Museum in the modern virtual world (on the example of the Vasiliy Aksenov Museum)

Abstract

In the modern world, a museum is a multidimensional dynamic space that actualises the potential of cultural heritage. As an illustration of this statement, it is interesting to consider the space of the Vasily Aksenov Museum in Kazan. The purpose of this article is to analyse the experience of virtualisation as a means of interacting with the audience in an existing museum, and to formulate practice-oriented vectors for further research on the basis of the V. P. Aksenov Museum in accordance with the identified trends. Since its opening in 2009, the Vasily Aksenov Museum has become a full-fledged cultural centre and a key venue for the annual literary and music festival “Aksenov-fest” in Kazan. The history of the museum began with the first festival in 2007. The festival was dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the writer who visited the city of his childhood. On the initiative of Mayor I. R. Metshin, the restoration of the house and the creation of the museum began, which took place in accordance with the concept proposed by V. P. Aksenov and according to the project of the architect (later the museum director) I. A. Aksenova. In 2015, a named public garden — Aksenov Garden — was opened in the city. The sculptures installed in the park are a self-portrait of Vasily Aksenov, with which he signed his manuscripts, and the sculpture “Waiting” (by Irina Aksenova and sculptor Asiya Minnullina). More and more often tourists plan their visit to the museum in advance, interested in the unique atmosphere of its interior space, as well as the opportunity not only to get acquainted with the biography of the famous writer of the sixties, but also to make a real journey through time, as the museum is located in a house with a mezzanine, in the former manor house of the early 19th century, and the museum exposition is stylistically and objectively built at the intersection of the 19th and 20th centuries. Residents and guests of the house, in addition to Vasily Aksenov, at different times were other famous personalities — Alexandra Fuchs, who hosted Alexander Pushkin during the latter’s stay in Kazan; poet, war correspondent Margarita Aliger and, perhaps, Gala Dali (Elena Diakonova).

Keywords:

Vasiliy Aksenov, Vasily Aksenov Museum, museum practice, virtual excursion, virtualization of the museum space, excursion, cultural biography of things, archival research, Margarita Aliger, Gala Dali