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   Extending working hours Having museums open during the evening has become commonplace around the world and in Russia. At the same time there is much which is experimental about it. In each case the hours are determined by the museums depending on the type of visitors they get and the nature of their visits. Difficulties arise associated with labour laws and salary for working overtime. We hope that the Ministry of Culture will be able to give us appropriate recommendations The State Hermitage Museum has a system for special excursions after the museum's closure. They are organised via subscriptions and applications on two working days. Special applications for an extension beyond working hours can be made any day of the week. This all reflects the principle of excursions, which has traditionally been at the heart of museum visits. Gradually we are changing our orientation for the individual visitor. During large exhibitions we introduce additional evening sessions. From 1 July we will be extending Saturday visitor hours till 21:00 and on Sundays to 18:00. For summer this is the best choice of days. At the end of the season we will evaluate the effectives of the choice of days. For the State Hermitage Museum, being a museum with a stable number of visitors, to begin the working day later or to introduce a second day off is impossible. Already the introduction of longer days will cost the museum about two million roubles a month. One of the main problems is social and political. Museum caretakers are afraid to return home late - justifiably so. For museums that have few visitors they have a great deal of flexibility in choosing their working hours, remaining within legislative requirements. However, in any case it is important to understand that the transfer to a longer museum working day, on this occasion, will cost our staff. It reduces our ability to pay the additional wages that make up the beggarly salary museum staff are paid (the average salary from the Federal budget is 5,000 roubles). I would remind you also that much of the discount on tickets are also paid for by the museum. Systems for government compensation barely exist. The extended day for museums is demanded by the cultural life. Its careful introduction demonstrates how dysfunctional the involvement between cultural organisations and the state is. While experimenting, museums must carefully evaluate their visitors and their interests. Each one must define its priorities and sources for covering costs. We must consider ticket prices. In different museums the prices vary greatly. At the State Hermitage Museum we are developing a new timetable for the caretakers: one day of work, two days holiday. It is necessary to generalize the experience we have so far, not forgetting about the individual features of each museum, or their functions: collecting, storing, restoration, research. education. Presenting collections is largely an educational role. Museums fulfill a governmental task by preserving and handing down to future generations the cultural legacy of our country and the world. They demonstrate inventiveness and sacrifice in fulfilling this role. This determines their position on extending the working hours. However, from the government it is also necessary that they show inventiveness and a preparedness to sacrifice comfort.
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