Interview with museum director Mikhail Sharomazov published in the district newspaper “Novaya Zhizn”.
Time zips along. It seems that the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve started active restoration of the architectural and art monuments, got the status of the federal museum, and began to receive foreign tourists not long ago… But it is celebrating the milestone anniversary again – this year marks the 90th anniversary of the museum foundation. Mikhail Sharomazov told about the museum work today, relations with visitors and plans for the future in the interview.
- Mikhail Nikolaevich, the museum celebrated its previous anniversary in 2009. What has taken place within the last five years?
- Firstly, the structure of the tourist flow has changed during these years. If earlier the organized groups made up more than 50 percent of visitors, now their number is not significantly larger than 30 percent. For this reason, we had to change the expositions so that individual visitors could perceive them. Secondly, we have increased the restoration volume. The complex of the Assumption Cathedral was the main object over these years. At present the murals in its sanctuary have been restored. The architectural restoration is being completed. And the most important is that this church is open for visitors beginning from May 1. It is a very important event in the museum life. Besides, the main volume of restoration of the Dionisy’s frescoes in the Nativity of the Virgin Cathedral of the Ferapontov Monastery was completed in 2011. Thus, the result of the work that lasted for 30 years was summed up. It was highly appreciated even before the completion and the group of restorers was given the State Award of the RF.
The current work on the site improvement changing the appearance of the museum complexes is also very important. They have just begun it in Kirillov, but we can already see how the central square has altered. The land improvement of the central square in the Ferapontov Monastery is being completed now. The whole area will be improved from September to October.
I should also mention one more extremely significant event of the last years – the opening of the Museum of Town and District History. It becomes more and more popular with local residents every year. It is of vital importance for the future museum that the Tserkovnitsys have donated their house and the area around it to us. The building requires repair and restoration. It will be decided in 2015 when first visitors will be able to come there.
- How does the museum look among other Russian museums? What are the short-term plans?
- If we don’t take into account the museums of St. Petersburg and its outskirts, we are the second museum in the North-West of Russia after Veliky Novgorod according to the number of visitors. But the brand of Novgorod and the brand of Kirillov are different matters. When we speak about high attendance, we are always told that it is thanks to the river cruises. But as I have said earlier, the river cruises give only 30 percent of the visitors, all the rest are individual guests. Russian people come to us by car.
In the circumstances, I think that our actions aimed at the development of the museum on the Tsypina Hill are very important. The Church of St. Prophet Elijah was restored and opened for visitors in 2008. Now they begin to transfer the wooden church from the Lezhdoma village of the Gryazovets district. I hope it will be able to receive the first visitors in three years. It is planned to establish a complex in Tsypino that would tell tourists about a rural priest. Such a museum doesn’t exist anywhere in spite of the abundance of parish churches in our country. A rather ludicrous image of the rural priest was created in the Russian art of the 19th century. But he had a great task – to work with peasant population. That’s why telling about the clergy of Tsypino, we will speak about the Brilliantovs, first of all, and about the rural priest in general through their images.
Obviously, the Museum of Architecture and Ethnography in the village of Semenkovo will be affiliated to us soon and we will become one of those museums in the Russian North that have quite developed expositions of wooden architecture. Furthermore, a number of public organizations suggest establishing a complex on the Tsypina Hill telling about the life of artists and writers who spent some years or a part of life in these places. These are famous people in the Russian art and literature – Yuri Koval, Anatoly Geleskul, Vaily Belov, Nikolay Rubtsov and so on... In my opinion, we should think about this suggestion.
- From Russian to global issues. The UNESCO session was held in July. What position does the Ferapontov Monastery hold among the monuments of the world cultural heritage?
- The UNESCO sessions take place every year. They discuss issues connected with danger to the world cultural heritage, sum up results and accept reports of the member countries. The Ferapontov Monastery didn’t participate in the previous session, as there were no questions concerning our last year’s report on the preservation of the architectural ensemble. It was accepted without any remarks among 10-15 sites taking into account that the UNESCO World Heritage List included over 1000 monuments. It is the only site of the Russian Federation that hasn’t been criticized. The Ferapontov Monastery is the model of preservation and provision of comfortable conditions. Exact compliance with the specialists’ recommendations has led to the creation of the unique temperature and humidity conditions that ensure safety of the Dionisy’s frescoes.
- What is the relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church at present?
- Building up relationship with the functional monastery, the museum recognizes that the believers are a part of our society. That’s why the measures of joint functioning on the grounds of the Kirillo-Belozersky and the Ferapontov Monasteries that are being discussed with the Vologda eparchy now are directed to create conditions for normal work of both the museum and the church.
- Mikhail Nikolaevich, you have told in details what the museum will be. What other changes would you like to see in future?
- I would like to increase the staff and the number of young employees who are really interested in what they are doing. It is important for us to get constantly renewed, to get new efforts and a fresh approach to our work.
Public and political newspaper of the Kirillov district “Novaya Zhizn” (¹ 59 of September 6, 2014)
