A Round Table Discussion: "The Museums of Russia in 1919 and 2004. General Accessibility of Museums as a Constitutional Right"

On 11 February 2004 Director of the State Hermitage and President of the Union of Museums in Russia Mikhail B. Piotrovsky took part in the work of a round table discussion marking 85 years since the convening of the First All-Russian Conference on Museum Affairs, which took place in 1919.

At the opening ceremony Mikhail B. Piotrovsky made the following remarks:

"Both in 1919 and again now in 2004, one of the most important problems facing museum staff and the cultural community in the country as a whole is the interaction between state museums and private collections.

“The approach to this problem then and today has changed by 180 degrees. Then there was the question of nationalizing private collections, of transferring art to state museums without compensation to the private owners. Today the question is one of lending support to private collections.”

However, the Director of the State Hermitage thinks “the issue is that works of culture should be accessible to the public.”

"At the present time there is a protectionist policy in force with respect to private collections. But on the other hand everything possible is done to attract works of art from private collections for display in museum exhibitions and also to ensure that while these works remain the possessions of private individuals, they are accessible for viewing by any citizen of Russia,” Mr Piotrovsky commented.

Compiled from materials on the site http://www.newsru.com/