Since early January, the Hermitage has converted ticket prices for foreigners from dollars to euros. The museum administration hopes to earn an additional $1 million a year this way. But the Hermitage and other museums could earn even more if they switched from the European currency to European rules of decency.

In museum circles, it is generally accepted that any Russian citizen is several times poorer than any foreigner. They only argue about the depth of the abyss. According to the Hermitage management, we are approximately 3.5 times poorer (an entrance ticket for foreigners now costs 350 rubles, for Russians - 100 rubles). The Tretyakov Gallery charges foreigners 4.5 times more (225 rubles versus 50 rubles), and the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow - 7.6 times (190 rubles versus 25 rubles).

Museum directors are convinced that Russians "statistically" earn much less than traveling foreigners. But even from the figures provided, it is clear that museums do not rely on any statistics. And they are right to do so, since the State Statistics Committee does not have any precise data on the real incomes of the population. But it is known that a ticket to an evening show at a fashionable Moscow movie theater costs an average of 300 rubles. A cup of coffee and dessert in an average Moscow coffee shop will cost the same. So, according to indirect data, we have people who are ready to pay 300 rubles for a ticket to the Hermitage or the Tretyakov Gallery - and not disgrace the country in front of foreigners.

Of course, for many Russians 300 rubles is an unaffordable amount of money. But why not establish benefits specifically for those who need them? The Louvre admits the unemployed and anyone under 18 for free. The rest can freely visit the museum on Bastille Day and the first Sunday of each month. In addition, every day after 3 p.m. tickets become cheaper from 7.5 euros to 5 euros. Most large museums offer discounts for international student cards. The New York Metropolitan has a "recommended" price, not a fixed one - $12 for adults and $7 for children. It is taken from visitors by default, but those in need can pay as much as they can.

It seems that Metropolitan has chosen the most reasonable path, since it is difficult to establish formal criteria for benefits. No amount of concern for fellow citizens can change the fact that charging foreigners 7.6 times more is indecent. After all, it is a Soviet tradition to divide citizens into unfortunate locals and rich foreigners who shop at Beryozka.

FROM THE EDITOR: Soviet tradition