The Russian authorities are increasingly interfering with the programs of the country's museums and art galleries to ensure that they reflect national values
With artists in exile overseas and exhibitions closed, contemporary art has been in Moscow's sights since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Russian authorities are increasingly interfering with the programs of the country's museums and art galleries to ensure that they reflect national values.
The State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow is one institution that's been on the receiving end of this pressure. Its general director, Zelfira Tregulova, recently received a letter signed by the deputy director of the Russian Ministry of Culture's Department of Museums and Foreign Relations, Natalia Chechel, asking her to rethink some of her exhibitions, according to the Moscow Times. The reason? They are supposedly at odds with the state's policy "to preserve and strengthen traditional Russian spiritual and moral values," in accordance with Presidential Decree 809, which took effect on November 9, 2022.