- Venue
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Kiev History Museum Exhibition CenterVulitsa Bogdana Khmelnitskogo 7, 01030 Kiev, Ukraine
Culture event
"Amber – Jewel of the Baltic Sea" exhibition in Kiev
The exhibition recounts the story of amber: how it spread from the 'amber crossroads' of the Baltic Sea area, the Amber Road and the different cultures involved, and amber's role in mythology and folklore. The exhibition was developed in cooperation with the Latvian National history museum.
Latvia has always been closely connected to Europe; not only has it been involved in European cultural processes, but at different points in time it has also been the home of fashion trends - mainly due to amber, the jewel of the Baltic Sea. Amber has been associated with Latvia since the end of the 4th century BC when centres for processing amber, which were capable of supplying large areas with their production, flourished in the Baltics in general and in Latvia in particular. Amber was treated as a jewel and was the most valuable of export goods at the time.
Amber ornaments are still a feature of Latvian lifestyle. Time has not changed the material, but the types of ornaments have changed with time and fashions. Amber ornaments have always been, and still are, a popular souvenir with foreigners as a memento of Latvian culture that also conveys a message about Latvians to the world.
The exhibition was created as part of the Riga 2014 European Capital of Culture programme.
This exhibition will also be on display in March and April at the National History Museum of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk.