| | | |  | Numismatics | |  | | by Evgenia Shchyukina - Curator of Numismatics | | |  | |  | | | | | | Battle of La Fere Chapenoise, 1814 | | | | | | | |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | The First Step of Alexander I beyond the Russian Boundaries 1813 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | A Three-Day Battle at Krasnoye, 1812 | | | | | | | | | | | | | The Hermitage numismatic collection contains over 10,000 Russian commemorative medals. The collection chronicles the most remarkable events in Russian history.
The series of twenty medallions commemorating Russian victories over the Napoleon Army (1812-1814) is one of the most notable exhibits. Count Fyodor Tolstoi, a renowned Russian medal-maker, sculptor and painter, created twenty Empire-style medallions, which allegorically represent the major events of the military campaign of 1812.
Of particular interest is the medallion featuring an allegorical portrait of Emperor Alexander I depicting the Russian Tsar as a legendary Slavic deity.
The series was completed in 1832, however plaster, metal and glass replicas of these medallions still serve as elegant interior decorations.
 Evgenia Shchyukina has worked at the Hermitage since 1950. In her published works and monographs she describes the work of more than 100 Russian medal-makers, and presents information about foreign medal-makers that worked in Russia. | | | | |
