Partner publication from the site terratravel.info
Andrey Ryabokon received support for the initiative on free admission to museums for citizens of Russia, developed at the federal level
The project provides for the possibility of free entry to museums funded from the budget once a month for all citizens of the country. The Council of Legislators under the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation supported the initiative.
The author of the initiative plans to initiate consideration of this project in the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg and submit it to the State Duma in accordance with the Council's recommendations.
We managed to speak with the author of the initiative — Andrey Ryabokon — a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg of the seventh convocation, Deputy Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee of the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg:
How do you plan to ensure funding for museums so that they can operate at an adequate level when free access is introduced?
I do not think that one free day a month will lead to any significant decline in museums' revenues. On the contrary, this measure will lead to increased visits by those who had not planned to go, and to higher income from ancillary services provided by most museums.
I would like to note separately that museums are non-profit organizations. Their task is not to make money, but to ensure access to museum collections for the citizens of our country. The possibility of free admission will help achieve this.
How will the free admission to museums be organized and controlled?
The specific mechanism for implementing this measure should be developed by the Government of the Russian Federation together with representatives of the museum community.
How do you see the impact of this bill on cultural education and the enlightenment of young people?
My initiative is also aimed at increasing young people's interest in museum collections. Existing benefits are available up to age 18, and the definition of 'youth' has been raised to 35 years.
Are there plans to expand the program to other cultural institutions such as theaters, art galleries, or exhibition centers?
If the proposed initiative proves successful, I will prepare proposals for free access for our country's residents to other cultural institutions financed from the budgetary system.
Also, the initiative attracted attention in the project “Going to the Museum”. We spoke with Elizaveta Delorosa — editor-in-chief of the project, advertising and public relations specialist, brand manager:
— The bill has significant potential. Major state museums provide free visiting days; however, the frequency and schedule of such events are often determined by the internal policy of cultural institutions. Introducing new norms will standardize free admission for all museums and various categories of citizens. At the same time, I suppose that certain difficulties may arise for non-state museums. I recommend offering these institutions additional informational and advertising support. In the long term, free access to museums will have a positive effect on the formation of interest in art and history.
This measure will make cultural assets more accessible and will help raise the overall cultural level of Russians, especially in circumstances where many families face financial difficulties visiting museums due to high ticket prices.
Source of the publication: https://terratravel.info/mag/muzei-rossii-dolzhny-stat-dostupnee-dlya-grazhdan/
