Exploring Russian Museums ~ Virtually

With the novel coronavirus pandemic still raging, many museums remain closed or mostly closed to in-person visits. But you can still enjoy much of what these venerated institutions have to offer, just in a new format. Many museums are turning to online exhibitions so that virtual visitors can peruse their collections.

One such museum in the US is the Zimmerli Art Museum, at Rutgers University. Zimmerli has launched a new eMuseum, which allows visitors to scan their collections online. Their electronic collections hold more than 7,000 pieces of art and textual information on about 18,000 additional works. New images are being uploaded weekly. Notably, their collections include a large selection of Russian Art and Soviet Nonconformist Art.

Another online museum offering – albeit temporary – is St. Petersburg's Manege Central Exhibition Hall. They have a new exhibit called As They See Us: A Portrait of Russia by the Magnum Agency. This photo series includes 265 images by 39 photographers from 1947-2020. The end of the exhibit features a new project by Nanna Heitmann: Just Stand and Look, which is dedicated to doctors and patients of Hospital 52 in Moscow.

Meanwhile, one of Russia’s most famous museums, the Hermitage, is slowly starting to reopen. For those who prefer to stay at home, however, the Hermitage offers an online viewing option, where you can view thousands of images from their exhibits.

Other museums offering online exhibits include the Tretyakov Gallery, The Museum of Russian Art, The Virtual Russian Museum, and The State Russian Museum.