IT and society: Virtual branch of the State Russian Museum

The State Russian Museum (GRM) is going to open a virtual branch, which is to integrate the richest collection of Russian art and cutting-edge technologies, in one of its buildings in St.-Petersburg.

The new multi-media exhibitions of the Russian museum will be located in the renovated Western Pavilion (Guardhouse) of St. Michael’s (Engineers) Castle. Museum’s Multi-Media Center will become the “entrance” to the world of the Russian museum. Its visitors will be enabled to open the unknown world of the museum activity and artistic creativity, have a chance for a while to become the museum curator, restorer, exhibition maker and enjoy the museum multi-media attractions, which simulate flights over the city, entrance into the virtual picture and tours into historically reconstructed palaces and museum interiors. According to the project’s creator, its main mission is to represent the museum, which is impossible to see during usual excursions within the palace complex, in the popular interactive format with introduction of modern technologies.

The Virtual Russian museum in St. – Petersburg will become the All-Russian methodical center for art museums of Russia, demonstrating the potential of the latest computer technologies in the museum science. The Multi-Media collection of the Russian museum has been successfully displayed at the museums, educational and social institutions in Russia and abroad. Already 60 branches of the Russian museum, which enable virtual tours to the famous St. – Petersburg palaces and art galleries, have been opened worldwide. These excursions arouse a great interest, meanwhile the Russian museum’s director is convinced that virtual tours will not replace real museum’s visits. Specialists claim that the electronic acquisition with the museum’s collection will on the contrary attract a desire to see the exhibits in real life.