Malaga’s Russian art museum opens doors in low-key event

VLADIMIR GUSEV, director of the State Russian Art Museum of St Petersburg, visited Malaga for the launch of the new branch of the museum in the city.

Although official mourning for victims of the Germanwings air crash meant celebrations were cancelled, the opening of the museum went ahead today, March 25, with a minute of silence and a brief opening speech replacing planned activities.

The museum, which expects to receive 150,000 visitors during its first year, currently houses 169 pieces of Russian 15^th to 20^th century art plus a temporary display of 69 pieces dedicated to Sergei Diaghilev, founder of the Ballets Russes.

This year’s permanent collection aims to provide an insight on the development of Russian art over the years from religious pieces from mediaeval times to modern work of recent years, while the temporary exhibition offers a look at Russian culture in the 20th century.