Современные проблемы сервиса и туризма 2015_v.9_#4 | Page 9

Современные проблемы сервиса и туризма

№ 4/2015   Том 9

Ill. 2. Typical scenes from life of the Skansen: store spices and inhabitants of the zoo – ​reindeers
(Resource – ​http://www.skansen.se)

as part of the historic environment. As a result, the concept of another, quite unusual
museum was born. It presupposes the existence of the living exhibits (people and
animals) in the original, the usual for them
environment. For this purpose, Arthur Hazelius in 1891 purchased a plot near the hillstrengthening – ​«skans», bought and moved
here about 150 ancient buildings  – ​homes,
farms, estates and churches, the oldest of
which were dated back to the XIV century.
Only three buildings in the museum have not
original and had been carefully copied from
examples that Hazelius found personally.
The object had been placed in the «right»
geographical order: the northern part of the
complex corresponded to the north of Sweden, the southern part – ​to the south. Moreover, the soils from each region of Sweden
were imported, and the trees and grass, peculiar to each are, were planted.
As nationalism developed in every European country, to display the diversity of
regional traditions became an important part
of representing nations. Representations of
regional architecture, costumes and customs
strengthened the national image of a country
like Sweden. Thus, nationality and regionality are in fact two sides of the same coin. In
that aspect, Skansen was a part of the mythological construction and the birth of the modern nation by collecting buildings from each
Swedish region.
Originally, houses in Skansen were inhabited by the life-sized puppets, dressed in
national costumes, but soon they had been
replaced by real people. Hazelius wanted to

animate Skansen, that mills and weaving machines worked. With the same purpose, h e
brought here animals. Even each servant of
museum was hired from area, to which corresponded the part of museum, where he
worked. Everything had to represent a unique
picture of traditional Sweden. All the people,
who «inhabited» the scansen, were dressed
in traditional clothes, lived in houses-exhibits,
were engaged in the usual work and even prepared their own meals, but at the same time
they were glad to escape at any moment and
answer visitors’ questions.
Skansen originally was part of the North
museum, but separated and became independent in 1963. Objects in the building of
the open-air museum still belong to the North
Museum. Today’s museum preserves and develops the concept of the founder. The day of
Swedish flag, days of crafts and other historical anniversaries are celebrated here, fairs,
programs of folk music and dances are held,
and there is the functioning church. Even
the house in Stockholm, where Hazelius was
born, had been transferred in Skansen. This
house, situated together with 10 other buildings from Södermalm district, is an example
of the urban environment XVIII–XIX centuries.
Thus, in «Skansen» a tour across the expanses of Sweden from north to south, from
the XVI century and up to now can be taken,
and the spirit of bygone days in the cultural
and historical manor buildings can be felt.
Here people, dressed in clothes of that period, perform different household work. And
stores sell goods that typical for the early
twentieth century (ill. 2).
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