On June 12, the exhibition 'Why Am I Human' opened at the Kostenki museum-reserve. Its author, Nadya Pantyulina, shared reflections on the meaning of the human journey, on feelings, and on the search for oneself and one's place in this complex but beautiful world.
The museum director, Inga Vladimirovna Shershen, addressed the guests with a welcoming speech. She emphasized the importance of the project and noted that it was organized by the K. A. Timiryazev State Biological Museum, the Museum of Moscow, and the Vladimir Potanin Charitable Foundation.
The new exhibition is a journey inward, an intellectual quest, and an autobiographical experience. It features nine thematic vectors: World, Environment, Boundaries, Individuality, Connections, Value, Safety, Understanding, Future — nine steps arranged in the space as architectural wooden structures. They were created by Nadya Korbut and Kiril Ass — architects known for exhibitions at the Tretyakov Gallery, the Pushkin and Polytechnic Museums, and the State Archive of Russia. The exhibition would not have been possible without the participation of an additional 84 people. The project was carried out with a grant from the Vladimir Potanin Charitable Foundation as part of the 'Museum 4.0' competition, in the 'New Challenges' category.
Each structure is not just a form but part of a statement. Inside are essays, objects, and personal stories collected and preserved by people. It's an exhibition-dialogue where text and space create a single, sensual metatext. Here, the human being is at the center. So that each person, looking at these images, might suddenly feel: "I am valuable. My memory can live forever."
The reflections of Moscow author Nadya Pantyulina resonate with the thoughts of Voronezh museum professional Irina Kotlyarova about the connection between all generations of people who have ever lived on Earth. The embodiment of this connection can be the most archaic female image — a small figurine of a pregnant woman created by the ancient inhabitants of Kostenki. The question "why am I human" has been asked here by our ancestors for millennia, and each time they answered it differently.
