On 25 June 2005 the Union of Russian Museums met in the Polytechnical Museum (Moscow) under the chairmanship of Union president Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of the State Hermitage, to hold its regular assembly to hear reports and hold elections. The members in attendance discussed topical issues relating to the development of museums in the context of administrative reform and efforts to optimize performance of state institutions, as well as issues pertaining to the Union’s activities in the periodate Hermita 2002-2005.

Together with the Federal Agency on Culture and Cinematography, the Union of Russian Museums is an organizer of the All-Russian Museum Festival Intermuseum, which was held for the 7th time at the All-Russian Exhibition Center from 22 to 25 June 2005.

In 2005 the Union of Russian Museums established a special prize for the winner of a contest called Museum in City X. Municipal museums took part in this contest and presented the most interesting projects and programs which they have carried out in the period 2003-2005.

The Union of Russian Museums, which unites the museums and related institutions in our country, was created in 2001. Its objective is to broaden the mutual contacts between these museums and to direct the attention of the state authorities to the problems and needs of museums and their visitors, to facilitate an enhanced social role for museums.

Throughout its activities, the Union pursues strictly professional goals relating to the way museums interpret Russia’s modern history, to ensuring that the 21st century’s information civilization is adequately reflected in museum collections and exhibitions, and to integrating Russian museums in the cultural space of Europe and the world.

At present the Union of Russian Museums has 379 member museums from 72 regions of the Russian Federation.

The highest authority of the Union of Russian Museums is the annual General Assembly of members, which elects a Presidium to resolve current tasks. The sessions of the Presidium are then held in various cities. During the period 2002-2005, expanded sessions of the Presidium were held in Moscow, St Petersburg, Kazan, Krasnoyarsk, Omsk, Rostov-on-Don, Yaroslavl, and Perm.

Logotype of the Union of Russian Museums