Appendix B

Resume On The Results Of The Russian-American Seminar Organized For The Volga Region Museums Staff-Members And Held In Saratov In September 1999

The State Russian Museum highly appreciates and expresses its deep gratitude to The Fund for Arts and Culture in Central and Eastern Europe employees and personally to The Fund President Mrs. Jillian Poole for the organization and carrying out jointly with the Russian Museumis Department of Art Museums of Russia of the seminar "The organizational structure updating and fund raising in the museums of Russia" which took place in Saratov city in the A.N.Radishchev State Art Museum from September 13 to September 16, 1999.

35 representatives of the Volga region museums (including the cities of Saratov, Penza, Astrakhan etc.) as well as the Saratov Division of the All-Russian Society for Monuments Protection participated in this seminar. The seminar work became a noticeable event in the Saratov life and was elucidated by the local mass-media and TV.

Within the seminar work the discussed problems have been confirmed to be of great interest and actuality for Russian museums. An effective management, strict organization of inter-museum structures, contacts with other institutions, new forms and methods of visitors drawing, work with the staff and volunteers, financial prognostication happened to be the key subjects to solve a lot of problems in the museums of Russia.

Though some museums in big Russian cities (such as St.Petersburg, Moscow etc.) studied management and marketing in the area of culture pretty good, unfortunately a great number of museums located in small towns distant from "cultural capitals" very often donit know these notions at all. The great part of employees are absolutely sure that their programs financing is a problem of the museum account department, museum director, city administration, in short, anyone but not of themselves. It was very difficult but quite necessary to change the opinion formed for years. And it is certainly can be said now that American experts managed to do that. They were helped by Russian colleagues invited "to join the team" by Jillian Poole personally. The choice proved to be of success. Russian experts on marketing and management from the State Russian Museum and Yaroslavl Art Museum could share their experience and with definite examples supplemented the ideas and judgements of American colleagues. The training in groups with elements of game was extremely popular among seminar participants. At such sessions new ideas, forms and methods of work applicable both for some separate museum division and for the museum in a whole have been originated. A business-plan developing caused very big interest as well. All groups without exception have fulfilled a suggested task and a lot of original solutions have been found. To a considerable extent these trainingis helped every participant not only to go over to a new type of activity but to realize their own creative potential.

Friendly and very natural atmosphere of the seminar (created owing to organizersi efforts) permitted different museumsi representatives to contact very openly and amicably and made the process of teaching very interesting and entertaining. Joint dinners, coffee-breaks and fourchette conducted by Jillian Pooleis initiative also contributed to the fruitful dialogue and close contacts between seminar participants and experts: in the non-formal situation "at a cup of coffee" everybody could discuss with an expert any problem arisen in a course of work. The seminar success was predetermined by the top professionalism of American experts and seminar organizers: all planned measures have been conducted promptly. When participants finally exchanged their views on the results of the seminar,the following reflections have been stated:

  • the seminar radically changed participantsi views at their own abilities, their role and place in a work process
  • the seminar made them re-estimate their museums potentials, analyze the current and perspective museum activity from a new point of view.
  • the information provided by experts (including the book by Jillian Poole) will be a priceless example for the improvement and re-organization of museum work
  • generally the seminar became a source of positive energy and taught the participants to use their creative potential, time, energy and abilities maximum.

    Seminar participants came to the conclusion about the necessity of using obtained knowledge in their museums practical work:

  • to determine promptly the museum mission
  • to develop a new instructions for staff-positioning
  • to revise the managerial system
  • to incorporate the principle of periodic internal reporting of personnel
  • to change the style of arranging and preparation of business papers
  • to activate a fund raising process and searching of sources for that
  • to promote public relations and keep the constant informing of current and future museum programs.
  • Only all mentioned above principles will help to create a new image of the museum, to realize plans and organize fund raising for museums of Russia. Prepared by

    N. Kuleschova, Deputy Director of The State Russian Museum T. Kolpakova, Curator of Department of Art Museums of Russia of The State Russian Museum