Protests of Tobolsk residents against the transfer of the museum building to the Orthodox diocese

In the spring of 2007, a conflict began around the Bishop's House in the Tobolsk Kremlin. The building, which houses the Museum of the History of the Spiritual Culture of the Peoples of Western Siberia, was planned to be transferred to the Tobolsk and Tyumen diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Bishop's House is the only building on the territory of the Kremlin left behind by the museum. All other buildings, previously on the balance sheet of the Tobolsk State Museum-Reserve (TGIAMZ), have been transferred to the diocese since the early 1990s, and their condition causes concern among specialists.

On April 9, the museum staff was informed of the order signed on March 30 by the director of TGIAMZ E.M. Akulich on closing the museum for visits and dismantling the exposition until April 28. On April 11, the staff notified the director in writing of the impossibility of fulfilling this order within the required period and informed about the danger of moving the collection to unsuitable premises.

Shortly thereafter, an entry appeared in the museum's guest book: "You should move to another building, otherwise we will blow you up!". On April 13, the Internal Affairs Directorate of Tobolsk and the Tobolsk region opened a criminal case on this fact.

Museum workers addressed the residents of the city. On April 18, at a public meeting, a resolution was adopted expressing concern about the closure of the Museum of the Spiritual Culture of the Peoples of Western Siberia and the possibility of transferring the building to the diocese. At the same time, the Public Committee for the Rescue of the Tobolsk State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve was created and the collection of signatures in defense of the cultural monument began.

From that moment on, activists of the Committee took part in protests several times demanding that the museum be preserved.

Vladimir Filatov, deputy of the Tobolsk City Duma, supported the museum. "My opinion as a deputy, my opinion as a city dweller is that the museum should remain where it is. This is memory! This is history! Questions of Tobolsk as a tourist center, questions about the Kremlin, questions about the museum should be considered as a whole," he said.

On July 13, after another protest action, the Tyumen Regional Committee for Culture canceled the order to close the museum and dismantle the exposition.

Sources

• Tobolsk Museum remains without a roof // UralPolit.Ru. 2007. May 4.
• Review and analysis of protest actions for the week (July 9-15, 2007) // IA "Day". 2007.July 24th.