How British Collector Stepped in to Help Struggling Russian Art Museum in Spain

The Russian art museum in Malaga - Museo Ruso - was founded in 2015 as the Spanish wing of the Russian State Museum in St Petersburg, with its exhibitions relying on the latter’s unique depository of artistic treasures.

A devoted British art collector has lend a helping hand to a Russian art museum in Spain that found itself in jeopardy.

Jenny Green, who started accumulating Russian art about 20 years ago, offered to exhibit her own private collection of 76 works publicly for the first time to help keep afloat the Museo Ruso, in Malaga's Tabacaler (former tobacco factory) building.

'Window Onto Cultural Soul of Russia'

Museo Ruso, established in 2015, was in effect conceived as a Spanish offshoot of the State Russian Museum in St Petersburg. As such, its permanent and temporary exhibitions have relied on the St Petersburg museum's collection, serving as a "reference point for Russian culture in West Europe." However, once Russia's special military operation in Ukraine started, the branch of the Russian museum found itself facing a difficult challenge.

Screenshot of Twitter account of Colección Museo Ruso / Málaga, Spain.

© Photo : Twitter

The museum in Malaga had four exhibitions up and running when Russia found itself slapped with western sanctions. Works on display as part of War and Peace in Russian Art, the Russian Vanguards, Mayakovsky, Artist and Poet and Dostoevsky exhibits were returned to Russia in early May. The fact is, the initial agreement with the State Russian Museum was due to be renewed on April 17, 2022, but as this did not take place because of the conflagration, ensuing restrictions, and incidents of "cancel culture" targeting Russia. Accordingly, the carefully wrapped works of art loaned by St.Petersburg went back home.

This left the museum with a conundrum: how to fill up the empty halls. This is where Jenny Green stepped in, offering to loan her own collection to the Museo Ruso. Works by renowned Russian artists like Venetsianov, Ivanov, Aivazovsky, Repin, Serov, Bakst, Benois, Kandinsky, Serebriakova, Larionov, Goncharova, Chelischev and Essaian, dating from 1876 to 1980, were to go on display for five months, until June 2023.

“With the exception of seven small works, this represents my entire collection,” Green said at the inauguration of the exhibition.

Screenshot of the Twitter account of a Russian art museum, Museo Ruso, in Málaga.

© Photo : Twitter

José María Luna, the museum’s director, insisted that their commitment to bring Russian art to Malaga remained unchanged.

"Russian culture isn’t responsible for what’s happening. Cancelling Russian culture doesn’t solve anything. Malevich and Tchaikovsky aren’t to blame for this situation and we will continue to work with culture as a bridge between people," Luna stated.