“Mysteries of ancient necropolises” – the most mysterious exhibition opens in Tauric Chersonese

On the Night of Museums, May 20, an unusual temporary exhibition will open its doors, lifting the veil of secrecy over the theme of death and the attitude of the Chersonesites towards it. The results of the painstaking work of archaeologists of the museum-reserve often become finds that tell about the fine line between the worlds of the living and the dead. Visitors to the exhibition «Mysteries of Ancient Necropolises» will be able to get acquainted with the chronicle of excavations and funeral rites of the population of Tauric Chersonese. Only on the Night of Museums, guests will be able to take tours of the exhibition, which will be conducted by the scientific staff of the museum-reserve, and see the unique jewelry of antiquity.

The necropolis of Chersonese is a real treasure trove of information about ritual customs and traditions, as well as about the connections between the «city of the living» and the «city of the dead». The funeral rites of the Chersonesites hide many secrets, which the remnants of material culture help to unravel. — mute witnesses of the past. The study of cemeteries and even individual burials reveals a whole range of problems related to social, ethnic, ideological, everyday, handicraft and other issues.

In the era of Antiquity, ritual customs and ceremonies, methods and traditions of burials changed repeatedly. The only thing that was constant was that the connection between the “living city” and the “dead city” always remained tangible, but had the character of communication with the otherworldly, secret, incomprehensible. The role of modern researchers of the museum-reserve is to comprehend the secrets of the ancient necropolis and, thanks to this, learn more about the life of the population, about its views, beliefs and traditions.

Excavations of graves on the territory of Chersonese and burial grounds of the South-Western Crimea continue, bringing scientists numerous and sometimes unexpected results. The new exhibition «Mysteries of Ancient Necropolises» will allow each visitor to get closer to revealing the secrets of such unusual historical monuments.

It will be possible to get acquainted with it in the small hall of the Antique Exposition of the Museum-Reserve from May 20 to July 30, 2023. Opening hours of the exhibition: daily from 9:00 to 19:00, Monday is a day off.

Ticket price: for adults — 100 rubles, for students, students over 16 years old and pensioners — 50 rubles.

source: Development Department of the State Museum-Reserve «Chersonese Tauride»