The 7th All-Russian Museum Festival Intermuseum 2005 took place in one of the pavilions of the All-Russian Exhibition Center in Moscow from 22 to 25 June.

In his address to festival participants, Director of the State Hermitage and President of the Union of Russian Museums Mikhail Piotrovsky emphasized that “with each passing year the All-Russian Museum Festival Intermuseum is becoming a more important and significant event in the cultural life of our country. The successes of museums in Russia are reflected in the festival itself with singular clarity: the geographic scope of participation extends farther and farther and both the smaller municipal museums and the giants of the capitals alike feel ever more confident in this shared space. The common museum platform in the country which we have worked so hard to create and consolidate becomes evident and tangible in the context of the festival. The exchange of ideas, joy over success of our colleagues, and aspiration to be perfect notwithstanding all the imperfections of the world around us, as well as the main thing – the feeling of our common professionlism - these are both the objectives and the fruits of the museum forum."

As in earlier festivals, the State Hermitage’s stand enjoyed special popularity with both the general public and our colleagues among museum professionals. This yeàr the stand was dedicated to the educational programs for students which are developed and run by the Youth Educational Center of the Hermitage.

On the Day of the Hermitage, June 24th, there was a Round Table entitled "Museum Education in Russia. Issues of Professionalism.” Representatives of more than 50 museums from around Russia were present. They were all, no doubt, concerned by problems relating to the preparation of professionals who will be coming to work in museums. Modern museums require not only art connoisseurs and historians, but also managers, accountants, lawyers, and specialists in the field of public relations and work with the mass media.

Staff from the Hermitage told their colleagues about the experience they have gathered. Many of them combine work in the museum with teaching in various institutions of higher learning in St Petersburg. Among those who spoke we should particularly mention Deputy Director of the Hermitage A.V. Bogdanov, who gives a course entitled “Systems for Safeguarding Museum Treasures" at the Department of Informational Security in the St Petersburg State Polytechnical University, and also O.M. Ioannisyan, Chief of the Architectural and Archeological Sector, who lectures at the Department of Museum Sciences and Protection of Monuments in the St Petersburg State University. Director of the Youth Educational Center of the Hermitage S.V. Kudryavtseva led the Round Table discussions.

The results of the festival were summed up at its closing in the Youth Theater. This is also where awards were given out to the winners of the competition for “Best Museum of the Festival” during a special ceremony. In accordance with tradition, the Hermitage did not take part in the competition. In the view of Mikhail Piotrovsky, its main task is not to fight for prizes but to disseminate the experience that has been assembled over many years, to share the methodological developments in various issues of museum activity and, in particular, museum education of young people, which is one of the priorities in museum work during the 21st century.

The Round Table on the Day of the Hermitage

Work on the stand

Hermitage representatives at the 7th All-Russian Museum Festival Intermuseum 2005

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