The director of the Hermitage of Modern Art left Russia

Dmitry Ozerkov, responsible for contemporary art at the Saint Petersburg Museum, left his position and country. The Russian Internet newspaper The Insider quoted a statement by Ozerkov that Russia “expelled everyone who wanted good things for its culture.”

He worked at the museum for 22 years – but has not been involved in museum activities since the beginning of March, Oserkow has now announced via Instagram. He left because he no longer wanted to have anything in common with Russia today.

Do nothing more in and for Russia today.

“When the Director General created and launched the Department of Contemporary Art in 2006, it was considered an integral part of the museum, able to revive the old collection and give it new vectors for development and interpretation, able to give classicism a new language,” says Osirko.

Ozerkov said that after Russia sent its troops to Ukraine, dialogue and respect were no longer important in Russia. As a Russian citizen, this was considered a mistake by him. “My decision at the time was to do nothing in and for Russia today.”