Museum Alliances: Shared Values Reflected in the Cultural Diversity of CIS Countries

16:30 — 17:30 (May 21)
New Treryakov Gallery
Small Hall

#future_of_heritage
#heritage_preservation


Panel Discussion

The CIS member states have undergone a prolonged process of forging new national identities beyond the common Soviet paradigm. This ideological transformation has posed a cultural challenge for all involved. The search for new meanings has been accompanied by a re-evaluation of shared history and the complex layers of collective memory. Paradoxically, the very movement toward independence has revealed deep-rooted connections and intertwined cultural codes that have developed over centuries.
The region’s shared historical and cultural space is reflected in museum collections. Today, museums not only document historical continuity but also serve as platforms for meaningful exchange and creative dialogue. Regardless of current political circumstances, they remain capable of fostering solidarity and promoting transnational cultural heritage.
Thus, museum collaboration becomes a tool for shaping a new supranational unity — one built on mutual recognition of differences, shared memory, and respect for cultural diversity.

• How do CIS museums reinterpret their shared cultural past while forging new unifying narratives?
• What institutional mechanisms support cross-border museum collaboration?
• Could the historical logic of the Silk Road serve as a model for future cultural diplomacy?

Speakers:
Elena Titova, Director, Russian National Museum of Decorative Arts
Zhyldyz Bakashova, Director, National Historical Museum of the Kyrgyz Republic
Shirin Melikova, Director, Azerbaijan National Museum of Arts
Anna Kononova, General Director, National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus