On August 3, 2020, the Russia 1 TV channel aired a story about the formation of the Private Museums Register of in the program Morning of Russia.
The purpose of the register is not only to count private museums, but also to determine what exactly they need. Among the main difficulties that they now have to face are, first of all, the lack of information support and the lack of assistance in preserving the collections.
Many people get the impression that the owners of private museums are wealthy people, if not rich, but this is often not the case at all. Enthusiasts invest their money; sometimes they incur significant losses and, at the same time, cannot apply for subsidies from the state budget.
“We repeat the same phrase all the time: “It’s a blessing in disguise.” Nevertheless, the situation with the coronavirus has shown that in order to support private museums, it is urgent to create a register,” says the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Olga Lyubimova.
However, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation is ready to help only those who are really trying to preserve the history of their native land and return the former greatness to the once prosperous places, that is, the register can also serve as a filter: to separate real collectors from those who cover their business with the title of a museum. “In any case, there will be some sort of systematization, shops where they sell something under the guise of a museum will not get there,” says Alexei Shaburov, director of the Association of Private Museums of Russia.
It all sounds simple and straightforward, but in reality it turns out that uniting such disparate and numerous communities is a difficult task. Some executives are wary of getting involved in this work. The problem now is not the lack of help, but the unwillingness to do something to get it. So maybe it’s still worth looking for common ground? Moreover, the entry into the register and the Association of Private Museums, according to Dmitry Oktyabrsky, Director of the Motors of October Museum, is very important in itself. It gives museums the opportunity to express their point of view, which can no longer be ignored.