Portraits of legendary Minskers, who made a considerable contribution to the life of the Belarusian capital, have been on show. Among them are ballerina Lyudmila Brzhozovskaya, composer Nikolay Aladov, businessman Meilakh Pupko, conductor Grigory Shirma, actress Stefaniya Stanyuta, and neuropathologist Daniil Markov.
“The ‘free museum’ opens a series of projects aimed at creating a new appearance for the city, exploring new themes, forms and platforms, to showcase the best of our culture, in a clear and interesting way. The city exhibition will introduce Belarusian art to visitors of the capital, as well as reminding locals of forgotten or unfamiliar compatriots. We hope that the achievements of our heroes will inspire visitors of the ‘free museum’ towards self-improvement,” notes Vladimir Bobko, its organiser, and head of Kultprosvet agency.
Twenty portraits from the National Art Museum are on show in Svobody Square, placed in white frames and supplemented by short texts on those depicted. The ‘Free Museum: City Legends’ series will run until the end of September, with more than one million people expected to visit the exhibition over a three month period.
‘Free museum’ in Svobody Square
“It’s wonderful that, today, our collection can be introduced not only in the museum, but in Minsk’s central square. It’s symbolic that it’s being located near the Town Hall, in the heart of our city. Thanks to this project, we can learn about the outstanding people who have lived in our country. I’m sure that the city exhibition will enjoy success and will attract attention towards the history of Belarusian culture and art,” says Natalia Selitskaya, the deputy director for scientific work at the National Art Museum.
Organisers of the project will be paying a lot of attention to its educational component, featuring some free film displays and other activities to support the exhibition. The project is being carried out by communication agency Kultprosvet, together with the National Art Museum of Belarus, and with support from the Minsk City Executive Committee
By Alexander Pimenov
