai Museum, said, "We have strengthened security to protect the treasures. We also hope visitors will help us to keep the relics intact."

The exhibition "Catherine the Queen and the Golden Age of the Russian Empire" will run through mid December.