Kunstkammer

Established by Peter the Great and completed in 1727, Kunstkamera was the first state museum in Russia, dedicated to preserving “natural and human curiosities and rarities.” Centuries later, the museum is still open to the public and remains a popular St. Petersburg’s attraction. Historians postulate that it was extremely important for Peter to create an image of a changing Russia. They say the quirky emperor even had the habit of receiving ambassadors in his museum, and a tour of the museum was part of the official visit program for all important dignitaries. Paying homage to the controversial monarch and his always bold and ambitious, though not always popular or successful, public projects, my Immigration Kunstkamera provides exhibition space for the kind of rarities and curiosities that I come across in my law practice.