After a 110-day quarantine was opened to visitors, the glass pyramid of the Louvre, the gateway to the largest Museum of France and the world. This is an important and symbolic event for the culture, economy, tourism. However, as it was convinced the correspondent of “Kommersant” in France, Alexei Tarkhanov, the first day of work showed that not soon the world’s major museums will return to pre-crisis situation.Last year the Louvre has promised to put the visitors in the electronic record. The scheme, piloted at the exhibition Leonardo da Vinci, was after the quarantine is mandatory for permanent display. Tickets are ordered for a certain time — within half an hour. Depending on this glass pyramid in the courtyard of the Museum are arranged three stages. Not remain endless, but not quite short and fast. Buy a ticket and then enter it will be possible only if all the seats are disassembled in advance.The Louvre — the most visited European art museums. Comes here almost 10 million people a year. “We expect at best 20-30% of the usual summer numbers of attendance,”— said the Director of the Louvre Jean-Luc Martinez. He believes that for the year as a whole Louvre would take only 20% from last year’s number of visitors. This is understandable: most of them were tourists. Now neither the Americans nor the Chinese nor the Brazilians and no Russians. Yet they will not return to Paris, the Museum will be open primarily to Europeans. Around me in a half hour queue sounds of French, German, Spanish, Finnish speech, but unusually little English. The British until July 10 holds the quarantine. Visitors — typical tourists with children, children in all languages promise to “Mona Lisa”.The main picture of the Louvre took all these years for 80% of the Museum visitors. Relax it is not necessary today. Turn, which was after the entrance, almost entirely built in the hall, where hung the “Portrait of Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci. It leads to two paths, as a border guard booth, except that no indication “EU Passport” and “All passports”. The only inscription recalls that in the hall hanging around the other pieces and you can view them, but who cares. Turn precisely to the picture, a selfie in front of “JohnDoe” — and most importantly in the Museum, consider it done. But at least do not, as a year ago, to work elbows to look at her.Photo: Alexey Tarkhanov, Commercante in the other rooms of unusually small people. The situation for many years unseen in the Louvre, just twenty or thirty years ago, when in the Museum you can walk without fear no crowds, no pickpockets, taking several days to thoroughly explore the collections. “Sanitation crisis is an opportunity for us to win the home public,” said Mr. Martinez.
Moreover, it is able to carry out the work stopped while karantine. About a third of the collections is now closed. It’s a French sculpture of the middle Ages and Renaissance, as well as collections of primitive art, now has become too relevant. All the same, the attendance will return to last year’s records, according to the Louvre, not earlier than in two or three. The tourist peak is expected in 2024, when Paris opens the Olympics. October transferred the Museum’s exhibitions, which were to open in the spring. It is prepared with the Vienna Albertine “by Altdorfer, Albrecht” and “Body and soul. From Donatello to Michelangelo”, with the participation of Milan Pinakothek Castello Sforzesco.
