One of the main attractions of the UK is the London Victoria and Albert Museum. To date, it has collected more than six million of the rarest exhibits that cover the entire history of mankind. The heritage of many of the world's richest cultures is located here, so true fans and connoisseurs of art can spend many days in a row in its galleries, but never completely bypass all the collections. Looking at the expositions, you can get to know the history of different peoples better, following their development from ancient times to the present day.
How did it come about?
The V&A Museum was founded in the middle of the nineteenth century. It got its original name thanks to Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert. They were inspired to create it after the World Exhibition of Industry of All Nations in London, the proceeds of which just went to the construction of a building for expositions in South Kensington.
It was planned that in the galleries of the complex "Victoria and Albert" (museum) were to be such household items that would be able to instill in the London public and all gueststhe British capital has a taste for everything elegant and beautiful. Therefore, at first, this institution was devoted to decorative arts.
Gradually more and more exhibits, so in 1987 this cultural complex had to move to a new place, which today houses the collections of the Victoria and Albert (museum).
In the twentieth century, its exposure continued to increase. Therefore, in 1983, another hall was added to the building, which subsequently housed exhibitions of photographs, fine art exhibits and original engravings. Currently, the Victoria and Albert complex (museum), in addition to its main building, also has several branches also located in London.
Description
The total area of all the galleries, where such a huge number of exhibits are located, is approximately fifty thousand square meters. The Victoria and Albert Museum is owned by the British government. Therefore, there, as in other establishments of this type located in this country, admission is absolutely free for everyone.
The entire museum complex is divided into one hundred and forty galleries and six levels. They contain exhibits from Europe, South Asia, Japan, Eastern countries, China, Africa and America. Here you can see entire collections belonging to completely different eras.
For the convenience of visitors, each exhibition hall has large touch screens that display background information. In addition, the museum hosts a one-hour free tour covering the most interesting collections of the institution. Some of them should be told in more detail.
Exposures
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is divided into four parts, which contain exhibits dedicated to the culture and life of Asian, European, African and American peoples. These departments, in turn, are divided into 145 galleries, which contain collections of fabrics, furniture, ceramics, various sculptures and beautiful glass objects.
For example, in the Asian art department, which has more than 170 thousand of various exhibits, you can admire the magnificent collections of oriental carpets, kimonos and interesting artifacts. In addition, there are collections of amazing Chinese vases made of porcelain, a bronze Buddha head and many other things from the life of the countries of the East.
The fashion and fabric department houses the largest clothing display, showcasing formal wear complemented beautifully by jewelry collections.
In the exhibition halls dedicated to architectural art, you can see beautiful models of the most famous buildings and structures, as well as all kinds of original interior models.
The Victoria and Albert Museum also has various art collections. The works of artists from different eras are collected in one place. There are more than a thousand different paintings, sketches and watercolors. Sculptures and books are exhibited in the adjacent gallery, but the main pearls of this exposition areare the diary of da Vinci, the judgment of Joan of Arc, and the early writings of Sophocles.
In addition, the complex has a large collection of interesting examples of decorative and applied art, dedicated to various eras and countries.
Reviews
All tourists who have been to London strongly recommend visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum. The photos taken in its exhibition halls are truly mesmerizing and staggering.
People who have visited his galleries say that they are very huge. Therefore, it is not possible to get around them in one day. There are a wide variety of exhibits, so that every visitor will find something interesting and exciting for themselves. The scope of some exposures is simply amazing. For example, a column from the central square of Rome, which has the size of a multi-storey building, or a large entrance gate to a Catholic church, will not leave anyone indifferent. It's amazing that it's all under one roof.
Where is it?
All those who will be on excursions or passing through the capital of Great Britain should definitely visit the Victoria and Albert complex (museum). It is located in London on Cromwell Road near South Kensington tube station. As mentioned earlier, admission is absolutely free, it is open every day from 10 am to 5:45 pm.
How to get there?
If you are close to the museum, then it will not be difficult to walk there. It is just a short walk from the famous Hyde Park.
You can also get to the museum complex by bus, using routes C1, 14, 414 or 74. They all stop on the side of Cromwell Road, not far from the building itself.
Of course, this is just an amazing institution, which has no analogues in the whole world. There is a lot of interesting and informative things there, so at least once in your life you should definitely visit this London museum.
