The Volunteer Service of the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia offers anyone interested an opportunity to become involved in the running of this world-renowned museum. The program serves to aid the Hermitage with its external and internal activities but also functions as an informal link between the museum staff and the public, making the knowledge of the museum’s experts accessible to the general community. Volunteers may also develop projects reflecting their own personal goals and interests in connection with the museum.
Contents |
The principle mission of the Volunteer Service is to acquaint younger generations with international culture and heritage through its access to the Hermitage's extensive international collections. The volunteer program aims to help younger generations understand the value of tradition and to instill in them a feeling of responsibility for its preservation. Based on a creative, fun and interactive method, the Volunteer Service involves young students in various cultural projects, both directly linked to various museum activities and not. Through its programs the Volunteer Service hopes that young people will have a chance to discover and better appreciate their cultural heritage, and to have a voice concerning its preservation.
Shortly before the celebration of the 300th anniversary of Saint Petersburg, Mikhail Kozhukhovskij approached the Hermitage Administration and proposed that a volunteer service be created in order to aid in the organization of this momentous event.[1] At the same time, he began to search for individuals with experience in the creation of educational programs who were interested in being part of such a project. Due to his efforts, as the celebration of the 300th anniversary of Saint Petersburg approached, the Hermitage was able to choose from among a group of 150 individuals prepared to help. On the 23rd of May, 2003 a group of volunteers wearing red uniforms entered the Hermitage for the first time and began to assist in any way they could.[2] Mikhail Kozhukovskij was quickly posted as the head of this new Volunteer Service. While still in its infancy, the program created many projects in collaboration with various departments of the Hermitage which allowed volunteers to become an integral part of the museum's staff.[3]
The program is continually renewed through a constant flow of new volunteers. Students, workers, Russians, foreigners, young and old work together for the general improvement of the Hermitage. Over the years, a small group dedicated to this cause was formed. This allowed for closer monitoring of projects and created a pleasant and intimate work atmosphere. Currently, volunteers involved with the program come from all over the world including Russia, Switzerland, the United States, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Lebanon, Brazil and other countries.[4] Each volunteer devotes time to the program according to their individual schedules and skills. They include linguists, art historians, journalists, teachers, computer scientists as well as individuals from other professions not necessarily linked to the cultural sphere. For instance, the volunteer service is proud to have a bus driver, an arachnologist and a dancer among its members. The Volunteer Service welcomes every kind of skill: the only essential quality is enthusiasm. Even after Hermitage volunteers leave the Service, many keep in touch with the program and its other members. In this way, the volunteer program has established an extensive international network of contacts.
The Volunteer Service aids the Hermitage in a variety of different ways. Through its work, the program aims to provide its volunteers with strong professional and personal experience. Below are some examples of the activities in which members of the program may participate:
This is the flagship project of the Volunteer Service. The title WHY is expressive of its content : ‘Why is it important for younger generations to preserve their cultural heritage?’. Its main goal is to bring into focus the importance of tradition. This project involves volunteers in various programs and conferences concerning cultural preservation. One excellent example of the sort of issues at the forefront of the WHY project is the current debate regarding the construction of the Okhta Center, one of the most criticized building projects proposed in contemporary Saint Petersburg. Many volunteers have reacted negatively to its potential construction. Stressing the importance of preserving the historic center of Saint Petersburg, the program is actively involved in the discussion surrounding this controversial project.
The Summer University of the State Hermitage Museum is the direct result of the WHY project. Since 2009, the Volunteer Service has organized the Summer University each July in collaboration with the Russian company Rosatom.[5] Students, often from remote areas of Russia, are invited to participate in a series of events and activities designed to educate them about cultural tradition. For many of them, the Summer university is the first opportunty to discover and explore the notion of cultural heritage. The Volunteer Service organizes various activities suited for this inexperienced but enthusiastic audience.
This was the first project created by the Volunteer Service. Its goal is to draw attention to the problem of preserving historical architecture. The city of Ropsha, located South-west of Saint Petersburg, is the site of a palace included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Hermitage Volunteers took part in a campaign to stop the destruction of this beautiful monument. They started by gathering information about this location, and then created a unique archive. The project which was most important for the Service, however, was the creation of the Christmas Tree Museum at the site of the palace, which helps the children of the city to understand this almost universal holiday tradition.
Every year the Volunteer Service organizes games and fun activities which aim to present world history on a level easily understood by children. Each game focuses on a particular aspect of history, cultural heritage or tradition. In February 2009, for example, the Service created a game called The Day of the Scythians about ancient Pazyryk culture. Through this game young participants were able to discover this elaborate and fascinating civilization. The Service also organizes educational contests. These contests are developed through collaboration with schools as part of their academic programs. Various Hermitage Departments are also involved in these contests. At the beginning of winter, for example, the Service traditionally organizes a computer science contest. It aims to encourage children to use new technology and at the same time help them to discover more about the history and culture of ancient peoples. One recent contest was able to reach not only young Russians, but a wider audience as well. Organized in December 2010, a contest about Siberian civilization called On the Treshold of Discovery was open to all European school children.