16 jaro | spring 2015/1 text a foto: Maria Kaulen, Irina Chuvilova, Olga Cherkaeva abstrakt | abstract • Regional Museums in Russia: In modern Russia the development of new approaches to attracting the museum audience and studying the museum How to Solve visitors, have become matters of crucial importance. The change in the society’s attitude towards cultural heritage allows one not only preserve it as a particular the Accessibility Problem? valuable niche in the structural and functional system of the culture, but also to reveal its uniqueness and signif- Museum Network Development Strategy icance in terms of organizing historical and cultural environment of the region. Museum plays a particular role in the soci- ety’s familiarization with its cultural heritage. We suggested a set of recommen- dations that would facilitate the access of the population to the cultural objects. Rozvoj nových přístupů pro přilákání muzejního publika a studování muzejních návštěvníků se v moderním Rusku stávají záležitostmi se zásadním významem. Změna v postoji společnosti vůči kultur- nímu dědictví umožňuje nejenom uchovat jej jako konkrétní cennou věc ve strukturál- ním a funkčním systému kultury, ale také odhalit jeho jedinečnost a význam, pokud jde o organizaci historického a kulturního prostředí v daném regionu. Muzeum hraje specifickou úlohu při seznamování společ- nosti s jejím kulturním dědictvím. Navrhli jsme soubor doporučení, které usnadní přístup obyvatel ke kulturním statkům. Ryazan Museum-Reserve (Open Air Museum) One of the main problems of museum than 3 thousand natural, historic, and architec- operations in modern Russia is museum ture objects. accessibility for local population, since quite often some districts and settlements do not The dynamics of development of the museum possess any museum institution. In addi- network in the Ryazan region has been positive tion, the nearest museums are situated during 15 years, which reflects great attention far from these territories or the latter have paid to this field by the regional authorities. insufficient transport connections, espe- Thus, in 1996, there were only 16 museums cially in rural areas, and suffer from poor in the Ryazan region, whereas in 2012, their road quality. number reached 41. However, one can observe unstable attendance rates: 623 thousand A typical example is Ryazan region situated people in 1995; 539,6 thousand people in 2000; in Central Russia, 200 km from Moscow. Its 656 thousand (surge of interest) during area is 39.6 thousand square km. The popula- 2005–2008; and then a decline to 572 thousand tion is approximately 1160 thousand people, visitors during 2011–2013. However, accord- with 69% living in cities and 31% in rural areas. ing to the research data, today “the share The region has 2746 settlements, 34 of which of museum visits in the leisure activities are urban municipalities. There are 41 museums of the real museum audience in the Ryazan and 21 of them are located in the cities and 20, region villages is only 14.3% (35.6% in a small in rural areas. Ryazan region comprises more town); many village residents cannot visit jaro | spring 2015/1 jaro | spring 2015/1 17 text a foto: Maria Kaulen, Irina Chuvilova, Olga Cherkaeva the museums because of geographical remote- mendations that would facilitate the access ness and poor transport infrastructure. There of the population to the cultural objects. are only 13 museums available for the residents of 2746 villages of the Ryazan region1. It is well known that small municipal, village, departmental, and private museums have In this respect, the development of new the strongest impact on local communities. approaches to attracting the museum audience These museums located in towns, work as his- and, consequently, studying the museum visi- torical museums of local lore, and their opera- tors, have become matters of crucial importance. tion is mainly oriented to the local community. Searching for appropriate solutions to museum One of the major conclusions: taking into con- problems of the region, Ministry of Culture sideration low population density of the vast and Tourism of the Ryazan region requested territory and small number of villages and assistance of the Russian Museum Encyclo- settlements, it would be inefficient to establish pedia research group. A complex survey was museums in each residential place. Under these conducted including the analysis of the regional circumstances, the following work strategies cultural policy, identification of the region’s were recommended: cultural heritage objects to be added 1) development of the program for opti- to the category of museum objects, and study mizing the distribution of museums; of the museum audience and its demands. 2) turning artefacts of regional importance Study of museum audience in the Ryazan Museum-Reserve Studying the current cultural development into museum objects; musealisation in the regions and the progress of the legislative of the environment (introduction of vari- formed into true museums. Thus, the Histor- practice showed a gradual emergence of an inno- ous museum elements into socio-cultural ical Center of Local Lore located in the Shatsk vative poly subject / regional model of cultural and every day environment district of the Ryazan region will become policy. The change in the traditional paradigm of the settlements); a fully functional museum in the near future. creates favorable conditions for autonomous 3) better protection of intangible cultural The Center was created at the initiative cultural development of the region and use heritage; and of the Department of Culture of the Shatsk of all the resources of the regional community. 4) active program of travelling exhibitions Municipal District Administration in 2005 Regional specifics and the organization of cul- that would bring objects from regional and became a cultural museum complex tural life differ in terms of local traditions and museum collections. in the city of Shatsk. It is engaged in elab- the characteristics of political, economical, and orating cultural, educational, and tourist institutional order. Preservation of cultural herit- So, 1) Study, preservation, and actualiza- programs and publishing various articles age and integral regional environment including tion of the historical and cultural heritage dealing with the subject of the local lore. its nature and culture represents a high-priority of the region is closely linked to the problem The Center conducts educational activities for of the region’s cultural policy2. of optimizing the museum network which children of various ages. Sociological surveys is characterized by an uneven distribution showed that special attention should be paid The recognition of the need to revise one’s of museum institutions, disproportion between to working with young people and chil- attitude towards cultural heritage, and the tran- different types of museums, etc. First of all, dren. The programs Shatsk roots and Little sition from the protective concept to that in order to ensure the accessibility of museums, museum (Muzeyka) were developed in order of the sustainable development of a region one should develop a program for optimizing to familiarize pupils with traditional culture which considers heritage as a resource is a first the distribution of museums and muse- and the historical and cultural heritage step towards the establishment of a new um-type facilities in rural area. Village of Shatsk region. All courses are based on stud- paradigm for integrating cultural heritage museums, especially in remote regions, play ying authentic exhibits. The main principle into modern social environment. The change a specific role, since they incorporate club and of the program: hold in hand-try in prac- in the society’s attitude towards cultural recreation centre and represent a place for con- tice. The museum projects, such as Let us heritage allows one not only preserve it stant interactions between local residents. write our history, as well as the events as a particular valuable niche in the structural Canvas of victory and The whole family and functional system of the culture, but Small museum sites inseparably linked with to the museum were implemented and con- also to reveal its uniqueness and significance the interests of local communities should be ducted in the region. in terms of organizing historical and cultural located in junction settlements connected environment of the region. to surrounding areas by a well-developed However, there are several areas in the Ryazan road network. These may not necessarily be region with no museums at all, which has Museum plays a particular role in the socie- museums in the proper sense of the word with important consequences for the cultural life ty’s familiarization with its cultural heritage, fund collections and a full range of museum of these settlements. Starozhilovsky district so as a result, we suggested a set of recom- activities: it would be reasonable to focus with its population of 17 thousand people on creating various museum-type facilities that is a prominent example of this unfortu- would combine museums with other cultural nate phenomenon. However, the district is a homeland of Vasily Golovin (who made 1 См.: Культура Рязанской области в цифрах [Culture of Ryazan and educational institutions (school museum, region in figures]. 2013. Рязань, 2014. library museum, ecological path, etc.). Nowa- two journeys round the world at the begin- 2 Каулен М.Е., Чувилова И.В.,