Art behind the mask: how to get to the Museum

the Ministry of culture of Russia has prepared a plan out of theaters and museums of regime restrictions. It has been decided that in theatre the audience will be back only in September. The actors will begin rehearsals in mid-summer, and while all areas will total disinfection. But the museums are planning to open their rooms early.

Completely deserted Palace square. In the Hermitage window light is not lit. The Museum is closed but millions of visitors. Online. Dizzy walking on the roof, lectures on architecture, tours of the funds. It was impossible to see even in a period when the Hermitage was freely receive visitors.

“We are entering a new world, we really need to understand what it will be. Everyone should be ready to use this opportunity for a deeper understanding of the Museum — Museum as a gift, as a Church, and not as services”, — says Mikhail Piotrovsky, the Hermitage Director.

Experience of remote work here was a blockade, when the audience followed the tour through the halls where they had hung only empty frames. Now the museums of St. Petersburg a new challenge — after the end of the pandemic to keep the interest in their exhibitions without the crowds.

the Amber room. To see a masterpiece of world art, tourists are willing to stand in line at the Catherine Palace in four hours. But even when the Museum will open its doors after the pandemic, the amber room will continue to remain unavailable for public access. Here at the same time will not let more than ten people.

In Tsarskoye Selo already rebuilt their job. To get to Alexander Palace or Catherine Palace will require pre-registration. People will come in small groups. In the Museum — a strict social distance.

“the Museum will open in stages: initially, open parks, then chief of the Palace Museum, and then to pavilions,” explained Olga Klokocka, the chief of service for such us and service GMZ “Tsarskoe Selo”.

Looking at eti empty corridors, hard to imagine that until recently it discussed the creation of a special quota for foreign visitors to adjust an endless stream of tourists.

“We must advance to schedule group, it will be some time, sessions, and strictly control the number of people in the group,” said Olga Taratynova, Director GMZ “Tsarskoe Selo”.

the New sanitary rules can change Museum business, but should not restrict access to works of art.

Academic hall of the Russian Museum. When the quarantine gets lifted, there will be work seven days a week and even extended visiting hours. Read more about the paintings of Briullov and Aivazovsky can be found without the help of a guide.

“for Example, any pattern can be choose to recognize, you can see sketches, preparatory material, restoration material to know the history of this painting,” — says Olga Babin, Deputy General Director for accounting, storage and restoration of Museum valuables of the Russian Museum.

Unusually quiet and in the parks of Peterhof. The fountains include of times a week. Enjoy a Large cascade live now I can only water supply. But for spectators is available online broadcast.

When North Versailles opens, to get here, only families and single visitors. It may take months before the museums of St. Petersburg will return to his former life.

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Residents of Milan are ready to go to the museums, but the museums to open doors not in a hurry. Culture as always requires a special approach.

the retinal Scanner and I — in one of the most elegant museums in the Milan Gallery in Italy. And here interrupted by the epidemic, the exhibition of the sculptor Antonio Canova. The main exhibit — “the Three graces” — arrived from the Hermitage, but since March 6, when in Lombardy all became extra close, it was never seen again.

For putting the new layout we found the staff one of the most famous exhibition venues in Milan — BasesC. We are invited inside, but immediately warned that on the ground floor we will measure the temperature.

Base a different kind of challenge — how to safely accommodate mainly students who distance themselves totally unwilling, but love to gather here.

There is another reason why Milan museums themselves inhibit the opening — money. A three-month lockdown was the cost of the Brera gallery and the monastery of Santa Maria of the grace case, which houses a masterpiece: Leonardo da Vinci “the last supper” — millions of euros. And while no tourists, open up profitable.

More than 10 million euros lost and the Treasury of Italy — the Uffizi gallery. And to start working in a new environment waiting for the orders of the government.

Florence’s Uffizi gallery to the opening ready: all employees will wear gloves and masks, visitors will thermocamera, disinfectants and three new exhibitions. However, the entrance to the Museum for each will be scheduled at a particular time, to one person accounted for 44 meters.

“But as soon as the vaccine — we’ll be back to the good old race,” said Eike Schmidt, the Director of the Uffizi gallery.

I am Sure the famous Eike Schmidt, Director of the Uffizi and a man of rare charm. In 2015, the appointment of German Schmidt the head of one of the most famous museums in the world caused a lot of noise. Then he became the first citizen of Italy, who led the Uffizi, changed the principle of display in the Museum, returned to the gallery stolen Nazi painting, has prepared an exhibition of Russian icons, but the epidemic is still open, not yet.

“In Florence historically has a very strong Russian tradition. From Demidova to Dostoevsky, and it will be a permanent exhibition — the largest collection of icons outside of Russia. But wait open borders — without the Russians present such an exhibition is impossible,” he says.

in the meantime, the Director of the Schmidt — cosmetic repairs and solid Mondayspruce: the traditional Museum around the world, the output was stretched because of the epidemic nearly three months.

to be alone in the empty Museum, in the society only of the masterpieces of world art, to feel the striking silence of the times is science fiction. So it seemed lovely, doveroso era.

But the Director Eike Schmidt believes that the crowds of tourists and long queues is now impossible, and in the future no longer make sense: “People don’t have to stand for 2-3 hours in the queue. We have the technology, which is monitored — what time to enter the Museum, how to navigate through the halls so as not to create a crowd. To enjoy this masterpiece — in the hall can accommodate a maximum of 20 people.”

the Director of the Uffizi optimist — will be back soon times of great cultural events and pleasure travel.

Here is now it’s usually flooded with tourists in Florence today, I must say, even livelier than in the last two or three months — Italy still comes out of quarantine. But on the streets only locals who enjoy the quiet, without tourists. It is good there where we are not.

And will not be until at least June 15, when the opening of the external borders of the European Union will discuss in Brussels. Therefore, to return to Italy at all tourists until the ticket with an open date.