"I wouldn't invest millions in NFT"
Major exhibitions of Chagall and Rodchenko, "The Feat of the Museum" on May 9, and also "The Age of Landscape. A man in the city and in the bosom of nature. Western European landscape of the 19th century", "The World of Gothic" and an exhibition dedicated to the figure of Madame de Pompadour and the Rococo era. The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts will now have more exhibitions and will undergo an audit. It's still too early to talk about the construction of the museum quarter, but the fashion for NFT has passed. Olga Galaktionova, director of the Pushkin Museum, told Izvestia about this and not only in her first major interview after being appointed to this post in January 2025.
"There will be personnel restructuring — not layoffs, but restructuring"
— Olga Nikolaevna, you have been heading the State Museum of Fine Arts for two months now. Please tell me, based on the picture that you have compiled, how do you define the main problems and tasks for the museum and for you personally as the head?
— Yes, I have already figured out enough, although, of course, there is still a lot to learn, analyze, and explore. My main task now is to put things in order where it is required. Of course, we also need to create interesting projects, and most importantly, preserve and enhance everything that is in our wonderful museum.
— Speaking of restoring order, do you mean an audit?
— Any organization that receives a new head requires an audit. This is necessary in order to understand what problems there are, whether in a museum, a theater, or a clinic. There will be personnel restructuring — not layoffs, but restructuring. We will actively work to restore order in the funds: we will conduct an audit on some acquisitions that have caused discussions in previous years. Naturally, we will make decisions together with our colleagues. It is also very important for me to return the exhibition committee to the museum in order for proper and active work to take place.
— Who will be on this exhibition committee? You said that there might be positions such as exhibition manager. What is it?
— The exhibition committee will include amazing scientific staff. These are important names for the whole country. So, naturally, these are our colleagues, and the decision on the exhibition will be made collectively. This is actually the correct and healthy work of any museum. As for the exhibition manager, there must be an organizer of the process, because the creation of any exhibition consists of a large number of aspects: design, architecture, transportation, logistics, insurance. There should always be a person responsible for the process. It must be properly configured. There are specialists at the museum who can do this brilliantly, and I think this will be a new stage in their career.
— So there has never been such an employee before? Were there only curators at the exhibitions?
— Curators and exhibition managers are two different things. A curator is a person who comes up with an exhibition and deals with the creative component, but someone must also be responsible for the organizational process.
"We will involve ROSIZO in joint work with the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts"
— Before joining the Pushkin Museum, you were the head of the ROSIZO. Can you share your feelings about the new position compared to the previous one? What did you spend most of your time there and what are you spending it on now?
— Pushkin is one of the greatest museums in the world. It should remain that way forever. This is my main task. And here I face exactly the same tasks of restoring order that were in ROSIZO. Rebuilding the farm. Exhibitions, repairs, fund purchases — we need to arrange everything so that it works like clockwork. I am a responsible and organized person, so this is very important to me.
— Did they do the same thing in ROSIZO?
- yes. And now it's a perfectly functioning structure, which I'm sure of. I think that we will involve ROSIZO in joint work with the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. The system is now set up perfectly.
— Are you reviewing the exhibition plan of the State Museum of Fine Arts, developed before you?
— Yes, some exhibitions were canceled, some were postponed.
— Which ones, for example, were canceled?
— I will not list them. It seems to me that if they are canceled, then why voice it?
— But are there many of them?
"Not really." In fact, the exhibition plan was small. Now it will be bigger, and we are actively working on it.
— Can you name any big projects planned?
— There will be major exhibitions of Chagall and Rodchenko. An important project is the Feat of the Museum, which will open on May 9th. We will also show "The Age of Landscape. A man in the city and in the bosom of nature. Western European landscape of the 19th century", "The World of Gothic" and an exhibition dedicated to the figure of Madame de Pompadour and the Rococo era.
— Is that all before the end of the year?
— With the transition to the future, until the middle of 2026. Of course, the final exhibition plan has not yet been finalized, discussions are underway with the scientific staff. But it is important that it is interesting for a wide audience and, of course, for specialists.
"Few people will answer what NFT is"
— Under Marina Loshak, the museum had a re-exhibition and there was an important emphasis on contemporary art. Elizaveta Likhacheva began to return the previous exhibition, and someone even joked about her, recalling Alexander I's phrase: "With me, everything will be like with my grandmother." Can you describe your strategy? And in what proportion will you combine modern and traditional art?
— Each leader was connected with his own time, and it seems to me that it is not quite right to discuss them. As for my strategy, I can say that it is formulated in the very name of the Pushkin Museum: this is the State Museum of Fine Arts. It's about the West, the East, the North, and the South. About Russian, Soviet and modern fine art.
— Irina Antonova organized museum collaborations, for example, with fashion houses. Are you planning something like this with Russian brands?
— I believe that now is the time for interdisciplinarity, intermusicality and interagency. I declare this quite actively and openly. And, of course, such interactions and collaborations are possible. But it takes time to figure out how to do it right.
— Continuing the theme of interdisciplinarity: at ROSIZO, you developed not only classical art, but also video art, and even created the Tarkovsky Worlds competition. Are you planning to continue taking steps in this direction at the State Museum of Fine Arts?
— Pushkin has a large media library and a good collection of video art. I would really like the State Museum of Fine Arts to enter into partnership with Tarkovsky's World. The competition is currently being held in conjunction with the Zerkalo Festival in Ivanovo. But it seems to me that it is also important for the museum to keep track of trends and talented artists.
— Will you replenish the collection of the State Museum of Fine Arts, for example, with the works of the winners?
— Of course, if there is something to replenish, if there are decent works of video art.
— There was also such a fashionable story as NFT in connection with digital art, and some museums started working with it. Do you think GMII can somehow use NFT?
— Although I actively spoke about NFT, it seems to me that it was such a short-term fashion. If you ask people now what NFT is, few people will answer.
— And people invested millions in it.
— It's good when you have millions, then you can invest them. I wouldn't have invested even if I had them.
"The construction has been going on for almost 15 years. But for now, we're talking about something that doesn't exist."
— Is there an exhibition that you dream of?
— In general, I am convinced that what I personally love, in general, few people are interested in. I have been assigned by the management to manage this museum now and respect its interests. This is not the realization of my ambitions. It is important for me to do what is relevant, necessary and important for both the museum and the audience. But my dreams and fantasies are still not about work.
— And yet about dreams: Irina Antonova dreamed of the museum quarter. What kind of facility do you think can open and integrate into this museum quarter?
— You're asking about the museum quarter, which doesn't exist yet. There is not even an opening date. Yes, we have a schedule, yes, we have plans, but...
Olga Galaktionova, Director of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts
— The construction is in full swing, isn't it?
— Yes, the construction has been going on for almost 15 years. But for now, we're talking about something that doesn't exist. We're fantasizing. But it seems to me that we need to talk about what is and what will happen in the near future. The work is underway, it is planned, we have excellent partners, a fast schedule. All this is going on its own rails, and God forbid, when the museum quarter opens, then we will talk about it.
— We are currently in Irina Antonova's office. Don't you think it's worth preserving it and making it a kind of museum within a museum?
— In fact, this office currently serves as an official reception venue. Most of my work takes place in another office. But it doesn't seem right to close it at all. This is an integral part of the museum's work processes.
Olga Galaktionova graduated from the Faculty of Art History of the I.S. Glazunov Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in 1995, and from the Directing Department of GITIS (Mark Zakharov workshop) in 1999.
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