The forum brought together members of the professional community, cultural institutions, media representatives, researchers, curators, and experts from related fields. This year, the central theme of Museum Guide was the individual — the museum visitor, a participant in cultural processes, and a co-creator of new meanings. Discussions focused on audience engagement, the impact of modern technologies on culture, and the role of museums in shaping local environments and communities.
This year’s programme was truly extensive. Special events for the Foundation’s community took place at more than ten venues. Discussions integrated into the broader Intermuseum. BRICS+ festival programme explored the use of artificial intelligence in museums, museum work with children and adolescents, preservation of industrial heritage, fundraising in the museum sector, and the Foundation’s experience supporting interdisciplinary projects involving theatre, creative industries, and gastronomy. Throughout the three-day forum, the Vladimir Potanin Foundation Lounge welcomed participants and festival guests at the New Tretyakov Gallery on Kadashevskaya Embankment. More than 1,000 visitors attended the lounge during the event.
On the eve of the festival’s official opening, the Vladimir Potanin Foundation hosted a presentation dinner for its new publication, Not Aspic Fish: Feasting at the Museum, attended by more than 200 guests, including international participants and experts of Intermuseum. Photographs from the event are available in the photo gallery.
One of the highlights of the forum was the awards ceremony for the winners of the Museum Without Borders programme competitions for the 2025–2026 season, held on May 21 at the Other Stage of the Sovremennik Theatre. Representatives of 57 projects received awards for initiatives aimed at developing the museum sector, advancing inclusive practices, strengthening local communities, and creating new forms of cultural engagement. The ceremony was directed by Dmitry Mulkov.
As part of the forum’s public programme, two performances of The Restorer: A Person – A Destiny – Art, produced by the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve and the Zavod Theatre Partnership, attracted more than 300 audience members. On the final day of the forum, the Muzeon Arts Park hosted a screening of the documentary The Culture Manufacture, attended by more than 70 participants.
A special place in the Museum Guide 2026 programme was given to the Ideas Laboratory dedicated to the memory of Leonid Y. Kopylov (1951–2025). Supported by the Vladimir Potanin Foundation, the Pro Arte Foundation organized a seminar for 20 museum professionals based on Kopylov’s principles, methods, and approach to museum design. Over two days, participants worked on developing museum project concepts, from the initial idea and interpretation to form, language, and communication strategies for engaging visitors.
The theme of human-centredness extended beyond the forum itself and became one of the key topics of the wider festival programme. One of the central events of the professional programme was a discussion on the future direction of museum development: what values and meanings they should embody and for whom they should be created. Among the speakers was Oksana Oracheva, General Director of the Vladimir Potanin Foundation, who emphasized that it is impossible to imagine a modern institution without an inclusive and people-oriented approach. “Inclusion means that a museum exists for everyone, not for a particular group of people. Every person who enters this space should feel comfortable and enjoy the experience. It is important to talk about people rather than groups, because every one of us is a person,” said Oksana Oracheva. She also noted that museums should consider the needs not only of visitors but also of employees, as they are the ones who shape the institution’s atmosphere and educational environment.
Discussions about the future naturally focused on the people of today. Museum visitors are already changing, and institutions are evolving alongside them. Particular attention was given to children and adolescents, who will become museums’ key audiences in the years ahead. Building meaningful dialogue with younger generations requires not only adapting communication strategies but also creating new forms of cultural experience that expand the traditional boundaries of museums. Participants also emphasized that game-based approaches and digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, are becoming integral parts of museum environments. Their purpose, however, is to enrich content and deepen emotional engagement rather than replace meaning itself.
Experts participating in Museum Guide identified the development of long-term partnerships as one of the essential conditions for a sustainable future for museums. Effective collaboration between institutions is built first and foremost on human relationships founded on trust, responsibility, and mutual respect. Such partnerships require flexibility, co-creation, a willingness to invest jointly in shared outcomes, and openness to new experiences. While collaborative models may emerge through different mechanisms, including grant programmes, their sustainability ultimately depends on a common vision that unites participants and strengthens the museum’s role as a space for cultural dialogue.
The outcomes of the forum clearly demonstrated that strengthening connections with people — both visitors and professionals working within the museum sector — is becoming the key direction for the development of museums. By rethinking formats, fostering partnerships, and exploring new forms of engagement, museums continue to reinforce their role as open cultural institutions that help shape contemporary social and educational context.
Photos of the events are gathered in our VK community.
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