Dmitry Ozerkov, responsible for contemporary art at St. Petersburg Hermitage, left his post and the country. Russia “kicked everyone out who wanted good things for their culture,” quoted Russian Internet newspaper The Insider from a statement by Ozerkov.
He’s worked for the museum for 22 years – but he hasn’t been involved in the museum’s activities since early March, as 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 the Russia of today”
“When in 2006 the Department of Contemporary Art was conceived and launched by the Director General, it was considered a new integral part of the Museum, capable of reviving the old collection and giving it new vectors of development and interpretation, capable of giving art a new language. ”, says Oserkow
After Russia sent its troops to Ukraine, however, dialogue and respect no longer mattered in Russia, Ozerkov said. As a Russian citizen, he saw this as his own fault. “My decision was therefore not to do anything else in Russia today.”