Offsite exhibitions as an object of theory of museology: Based on experience of State Russian Museum

Abstract

Modern offsite exhibition as a practical way to realize mobility of museums’ collections is constantly requiring of domestic museologists renewed analysis. This article tells about museological literature where reliable definitions of offsite exhibition are given, collects sayings about offsite exhibition of such a significant Russian museology theorists as T.Yu. Yureneva, N.V.Maznyi, T.P.Poliakov, E.A.Shulepova, etc., and also inquiries into their innovative approach to the classification of exhibitions on the kinetic principle. During the analysis of geographical and economical aspects of organizing offsite exhibitions by Russian museums, authors designate main legislative acts, presidential decrees, methodological recommendations of Ministry of Culture, inner museum’s instructions that regulate export of art works from one Russian region to another. Relying on this theoretical and source base, the researches carry out a complex analysis of the State Russian museum’s activities on organizing intermuseum projects in cooperation with regional museums. Specifying and analysing offsite exhibitional projects realized by the State Russian museum in recent years (“Russia” program, 2003; project “Cultural and Exhibition Centres of the Russian Museum”, which became the finalist of the competition program of the festival “Intermuseum-2019”) authors emphasize the positive role of the Consulting and Methodological Centre of Art Museums of the Russian Federation organized at the Russian Museum in 1974. Eventually authors conclude that active work of the State Russian museum in organizing offsite exhibitions promotes building of close contact between the centre and the regions, provides access to cultural values for all Russian citizens. Moreover, it helps to overcome the divide between museums of capitals and museums of other cities, as well as different imperfections in regional museums’ work. Overall, the article is noticeably renewing existing domestic museological studies on this theme and suggests readers the most recent information.

Keywords:

offsite exhibition, theory of museology, classification of exhibitions, inter-museum cooperation, the State Russian Museum, regional museum