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But the joy for what you have managed to open two of the scheduled exhibitions – said General Director of Russian Museum Vladimir Gusev. – Their training online under the guidance of curators Evgenia Petrova and Joseph Kiblitsky. The third exhibition “Realism in Russia: yesterday and today” will open at a later date.

the Exhibition incorporates photographs that captured the work of Tarkovsky over his films.

the exhibition “the silent film Poster in Russia” shows 100 works of the silent film era. The first experiments of the Russian poster originated in 1910-ies, and posters advertise movies that have become an integral part of city streets. The exhibition is accompanied by a screening of the best films of 1920-ies, provided by the State Central Museum of cinema (Moscow).

with regard to the opening of the Russian Museum, Vladimir Gusev, hurry this should not be.

– so far we only have the recommendations of the CPS governing the visits, he said. But let’s ponder: what does “total disinfection”? We paintings of Briullov and Aivazovsky will be sanitizers to water? Or compliance with social distance… How to provide it in our conditions?..

that is why the opening of treasures of the Russian Museum plans to start with the parks: the Mikhailovsky and Summer gardens.

on the day of his birth, may 27, the Russian Museum opened on its website a new online program “Gardens of the enlightenment.” By the way, in recent months the Museum was visited by over 15 million people here a day through 99 of online sessions – lectures, virtual tours, quizzes. So that “exit to the real” Russian Museum begins with its green spaces, carefully preparing himself and an audience. In particular, the “garden of enlightenment” will be one of the big topics of the programme “Gardens and parks of the Russian Museum”, which will be included in the national project “the oak Grove of Peter the Great”.

to give an exact date for the opening of the Summer garden, the Director of the Russian Museum did not, however, assured that it will remain free.

In Europe begins slowly to revive the Museum’s life. The Louvre and Prado museums remain closed “until further notice”, but the Acropolis and Pompeii have already started to receive visitors, albeit with restrictions. From 1 June open, or rather, open doors of the Vatican Museums: you can get will not on the whole territory of the complex and only online tickets. Finally, step-by-step resume the Uffizi Gallery in Florence – one of the largest art collections not only in Europe but in the world. The main building, which holds thousands of masterpieces, including “Spring” and “Birth of Venus” by Botticelli, will open on June 3, just in this day Italy is planning to remove restrictions on entry to its neighbors in the EU. In the midst of the preparations, “RG” phoned to the Director of the Galleries, not��eccolo art historian Eike Schmidt. How will the trip to the temple of art on the background of the pandemic in some countries, museums hardest hit from the “crown” and want humanity to return from the virtual exhibitions “living” pictures – this Mr. Schmidt said in an interview “RG”.

Uffizi Gallery went to the quarantine on 8 March. What feelings did you experience when the Museum halls were empty?

Schmidt: I had a little feel as if I was inside the paintings of de Chirico (Italian surrealist artist. – Approx. “RG”). He portrayed an empty space filled with antique statues, and thus not a living soul around. The art was created for the audience, but the audience disappeared. Silence, did not bring peace. Very strong and very sad impression! This silence was broken the sounds of sirens “ambulance” under the Windows – and it lasted the whole of March. Fortunately, none of our employees got sick. Most we have shifted to remote work from home, remained the only representatives of the security services, technicians and restorers who regularly perform bypass of the Museum. Well, of course, myself. The last three weeks we’ve been preparing the Gallery for opening. Struck on the floor markings, to allow visitors to keep a distance, set everywhere the disinfectant gel for hands, and at the entrance scanners for remote measurement of body temperature, just like in airports. Well, of course, common to the whole of Italy the requirement to wear protective masks in public places will act with us. By the way, in the recently opened Boboli Gardens (part of the Museum complex. – Approx. “RG”) is also impossible to walk without masks. The Italians in recent weeks used to them, although not all. I admit, I don’t end up used.

when do you think the Uffizi Gallery and other museums in Europe will be able to return to his former life? And will return if at all?

Schmidt: I hope that the day will come when we will again be able to go to museums without masks, as in a former life. Another thing that in this former life, there were many problems. Florence, Venice, Barcelona and other European cities suffered from what is called “excessive tourism”. Perhaps in the future museums will become less superficial and more meaningful, measured. And these three months we worked very hard on digital technology and hope to develop them further.

What is the future for museums, if the digital format will prevail over traditional?

Schmidt: I think that this will not happen. Digital reality will never replace the Museum space, even if it as closely as possible to imitate. This is a completely different experience of art. When we prepare a virtual kontent, hope that it will serve as a useful addition to the trip to the Museum, will help you better prepare for it. In the context of pandemic digital format became the temporary alternative to the real meeting with pictures. But a full replacement it will never be. The current crisis in the economy condemned to extinction, according to some estimates, from 10 to 30 percent of museums in the country. In the US, almost a third of museums may not open after quarantine. The financial position of many so badly that they have to lay off employees and sell off the collection. A somewhat different situation in Europe, where most of the museums are state or communal. They can still count on extra protection.

Interviewed by Ekaterina Zabrodina

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Jennifer Alvarez is an investigative journalist and is a correspondent for European Union. She is based in Zurich in Switzerland and her field of work include covering human rights violations which take place in the various countries in and outside Europe. She also reports about the political situation in European Union. She has worked with some reputed companies in Europe and is currently contributing to USA News as a freelance journalist. As someone who has a Masters’ degree in Human Rights she also delivers lectures on Intercultural Management to students of Human Rights. She is also an authority on the Arab world politics and their diversity.