Nearly 170,000 people visited the Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore and its branches in 2022, reported Valery Shishanov, Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the museum.
According to him, 2020 and 2021 were challenging years due to the coronavirus pandemic. Attendance significantly decreased during this period, with a large drop in the number of visitors observed even in the most popular branches of the Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore. "Last year, we restored the previous level of attendance. There were quite a lot of guests from Russia, and a significant overall increase was noted. In a year, 169,630 people visited the museum and its branches, and 115 exhibitions were presented. In addition, there were various events related to Museum Day and the calendar cycle, held during the "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk" arts festival," Valery Shishanov clarified. "Previously, the most popular branch among our affiliates was the I.E. Repin Estate Museum "Zdravnevo," but now exhibitions in the Town Hall and the Art Museum were actively visited."
The permanent exhibition on the nature of the northern region remained the consistent leader in the number of excursion groups of schoolchildren. The history of ancient Vitebsk of the 9th-14th centuries, which presents archaeological materials and data on local cultural monuments, also generated great interest. Among the most successful temporary projects were the unique Masonic exhibition from the pre-revolutionary collection of the renowned Vitebsk collector Vaclav Fedorovich "Spadchyna adzinay Belarusi" dedicated to National Unity Day, and an exhibition of works by the artist, sculptor, writer, and archaeologist Jazep Drozdevich. "We are pleased that the theme of our cultural heritage attracts attention. It can be said that we have restored attendance and hope that 2023 will also yield good results. We are establishing good connections with Russian travel agencies. We hope that Belarusian travel agencies and visitors will also be active," noted the deputy director of the museum.
He added that quests based on exhibitions have recently become popular among school-aged visitors. This form of work at the museum will be improved, as will the technical base. After all, multimedia tools, interactive panels, and play areas harmoniously complement exhibition projects.
Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by