Ashmolean Museum and Perm State Art Gallery Look at Future Partnership

Oxford and Perm have been twin cities for over 20 years and the friendship between the two cities is vital and dynamic, involving projects ranging from theatre and story-telling to youth football exchanges. The link with the Ashmolean Museum opens up exciting new possibilities for collaboration.

The Director of the Ashmolean, Dr Alexander Sturgis said: “The Perm gallery is regarded as the most remarkable Ural art museum in Russia with a collection which includes among other things a remarkable collection of painted wooden sculptures. The Ashmolean has the UK’s most significant collection of Russian art. We are keen to explore future areas for international collaboration. This could take a range of different forms including the exchange of works of art, expertise and ideas.”

The Director of the Perm State Art Gallery, Yulia Tavrizyan said: “We feel honoured to have visited Oxford and the Ashmolean to discuss possible future collaboration. We would like to start with a small exhibition exchange and then, as things progress, to be able to share more of the wonderful offerings of our different museums with the people of our twinned cities.”

Tatiana Grigoreva Head of International Relations at Perm City Council said: “We are also celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of Perm University. A link with the Ashmolean would be a wonderful way to celebrate the bonds between our two cities, which began with joint working between the two universities.”

During their visit, they also learned that the Ashmolean has a bust of Sergei Diaghilev, founder of the influential “Ballets Russes” who lived in Perm until he was 16. Every year, the city hosts the Diaghilev Festival, an international arts event.

Tatiana and Yulia also visited the Story Museum, Modern Art Oxford, and Waddesdon Manor.

Perm is one of five twin cities who are linked with Oxford, including Leon (Nicaragua), Leiden (Netherlands), Bonn (Germany), and Grenoble (France). Activities with our twin cities are open to be shaped by anyone in the city. If you have an idea for an activity that crosses national borders, contact internationallinks@oxford.gov.uk.