Work of national importance
The exhibition is based on illustrations for the multi-volume work "Historical description of clothing and weapons of Russian troops with drawings" by one of the largest Russian military historians of the XIX century, major General Alexander Viskovatov.
Fundamental historical and archaeological study of A. V. viskovatov, based based on the study of numerous archival documents and physical monuments, contains a detailed description of the military costume of the Russian army from Kievan Rus to the reign of Emperor Nicholas I, military uniforms, weapons, banners of the various military units, military insignia and an outstanding example of Russian historical research and military thought the mid-nineteenth century.
The beginning of work on the "Historical description ..." dates back to 1830, when in compliance with the Highest order of Emperor Nicholas I on the organization of the description of uniforms and weapons of the Russian armed forces from ancient times to the modern era, a special Committee was formed to compile a historical description of clothing and weapons of the Russian troops. During the work of the Committee's Commission, a number of archives of the War Ministry were reviewed and copies were made of documents belonging to the archives of the Commissariat and Inspection departments, as well as extracts from various historical works. The continuation of the work was entrusted to the mathematics teacher of the 1st Cadet corps, staff captain A.V. Viskovatov. In 1841, he compiled the first part of the "Historical description of the clothing and weapons of the Russian troops". In 1843, the Imperial Academy of Sciences awarded this work a minor (half) Demidov prize for 1842. In total, the "Historical description of clothing and weapons of the Russian troops with drawings" amounted to 30 volumes.
The most interesting and colorful color lithographs of weapons and uniforms of Russian troops for the ten-century period of their existence now adorn the halls of the permanent exhibition and public areas of the Military Uniform Museum on Bolshaya Nikitskaya street. The new exhibition was implemented jointly with the state Museum and exhibition center "ROSIZO".