Meeting of Russia’s leading museums was held during International Cultural Forum

The report and election meeting of the Union of Museums of Russia was held in the Hermitage Theatre within the framework of the Sixth St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum. Mikhail Sharomazov, director general of the Kirillo-Belozersky Historical, Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve, took part in it along with other heads of the museums of the country.

“The conversation was connected with the report of Mikhail Piotrovsky, President of the Union of Museums of Russia, who touched upon the most important questions of the museum life at present. First of all, he spoke about the difficulties in the relationships with the Russian Orthodox Church and those topical issues that sprang up recently: these were problems connected with the St. Isaac’s Cathedral and those claims of the private person to hand over one of the most famous icons of the Russian Pre-Mongolian art… Besides, he paid attention to the fact that the current task of all museums – to make a state catalogue till 2025 – could be scarcely accomplished by a lot of museums of the country because of the changes introduced in it. Svetlana Adaksina, chief custodian of the Hermitage, confirmed these words. She heads the task group of the state catalogue and says that plenty of problems that the museums face cannot be solved at present. If our museum scarcely has irresolvable questions, they are very serious for other museums and are connected with those accounting instruments that we have had until recently”, said the director general of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve.

Though the Sixth St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum is over, the public will remember it for a rather long time not only because of the hundreds of interesting events during which significant decisions have been made, but also thanks to the conversation of Russian President Vladimir Putin with cultural figures. It took place on the new stage of the Mariinsky Theatre.

Mikhail Sharomazov, director general of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve, notes that the speech of V.V. Putin was extremely important for the whole museum sphere of the country, “Answering one of the questions at the meeting with the youth, Vladimir Putin said that the operation of the Federal Law 44 “On the Contract System in State and Municipal Procurement of Goods, Works and Services” must apply only to procurement of paper clips and pins and must not cover the activity of the cultural realm. The President spoke about the necessity to except the cultural field from the operation of the Federal Law 44 that was a sore point for all cultural institutions: theatres, libraries, museums… After these words, we felt confidence that culture would get a necessary incentive for development”.

About 36 thousand people participated in the cultural forum. 500 cultural and 200 business events were held on its ground. 60 cooperation agreements were signed, including the agreement of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve with the Krasnenkaya Rechka Municipal Okrug (St. Petersburg), the Creative Union “International Craft Guild of Masters” (St. Petersburg) and the Kirillov Municipal District.