At Home in Siberia

The At Home in Siberia exhibition presents Siberia as an environment of many nations that managed to adapt to demanding natural conditions. However, Siberia is home not only to humans, but also to animals and plants and it is thanks to them that visitors begin to learn about this vast and remote part of the world. The Outdoors part of the exhibition presents the three largest Siberian biomes, tundra, taiga and steppe, and their nature, as well as herding and hunting as the most widespread means of livelihood. The Indoors part allows you to take a look inside a yurt, the home of nomadic herdsmen. Here, you will learn more about how the Tuvans of south Siberia work and relax. From the southern steppes, the exhibition will take you to the cold northeast, where remarkable objects of walrus ivory and leather made by the Chukchi come from. A separate room is dedicated to magic and spirituality, especially shamanism, which is spread throughout Siberia in various forms, but also to minor ceremonial acts carried out on a daily basis. The exhibition ends with a visitor zone with a themed playground and a relaxation area, where all the exhibition texts and some extra materials are available. Throughout the exhibition, there are interactive elements that will be appreciated by playful visitors of all ages.

It is impossible to capture the whole of Siberia in its entirety and cultural diversity in a single exhibition, and the At Home in Siberia exhibition does not have such an ambition. However, we believe that after you have seen the exhibition, you will be able to picture this wealth yourself. The exhibition is based on two major collections from the geographically distant areas of Tuva, in the south, and Chukotka, in the northeast of Siberia. These collections were put together by the ethnographer Petr Skalník in 1966 and the businessman František Poledna Vlkovský, most likely in 1909. The items from the Náprstek Museum are displayed alongside loans from the Moravian Museum in Brno as well as private collectors.

Most of the items are exhibited for the very first time at the Náprstek Museum. We hope you will enjoy the exhibition.