What to do on Museum Night

On the evening of May 18, in many Russian cities it was possible to enter a variety of museums for free - from large eminent ones like the Tretyakov Gallery to small but popular galleries, such as the gallery on Solyanka.

The Night of Museums has been held in Moscow for the 7th time. And not only in Moscow, but also in Krasnodar, Voronezh, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, Sochi, Nizhny Novgorod and other cities of the country.

The project came to Russia from Western Europe. “Initially, this phenomenon appeared in Germany in 1997. Then the Night of Museums was held for the first time; however, it was then called not “Night of Museums”, but “Spring in the Museum” - but the essence was the same. Two years later, the idea was picked up by the Ministry of Culture France decided to host this event. If in Germany it was a spontaneous phenomenon invented by the museum workers themselves, then in France it was introduced from above, and after some time this event was picked up by the whole of Europe. such a network event, invented from below. Unlike Museum Day, created by ICOM in 1977 in Moscow,” Afanasy Gnedovsky, executive director of the Russian branch of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), told PublicPost. “The Night of Museums also came to Russia spontaneously,” recalls Gnedovsky. “Some museums began holding such nights 10 years ago, but these were isolated cases. The event began to be held globally about seven years ago.”

Choice of Afanasy Gnedovsky

“I saw a funny project of the Museum of Architecture . It seems to be called “Museum Grandmothers on the Street” - such a classic image of a grandmother-caretaker who goes out into the city. Since this is the Museum of Architecture, in fact, the main object is the architecture of the city, and here are the grandmothers Tours will be held until 12 o'clock at night."

In addition to the museums themselves, which will be open to visitors in the evening, the organizers have come up with many more city events. For example, the Moscow State Museum "Burganov's House" will host classical music concerts, a performance by the Full Moon Jazz Band and a "Body Art" performance, the Flacon design factory will host a clean-up festival for Seasons magazine, and video installations will be shown at the ArtPlay design center and a gastronomic festival, 3D films on a huge screen and games for children will be held at the Darwin Museum. Most museums offer excursions, including the Bulgakov House, beloved by Muscovites. Short films about science will be shown at the Polytechnic Museum, and at 20:00 the Polytheater will host the premiere of the play Happy 60's, where young actors will read poetry from the sixties.

However, not all museums in the city will have free admission. For example, to get into a Cold War bunker, you will need to buy a ticket (200 rubles). Natalya Kopelyanskaya (expert of the creative group "Museum Solutions") believes that the very fact of free admission, of course, influences the choice of Muscovites, but does not exactly determine it. “In Moscow this year, the museum night is produced in a fundamentally different way,” says Kopelyanskaya. “Finally, in addition to the issue of paid or free admission, museums have entered into very healthy competition for the idea. If we compare what is offered by Manege, the Museum of Decorative Arts, The Polytechnic Museum, the Biological Museum, the Museum of Architecture with its museum grandmothers, it’s very difficult to choose.”

Choice of Natalia Kopelyanskaya

"I would definitely go to the Manezh . But this is, rather, for those who love contemporary art. It seems to me that another of the most pleasant places in Moscow is the Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts in the Osterman-Tolstoy estate . And, it seems, a popular “This year the theme of exhibits that come to life at midnight will be played out to the fullest.”

The schedule, main participants and main routes for Museum Night are published on the official website of the event - http://www.museumnight.org .