In the Irkutsk Art Museum, the opening of the Baikal International School of Social Research

IRKUTSK. The development of museums and the creation of interactive exhibits were discussed by participants of the VIII Baikal International School of Social Research, the opening of which was held in the Irkutsk Regional Art Museum. In the hall of Russian Art, among the paintings of the 19th century, a substantive discussion of the problem took place - how to make the classical museum closer to the modern public, in particular, to children. The experience of creating book exhibitions at the State Public Historical Library of Russia was announced, as well as the interactive exhibition "Siberians free and involuntary" in the Tomsk Regional Museum of Local Lore.

The participants of the forum attracted a lot of attention by Yulia Terekhova’s speech “A House with a Lion: How to Make a Wooden House a Cultural Center”. In 2009, Julia purchased an old wooden house in the village of Popovka, Saratov Region, which was uniquely given by murals created more than a hundred years ago by an unknown artist, most likely from peasants. Today, “The House with the Lion” is the first private Museum of folk monumental painting in Russia, which has become a center of attraction for tourists, volunteers, philanthropists, and local residents. A visit to the museum is free for everyone, the project exists with donations and grants.

Further discussion of issues related to the development of museums, as well as research in documentary and scientific prose, will be held on the island of Olkhon. At the end of the session in Irkutsk, the forum participants were able to get acquainted with both the permanent exhibition of the Irkutsk Art Museum and the exhibition of the Italian photographer John Pepper. The guests noted the richness and diversity of the museum’s collection, and in particular, Julia Terekhova found a practical component for herself - she has planned an internship in the USA in the near future, and the exhibition of John Pepper, according to Julia, will be useful for her creative work in America.