Representatives of The Contemporary Museum of Calligraphy attended the opening of the exhibition “Museum of Soviet lifestyle” in the State Duma

June 14, 2019

Recently, on May 28th, Valiakhmetov Rustem, the Director of Museum of Soviet lifestyle, was a guest at the exhibition “Great Chinese calligraphy and painting” at the State Duma. Soon thereafter, on June the 11th, the delegation from the Association of Russian Private Museums and Contemporary Museum of Calligraphy attended the the grand opening of the exhibition “Museum of Soviet lifestyle” at the State Duma, coinciding with Russia Day.

Organizers of the exhibition were the State Duma Committee on Issues of the CIS, Eurasian Integration and Contacts with Fellow Countrymen, and the Museum of Soviet lifestyle.

Notible attendees of the grand opening ceremony were: Umakhan Umakhanov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Issues of the CIS, Eurasian Integration and Contacts with Fellow Countrymen; Ravil Khusnullin, State Duma member, PhD in Pedagogic sciences; Pavel Shevtsov, Deputy Director of the Federal agency on CIS, compatriots living abroad and international humanitarian cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo); Elena Sutormina, First Deputy Chairman of International Public Fund “Russian Peace Fund”, member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation; Marina Karlova, President of the Andrey Karlov International Charity Foundation; Alexander Turov, Vice-president of International Council for economic cooperation of the regions; Ekaterina Sergeeva, President and producer of the International festival and competition of Russian culture “Istoki”; Sergey Mirov, script-writer, producer, musician; Yulia Abdulova, writer, translator; and a delegation of students from Canada, among others.

Renat Ibragimov, National Artist of RSFSR, opened the exhibition by singing two songs – “Russia – my motherland” and “Stay forever young”.

After the amazing performance by Renat Ibragimov, Irek Zinnurov– Member of the State Duma Committee on CIS, Eurasian integration and relations with compatriots- took up the role of the host and congratulated all the guests for the upcoming celebration - Russia Day. He mentioned that this celebration was an act of love and respect to our homeland, and a symbol of unity. The homeland is the place where one was born, lives, studies, and works.

Members of the Committee on Issues of the CIS, and Contacts with Fellow Countrymen, supported the initiative of Rustem Valiakhmetov, Director of the private Museum of Soviet lifestyle and Honored cultural worker from the Republic of Tatarstan, on holding the exhibition “Museum of Soviet lifestyle” at the State Duma.

Irek Zinnurov figuratively described the history of the making of the Museum of Soviet lifestyle as the oldest project on the topic of everyday life of a soviet person in the 1970s and 1980s in history since the date of the project's founding could be considered the beginning of 1990s. Museum of Soviet lifestyle is a unique project, which is already 28 years old. Having a wide public response, in partnership with the Kazan City government, Museum of Soviet lifestyle has been established in the middle of the city and it is widely accessible.

The previously underground project has become publicly accessible. The most commonly used expression in the Museum of Soviet lifestyle is “I had this!” And I had it too! People can reminisce about those times when they enjoyed life’s little pleasures and the simple things they had, such as jeans, tape recorders, dolls, and toys, in the era before computers and mobile phones. Today the museum works not only in Kazan, but has opened its doors in other cities in Russia: Saint-Petersburg, Moscow, Samara, Elabuga and others. At present, the project is even international: it has branches in Paris and Brussels, and the biggest branch of Museum of Soviet lifestyle is located in Antalya, Turkey. There is a total exhibition space of 900 sqm. Compatriots living abroad actively cooperate with the museum’s employees and take part in various events that are carried out together.

The keynote of all the speeches of the opening was the idea that without the past there is no present and, especially, no future. The objects of soviet life presented at the exhibition help to remember the past in which we were happy and sad, played and studied, comprehending the meaning of life. And if there were more museums, public and private, dedicated to preserving the history of Russia, then we would be more worthy role models to future generations. The speakers reminisced about their past, brought some items from soviet times for the opening and presented them to the Museum of Soviet lifestyle.

At the conclusion of the exhibition’s opening ceremony, the host Irek Zinnurov, on behalf of the members of the State Duma Committee on Issues of the CIS, Eurasian Integration and Contacts with Fellow Countrymen, thanked all the participants and organizors of this exhibition and congratulated everyone once again for the holiday- Russia Day, wishing happiness, health and a peaceful sky above!