MUSEUM. MONUMENT. HERITAGE 2 (18) / 2025
A Problem in Focus: The Exhibitions and Expositions of Saint-Petersburg
Donik K.V. «There is no Bliss in Our Glories…»: Creating an Exhibition on the Literary Work of the Decembrists in 2025 — 5 (Rus.)
Donik, Kseniya Vladimirovna — Candidate of Science in History, Leading Archaeographer, the Manuscripts Department, the National Library of Russia, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation, ksenia.donik@mail.ru
The article reveals the specifics of creating an exhibition of manuscripts of Decembrist
writers, preserved in the collection of the Manuscript Department of the National Library of Russia in the year of the 200th anniversary of the uprising on Senate Square. The fragility of archival documents, their very specificity as monuments of manuscript culture from the first half of the 19th century — their handwriting, language, the condition of the writing material — as well as the lack of equipped exhibition spaces capable of maintaining the necessary microclimate parameters, determined the exhibition format to be a tablet exhibition. The exhibition featured manuscript texts of literary works by the Decembrists F.N. Glinka, A.A. Bestuzhev-Marlinsky, V.K. Kuchelbecker, and A.I. Odoevsky, most fully represented in the collections of the Manuscript Department. During the preparation, the curator managed to identify a number of discrepancies between the exhibited handwritten texts of the poems and their well-known publications
from the 19th and 20th centuries. Thus, the format of a tablet exhibition, while introducing a wide audience to images of manuscripts, gives the curator or researcher — due to the need to scan archival documents — the opportunity to work closely and attentively with the monuments. Key words: Decembrists, Decembrism, Bestuzhev-Marlinsky, Glinka, Odoevsky, Kuchelbecker, exhibition, Manuscript Department.
Nigamatova M.A. The Anatomy of an Exhibition:
Contemporary art of the Perm Region at the Faberge Museum — 13 (Rus.)
Nigamatova, Maiia Albertovna — Master’s student, program 44.04.01 Pedagogical Education, profile “Visual Arts and Art Education”, the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation, nigamatova.m@yandex.ru
In 2025, the Fabergé Museum hosted the exhibition “Open World. Contemporary Art of
Perm Krai” (St. Petersburg, 2025). This article examines the exhibition through the lens of the practical organization of an “object in focus” type exposition and the influence of exhibition components and their arrangement on narrative legibility and the overall visitor experience. The anatomy of an exhibition consists of various elements which collectively form a comprehensive system of interconnections, and thus can be interpreted equally as discrete, contentbearing objects and as a unified whole. The “Open World. Contemporary Art of Perm region” exhibition project pays particular attention to the aesthetic configuration of the exposition, and due to the rather scant amount of accompanying material, renders Permian art quite sterile and largely detached from its context. This article aims to explore how strengthening the “textual
information” component could facilitate understanding of the narratives embedded in the exhibition and balance its formal characteristics. Key words: art exhibition, exposition, narrative, exhibit in focus.
Digol E.A. “Victor Vasnetsov. To the 175th Anniversary of the Birth”:
Analysis of the Exhibition and Some Thoughts About the Positive
Modifications of the Project — 21 (Rus.)
Digol, Evgenia Alexandrovna — Master’s student, program 44.04.01 Pedagogical Education, profile “Visual Arts and Art Education”, the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation, digyxa@yandex.ru
The cultural life of Saint-Petersburg is rich with exhibitions of various scales. In addition
to the educational component, they become the object of attention in the context of studying the development of such areas as exhibition business, art history and museology. They are also useful for gaining the experience of attentive and thoughtful visits to various cultural institutions. Through the prism of the existing basis of practical and theoretical skills, a critical analysis of the exhibition “Victor Vasnetsov. To the 175th anniversary of birth” which was held by the State Russian Museum from December 21, 2024 to June 23, 2025, in the Benoit Corps. The exhibition is considered comprehensively and its main components are analyzed.The “anatomy” of the exhibition was studied, including decorative, technical and ideological solutions for organizing the exposition. Emphasis was placed on the comparison of different scales in the context of the interaction of different components of the communication components of the exhibition project. Among these components, the text is also important, acting as a necessary tool for achieving communicative success, requiring to be easy to understand, which is also given attention in this article. An attempt was also made to analyze the project from the point of view of the hypothetical introduction of positive modifications in accordance with the derived points for a comprehensive analysis of this exhibition. Key words: exhibition, exhibition design, museology, Vasnetsov, Russian museum.
Zamyatina M.A. The Exhibition “Deeds of Women”: Total Installations in Religious Art — 28 (Rus.)
Zamyatina, Maria Alexandrovna — Master’s student, program 44.04.01 Pedagogical Education, profile “Visual Arts and Art Education”, the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation, mariadem4@yandex.ru
The article examines the religious educational exhibition “Deeds of Women” by the Grain art group and the Annenkirche Lutheran Church, which took place on the territory of the former tannery of the Brusnitsyn cultural quarter. For a comprehensive analysis of the artistic and social phenomenon of the exhibition, an algorithm is developed that includes an analysis of the concept, narrative design, visual solutions and social context. Particular attention is paid to the study of the role of interactive and immersive elements, specifically total installations, in engaging a secular audience with Christian themes. The research identifies specific artistic strategies employed by the organizers of non-denominational religious art exhibitions in the contemporary Russian context. Key words: temporary exhibition “Deeds of Women”, contemporary art, non-denominational religious art, total installation, Annenkirche.
Klusova A.N. The Exhibition “Interaction. Vera Bakastova’s Porcelain”: A Case Study — 35 (Rus.)
Klusova, Anastasia Nikolaevna — Master’s student, program 44.04.01 Pedagogical Education, profile “Visual Arts and Art Education”, the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation, sovaanast@yandex.ru
The article discusses the temporary exhibition “Interaction. Vera Bakastova’s Porcelain” is a series of joint exhibitions by the State Hermitage Museum and the Imperial Porcelain Factory dedicated to contemporary Saint-Petersburg artists, held at the Hermitage Headquarters from April 12 to July 20, 2025. The analysis reveals the features of this project, including the following points: spatial organization, proofreading and editing of accompanying materials and aesthetics of perception. Recommendations are provided on how to refine the elements of the exhibition in order to modernize the potential of future projects on similar topics. Key words: exhibition “Interaction. Vera Bakastova’s Porcelain”, IFZ, porcelain, design,
contemporary art, installation, Hermitage Headquarters.
Museum
Baranova A.A. Multimedia Museum-theater as a New Form of Interaction With Visitors: Case Study of the F.I. Shalyapin Museum of Music — 41 (Rus.)
Baranova Anastasia Anatolyevna — Senior Researcher, Museum of Music named after
F.I. Shalyapin, Moscow, Russian Federation, baranovapost@mail.ru
The article is devoted to the analysis of the practice of creating a modern museum exposition based on the synthesis of theatrical and multimedia technologies. Using the example of the Museum of Music named after F.I. Shalyapin in Ufa, the concept of a “museum-theater” is considered as an effective tool for interpreting cultural heritage and attracting a wide audience. The author analyzes in detail the scientific, artistic and technical aspects of the project, reveals the principles of building an immersive space where the visitor becomes a participant in a narrative performance about the great artist’s path “from debut to triumph”. Special attention is paid to the role of multimedia solutions (interactive mirrors, smart glass technology, sensory showcases, holographic and projection installations) that enhance and complement the visitor’s experience
of genuine artifacts. It is proved that the success of a modern museum is determined not by technological equipment, but by a combination of a profound idea, a well-thought-out script and harmonious integration of digital tools. A distinctive feature of the research is the author’s approach based on interdisciplinary synthesis. Anastasia Baranova — Vice-President of the Interregional Shalyapin Center, screenwriter of three documentary films about F.I. Shalyapin — in developing the concept and creating the exposition used her art education and experience in cinematography, which was reflected in the unique design and theatrical presentation of museum content. The material is based on the author’s practical experience as the developer of the museum’s scientific and artistic concept and the curator of the exposition creation. Key words: museum-theater, multimedia technologies, immersiveness, storytelling, heritage interpretation, F.I. Shalyapin, museum exposition, museum communication.
Zhelnova E.G. Exhibition of Graphic Portraits “People and Meetings in Moscow” by the Moscow State Art Gallery of the People’s Artist of the USSR Ilya Glazunov: The Approach and Objects — 49 (Rus.)
Zhelnova, Elena Gennadievna — Head of the Exposition and Exhibition Department of
Ilya Glazunov gallery, Moscow, Russian Federation, alena_zhelnova@mail.ru
The exhibition “People and meetings in Moscow”, organized by the Moscow State Art
Gallery of the People’s Artist of the USSR Ilya Glazunov, played an important role in the implementation of a new approach to the presentation of portraits. In the 1950s and 1960s, Ilya Glazunov created a series of graphic portraits of representatives of the Moscow intelligentsia and famous guests of the capital. Among them the Mexican artist David Sikeiros, actors of the French National Theatre “TNP”, Italian actress Gina Lollobridida, writers Sergei Michalkov and Nikolay Anthiferov, poets Ksenia Nekrasova and Lilia Yahontova, as well as poet Andrey Voznesensky, film director Mark Donskoy, actresses Yulia Glazer and Lyudmila Kasianova, first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, doctor-psychotherapist Kazimir Dubrovsky and others. High quality of execution, variety of styles and graphic materials, individual creative handwriting and rare exposure of graphic portraits determined the exceptional interest in the exhibition both professional community and residents and guests of the capital. The concept of the exhibition
was based on the principle of storytelling. The organizers paid special attention to the discovery of the artistic image through the prism of historical conditions of creation of a portrait. Key words: Ilya Glazunov, Ilya Glazunov gallery, exhibition, graphics, portrait, sauce.
Kemova M.A. The Museums of Saint-Petersburg Within the “Text” of the Museum-city — 58 (Rus.)
Kemova, Madina Akhmedovna — Master’s student at the program “Visual Technologies
in the Museum”, the Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation, st119665@student.spbu.ru
This article explores the role of museums of Saint-Petersburg as structural elements of the semiotic “text” of the museum-city. Drawing on the concepts of N.P. Antsiferov, Yu.M. Lotman and V.N. Toporov, it analyzes how museum institutions — from the Hermitage and the Russian Museum to memorial apartments — form a multilayered system of cultural codes that define Petersburg’s unique identity. Special attention is paid to the mechanisms through which museums not only preserve heritage but also actively generate new meanings, integrating architectural, historical, and literary narratives into a unified semiotic space. Using contemporary initiatives such as the “Museum Quarter” as an example, the study traces the evolution from isolated museumification to a comprehensive strategy for interpreting the urban environment.
The research demonstrates that Saint-Petersburg’s museums, functioning as nodal points of cultural memory, transform the city into a dynamic palimpsest where different historical layers engage in continuous dialogue. Key words: Saint-Petersburg, museum-city, urban semiotics, museum institutions, cultural memory, museification, The Hermitage, Russian Museum, memorial apartments, urban narrative, cultural codes.
Monument
Pivovarova N.V. From the History of the Existence, Research and Restoration of Icons and Murals of the Church of St. Nikolas in Gostinopol’: To the 550th Anniversary of the Conditional Date of the Foundation of the Gostinopolsky Monastery — 67 (Rus.)
Pivovarova, Nadezhda Valerievna — Candidate of Art History, Leading Researcher, State Russian Museum, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation, nad-pivovarova@yandex.com
The article presents materials on the artistic monuments of the Nikolaevsky Gostinopolsky Monastery. The monastery existed near Staraya Ladoga on the modern territory of the Volkhov district of the Leningrad region. New archival data on the study and restoration of icons and murals of the Church of St. Nicholas, carried out in the 1910s–1920s, are presented. These works were carried out with the participation and under the supervision of the Committee for the Guardianship of Russian Icon Painting (in the 1920s it was called the Committee for the Study of Old Russian Painting) and the Russian Museum. Archaeologist N.I. Repnikov, who in the first decades of the 20th century repeatedly traveled around the Ladoga region, drew attention to the monuments of the monastery and attracted the attention of society to them. Thanks to Repnikov’s activities, the question of the protection of local attractions and the restoration of frescoes of the 15th century was raised. The proposal to restore the frescoes found
a response among the clergy and parishioners of the Nicholas Church. The appendix to the article contains documents from the archive of the Committee for the Guardianship of Russian Icon Painting. They show the role of the priest, parishioners and one of the honorary citizens of Gostinopolye in the preservation of the frescoes of the ancient temple. The documents are being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.
Key words: Nikolaevsky Gostinopolsky Monastery, icons, murals, archive, restoration,
research, N.I. Repnikov.
Pilyak S.A. The Church of the Convocation of the Mother of God:
An Architectural Monument as a Museum Exhibition — 80 (Rus.)
Pilyak, Sergey Aleksandrovich — Doctor of Philosophy, Candidate of Architecture, Associate Professor, Advisor to the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences, Professor of the Smolensk State University, Smolensk, Russian Federation, s.pilyak@mail.ru
The material summarizes the experience of research connected to the transfer to the museum territory and for museum-exhibition use of one of the oldest temples of the Kostroma region — the Church of the Convocation of the Mother of God. The article consistently presents expert opinions of B.I. Dunaev, S.Ya. Zabello, A.V. Opolovnikov, S.L. Agafonov and other researchers about the monument. The museum potential of the object is analyzed, the experience of its use in exposition-exhibition work is summarized.
Key words: Church of the Convocation of the Mother of God, Galich district, Kostroma
region, wooden architecture, museumification of architecture, cultural heritage.
Krylova D.S., Sokhatskaya D.G. Architectural Heritage and its Role
in Shaping the Urban Landscape: A Case Study of Komsomolsk-on-Amur — 91 (Rus.)
Krylova, Darya Sergeevna — student, Komsomolsk-on-Amur State University, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russian Federation, dakyikrylova20.03@gmail.com;
Sokhatskaya, Daria Gennadievna — Candidate of Cultural Studies, Associate Professor, the Komsomolsk-on-Amur State University, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russian Federation, amurlimandesign@yandex.ru
The article examines the architectural heritage of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, a city founded
during the period of active industrial development of the Soviet Union, and its role in shaping the modern urban landscape. The article analyzes the main stages of the architecture development of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, from the first settlement buildings to the monumental ensembles of the Stalin era and typical buildings of Soviet modernism. The key monuments of architectural heritage are identified, their stylistic features and contribution to the appearance of the city are determined. Special attention is paid to the issues of preservation and actualization of architectural heritage in the context of modern urban planning, the problems of the physical condition of monuments, legal aspects of protection and ways to increase the socio-cultural significance of the architectural heritage of Komsomolsk-on-Amur are considered.
Key words: architectural heritage, industrial development, landscape, architecture, urban planning, monuments.
Heritage
Filippova O.N. Painting and Graphics in the Heritage of Dmitry Nikolaevich Ushakov — 99 (Rus.)
Filippova, Olga Nikolaevna — Art historian, Association of Art Historians, Moscow, Russian Federation, iscusstvo0891@mail.ru
The article provides a comparative analysis of the home albums of the outstanding philologist Dmitry Nikolaevitch Ushakov, which introduce readers to the main milestones of his life and work. Portraits and landscapes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries bring back the living image of the scientist. They are accompanied by self-portraits from different years, in which the world of D.N. Ushakov is surprisingly subtly reflected. Ushakov’s work appears to us in the movement of time. His albums, covered with many drawings, are a kind of “pictorial diary”. Ushakov’s «skilful and fast pencil» for a long time subtly responded to daily events, enlivened the characters and the amateur artist himself, showed the situation and the relatives around him. Ushakov’s albums include only a small part of what is commonly called fine art. The image has a special power of emotional impact: it is remembered for a long time and is firmly connected with the facts of the scientist’s life and creative path. Solving the mystery of even a single image
associated with Ushakov’s name can enrich the reader and arouse interest in independent research of his biography and creative work. Ushakov’s creative works will help readers understand his visible world, his creative and human life. They are an important part of his heritage.
Key words: D.N. Ushakov, creative work, linguist, artist, album drawings, painting,
graphics, portraits, landscapes, self-portraits.
Sesareva S.A. Heritage of the Indigenous Peoples of the Amur Region
in the Territory of Contemporary Komsomolsk-on-Amur — 108 (Rus.)
Sesareva, Anastasia Vladimirovna — student of the Department of Architectural Environment Design, Komsomolsk-on-Amur State University, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russian Federation, nastya.sesareva@mail.ru
The article is devoted to the presence and visibility of cultural heritage of the indigenous
peoples of the Amur region in the contemporary Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The author analyzes the material and intangible aspects of the heritage of the Nanai, Ulchi, Nivkhs, and other ethnic groups that have historically lived in the Lower Amur region. The article examines the role of museums and cultural centers in preserving and promoting traditional culture. Special attention is given to the processing of fish skin as an object of intangible heritage and an element of local cultural identity. Based on the analysis of the activities of the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Local History Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, the main trends and prospects for preserving ethnocultural heritage in an urban environment are identified.
Key words: peoples of the Amur region, cultural heritage, fish skin, ethnic identity,
museum.
Fedina S.A. “City of youth” vs “City of Labor and Glory”:
Transformations of the Symbolic Image of Komsomolsk-on-Amur — 118 (Rus.)
Fedina, Sofia Alekseevna — student of the Department of Architectural Environment Design, Komsomolsk-on-Amur State University, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russian Federation, ftx46vb@gmail.com
The article is devoted to the study of the evolution of the symbolic image of the city of
Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the public space. It analyzes the struggle and interaction of two key narratives: the romantic myth of the “City of Youth”, which was formed around the heroic deeds of the pioneering Komsomol members, and the heroic labor myth of the “City of Labor and Glory”, which emphasized the role of industry and the country’s defense shield. Based on the analysis of official discourse, cultural texts, and visual representations, the article traces the dynamics of the dominance of these images during the Soviet, post-Soviet, and contemporary periods. It is concluded that the transformation of the city’s brand reflects broader sociocultural and ideological transformations in Russian society, and the current stage is characterized by an attempt to synthesize both myths to form a new consolidating identity.
Key words: Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the symbolic image of the city, urban branding, local identity, historical memory, the Komsomol construction, industrialization, and the cultural myth.
Memoirs
Frolov A.I. “Good Work. Ordinary Work. Great Work”: Some Memoirs on the Department of Museum Studies at the Research Institute of Culture of 1970–1980s — 127 (Rus.)
Frolov, Alexander Ivanovitch — Candidate of Science in History, Honorary Worker of
Higher Professional Education of the Russian Federation, member of the Writer’s Union of Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation, alexander@frolow.ru
The article presents the author’s recollections of the work of the Department of Museum
Studies at the Research Institute of Culture (Moscow) in the 1970s and 1980s. This Department was one of the most important centers for the development of Soviet museum studies, and during this period, it carried out extensive and active work related to both the theory and practice of museum field. The author recalls his colleagues, museologists of several generations, the department’s main publications, and the overall context of its work. The article focuses on the everyday history of organizing scientific research during the late Soviet era. Key words: museum studies, history of museum studies, the Research Institute of Culture, Soviet museum studies.
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