21st Century Museum: New Public and Cultural Space Seminar

The first seminar of the program devised for specialists from 25 museums of North-Western Russia took place on 11-14 February, 2002. In 2002 the State Hermitage Museum jointly with the Open Society Institute (Soros Foundation) organized a number of seminars for specialists from 25 museums of North-Western Russia dealing with modern management, exhibitions, publishing business, information and education.
The seminars with are given the title General Staff of Russian Museums are part of the 21st Century Museum: New Public and Cultural Space Program which the Hermitage is preparing for Russian and foreign museums. Along with seminars, the program will include exchange visits, joint projects and exhibitions, publication of special and popular literature, multimedia programs, joint web sites, etc.
The first seminar was to introduce directors of regional museums to the Hermitage resources of museum education, management, information and public relations. On the first day seminar participants were greeted by Mikhail B. Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum and President of the Russian Museum Union. He outlined the basic ideas of the Big Hermitage Project. Sergey A. Basov, Managing Director of the St. Petersburg Office of the Open Society Institute (Soros Foundation), told about the Institute’s programs of museum management development. Georgy V. Vilinbakhov, Deputy Director Research, Vladimir Yu. Matveyev, Deputy Director Development and Exhibitions, and department heads took part in seminar sessions which were held during 3 days. Museum directors were also introduced to the new departments of the Hermitage, General Staff and Staraya Derevnya Restoration and Preservation Center.

Mikhail B. Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum and President of the Russian Museum Union, greeting participants of the seminar

Sergey A. Basov, Managing Director of the St. Petersburg Office of the Open Society Institute (Soros Foundation)

Public in the room