– Artem, you remember your first visit to the island and first impressions?
first visit to the island I’m afraid I do not remember, because of the fact that he began to travel here deep in my childhood with my parents. From school experience reminded overgrown with weeds and sagebrush space eroded shore waters Sviyagi sticking out of his gigantic ancient timbers, pieces of large iron helm of the ship, were lying in the bushes on the shore, and the mentally ill psychiatric clinic, which is located in the Dormition monastery – he then presented a sad spectacle .
– What are you now interested in working on the island, has already changed, mostly revived?
ancient Chinese are known to be considered the greatest curse “living in interesting times.” But I’m interested in the changes, movement, even if sometimes with errors, but forward. Have every day to find a way out of non-standard positions, solve a variety of problems, I like it, I’m this and live.
– That’s about it, and let’s talk: about change … newcomers, people with “great land” see one, residents of the island is probably quite different. Now common place was the so-called commercialization of the island: it is covered in the media, social networks. Visitors are often touches a wide range of fee-based services, entertainment, appeared on the island. It seems to be a standard set of travel, but for some reason many on the island, he seems out of place. How do you personally feel about that?
course, commercial activities should be regulated so as not to make a monument of history and culture in a kind of circus entertainment adapts to sometimes, alas, lowbrow tastes of the public.
On the other hand, it should be understood that the complete absence of commerce can not be in a market economy. This solves the problem of local unemployment, in addition, services related to food, for example, caused by a necessity of life in them: their presence – these are the standards of tourism.
– As recently changed the whole mood of the indigenous inhabitants, the atmosphere on the island?
I believe, and it’s not just my opinion that the atmosphere and the mood of the inhabitants are changing for the better – there is work liveability and renovated school and a kindergarten. For all conditions of human labor – live, work is fun.
– The Islanders have become accustomed to the flow of tourists?
Given that almost half of the working population is employed in Sviyazhska museum or tourist service sector, the flow of visitors to the locals are good. Of course, causes annoyance obsession and curiosity of some tourists with cameras climb up almost to the kitchen gardens without permission, or defiant behavior, but this is generally uncommon, and I think the same would cause outrage in any person.
– A couple of years ago I saw in a museum exhibition of drawings by schoolchildren. Based on the works of the lessons is an extraordinary teacher. Can a few words about this man?
The children engaged in drawing mother Lyudmila – the wife of his father Sergius, abbot Sviyazhskaya church of the kings of Constantine and Helen. Of course, it was thanks to her talent and love of the teacher to the island, many of the children opened their gifts.
– Is among the indigenous inhabitants of the island of exceptional people (craftsmen, creators, etc.)?
For me Sviyazhska people are so wonderful and special, each in their own way, that I can not identify any of them specifically, not to forget anyone and do not hurt others.
– Specialists for work at the Museum of Kazan wrote out?
Yes, the museum was a researcher from Kazan. In general, the problem of staffing – one of the most relevant for our museum, and other cultural institutions. Unfortunately, the overall incidence of Education and Culture in Russia has meant that finding trained and focused on the research activities of a specialist with the necessary skills for independent work, it is extremely hard. Representatives of some of the museum professions, such as conservators, for example, is prepared exclusively in capital institutions, and they are there, in the capital cities, as a rule, remain.
team of our museum is very small – about 40 people, compared with the calculated for such a museum 160 employees, so, of course, the work of each lot.
situation in Sviyazhsk complicated by the fact that the island is no accommodation for the museum’s scientific staff. Microscopic museum hotel, can not provide the necessary conditions to live in, the more permanent. So people come here to work “shifts” in many different ways: sometimes I drive a car, sometimes other employees, it happens that has to go to the train station and from there to get your own. I hope this problem is solved, when the museum will shift buses for delivery to employees of Kazan.
– With other museums countries cooperate?
Yes, this season there were two exhibitions prepared by us, together with colleagues from other museums. The first – an exhibition of Soviet anti-religious posters from the collection of the Museum of the History of Religions in St. Petersburg. This period – a part of our history and downplay its harmful and pointless. But, of course, at the decision of the exposure we have consulted with representatives of the church, including the abbot of the monastery Sviyazhsky – pleased with the full understanding.
second joint exhibition – “The Way of tile.” This large project involved our colleagues – museums Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, and private collectors. The exhibition traces the development of tiled Russian art from the 16th to the 18th century, a movement skill on the Volga, from Moscow New Jerusalem Monastery, through Yaroslavl, Balakhna, Nizhny Novgorod to Sviazhsky, Kazan and Bulgars.
In preparation for the exhibition we managed to find in the collections of our partner – the National Museum of Tatarstan – the most interesting tiles of the 18th century with the labels of the Archaeological Society of Kazan, the mid-1880s, found in the excavation of the time when the territory of Bulgaria.
– Today notable event was the work of a theatrical laboratory Sviyazhsk
Yes, we have worked Theatre Laboratory Theatre of small towns, conducted under the auspices of the State Theatre of Nations (Moscow) under the leadership of Yevgeny Mironov and tour Izhevsk studio theater Bird. Moscow producer working here are so lit up Sviyazhsky that suggested the idea of ??an annual theater laboratory. So, hopefully, theater Svijazhsk will delight guests with new shows. By the way, the island – the birthplace of the famous Russian actress Valentina beginning of the XX century Verigina.
– What are the future plans of museum life: will open the new winter exhibitions, projects implemented?
autumn and winter life of the museum as intense as in summer, since the construction of the access road seasonality is not critical. The nearest exhibition will be devoted to the centenary Romanowski railway bridge across the Volga. Raised a large set of documents relating to its construction, as well as the role of the outstanding Russian architect Shchusev in the development of projects of buildings and structures of the Moscow-Kazan railway.
winter and will open new exhibits, and conducted holidays – New Year’s Eve, Mardi Gras, and so on. All these events can be found on the official website of our museum ostrovgrad.org.
In late October day in memory of the victims of political repression, the museum held an intimate concert ensemble “La Primavera”, dedicated to the memory of political prisoners Sviyazhskaya prisons and camps.
– What is now a museum?
Now The museum consists of four buildings in the complex of state-owned facilities – there is the Museum of History Sviyazhska. Showroom opened in a former 19th-century water tower. Also in the structure of the museum building of the future museum of the civil war in the Volga region – the so-called “house with columns,” Trinity wooden church building storage facility, a conference center, a museum hotel, four-building complex of the former district hospital Sviyazhska, the territory of the apple orchard, the ruins of temples, archaeological area near the river port.
planned for the museum has several buildings and areas. In terms of structural development we are creating many divisions – restoration, museum education department, IT-department and so on. We hope our plans in this area will be supported by the leadership as to ensure the provision of quality services can only museum built on the principles of modern feed.
– In the process of its creation you talked about the concept of not only historical, but the actual museum – in which eventually crystallized these objectives?
At the moment it is obvious that the construction of a device or, as you say, “the actual museum” building in Sviyazhsk not practicable for a number of reasons, and simply is not necessary. Therefore, current forms of art will find themselves in the form of land art festivals, performances and exhibition projects. I do not think Svijazhsk with its rich history and architectural heritage in need of massive infusing additional elements of the show.
must delicately approach this issue in order not to go to far in an effort to find a way to the heart and mind of modern viewer – we are not all the same TV, and the museum, with a very different fundamental functions and tasks.
– What is the situation with the assignment object (area) status by UNESCO?
Goes systematic workflow. About a month ago, came of UNESCO held a detailed discussion and Bulgar and Sviazhsky planned large working mission of UNESCO specialists in Svijazhsk next year.
Now it is important to continue the process of observing the processes of international specialists in Sviyazhsk and properly prepare the materials category, taking into account the recommendations made.
– What works in the field of reconstruction, restoration of heritage sites is now continuing on the island?
course, the most extensive work associated with the restoration of the frescoes of the Assumption Cathedral and archaeological research Sviyazhska. The specifics of these studies suggest that they are carried out over a sufficiently long period, so they will last a long time in the foreseeable future. Ongoing restoration of the buildings of the former county hospital Sviyazhsky County, completed the restoration and adaptation of the former water tower, begins the restoration of “House with columns.” In the following years will restore about a dozen monuments, mainly civil construction Sviyazhska 19th century.
– What archaeologists have found interesting lately?
in an area zoned river station Sviyazhska continuing extensive archaeological work. The main result of recent excavations was to identify the remains of buildings and structures of the 16th and the first half of the 17th century, perfectly preserved in the “wet” part of the archaeological layer Sviyazhska. Now we can clearly see the layout of the streets and houses of the ancient inhabitants of urban tenements.
Excavations at Sviyazhsk, according to scientists, just flip our understanding of the dwellings of the time. What is important is the fact that all archaeological wood in Sviyazhsk has enough precise dating and represents a huge interest in creating a data bank on wood 16-19 centuries. Museumification planned excavation and the creation of the museum, which will be the first in Russia today, like a museum.
– Finds fill up only a collection of some of the local museum or leave the island?
all that is in Sviyazhsk in recent years, falls into a collection Sviyazhsky Museum. Good collection of items related to Sviyazhsky, there are other museums, including museums and Tatarstan, but these collections were formed back in the 20th century. Unfortunately, things do not fall into their time in the museum, were prey, and lost, dispersed in private collections. Take this opportunity to appeal to residents of the republic with the request to inform our museum on their existing materials or objects associated with Sviyazhsky. We are interested in not only art, but also documents, pictures, literally everything that is connected with the county and Sviyazhsky.
– Artem, what is the commercial side of the museum’s life: Can I make?
Source of funding of the museum – is the budget, grants and revenue from tickets. With the growth of traffic, of course, revenues are growing, but it’s not a million arrived as the recovery of income is not the main task of museums. Almost all the funds are spent on landscaping, exhibition projects and supplements to low salaries of employees of the museum.
– If you go back to the beginning of the conversation and the subject’s self-awareness, personal and professional. What you are lacking in Sviyazhsk?
I do not know what to say … My answer is an old saying: “Fear not their desires – they come true.” Personally, I do not need anything, I’m unassuming. And what we need to do more for the cause – that I can not enumerate infinitely better not bore readers.
Interviewed by Nina Maksimova
Photo – Edward Khayrullin, “Svijazhsk. Monologues”
Photos – Page Artem Silkin to Facebook
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Tags: island – Svijazhsk revival Sviyazhska museum “island Svijazhsk”
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