Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Preserved Embassy Foundation
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The New Jerusalem State Historical and Art Museum hosted a discussion entitled "Nature and Culture: Preservation, Development, and Reaching New Audiences." The meeting was part of the School for Volunteer Program Leaders and Regional Representatives, in anticipation of the Foundation's School—the Potanin Foundation's largest environmental and volunteer initiative. In 2026, more than 500 students and teachers will travel to dozens of protected areas across the country to support specially protected natural areas. The Zapovednoye Posledstvo (Protected Embassy) charitable educational foundation, as usual, served as a partner of the School and the meeting. Natalia Romanovna Danilina, President of the Zapovednoye Posledstvo (Protected Embassy) Foundation, served as the discussion's speaker.
Nature reserves are a unique intersection of science, culture, and history.
The meeting at New Jerusalem brought together conservation professionals and volunteer program leaders from across the country, who will support and guide the School's volunteers this summer. They discussed common challenges, existing barriers, and ways to collaborate to strengthen and develop the cultural and historical landscape, as well as the preservation and promotion of Russia's natural and cultural heritage.
The discussion was moderated by Ksenia Lamshina, editor-in-chief of "Moscow Culture" and author of the "Cultural People" Telegram channel. She outlined the key issue: in protected areas, the natural landscape is often inseparable from the cultural one, meaning that conservation efforts should be carried out by professionals in the fields of nature conservation and culture. However, currently, natural and cultural objects associated with the natural environment—and there are many of them—are perceived as distinct and rarely intersecting worlds. She invited the speakers to discuss what unites them and how to preserve them.
Oksana Fodina, Program Director at the Potanin Foundation, noted that the Foundation's portfolio includes many initiatives at the intersection of cultural and natural heritage, such as projects for the Yasnaya Polyana Estate Museum, home to Leo Tolstoy's estate, the Sviyazhsk Island-Town Museum-Reserve, the Archstoyanie Festival, and others.
"Cultural and natural heritage, seemingly parallel at first glance, are often naturally intertwined in projects. The Foundation's goal is to popularize such initiatives, introduce them to new audiences, and demonstrate their relevance and appeal. To this end, we compile project stories into publications, produce documentaries about our participants, and utilize exhibition solutions," she said.
Heritage is not just a phenomenon of human culture; it is the entire integrity of natural processes, part of the development of which is the cultural and natural life of man.
Natalia Romanovna Danilina, President of the Nature Conservation Embassy Foundation, emphasized that there are significant barriers to unifying efforts. These include, first and foremost, institutional and legislative separation, as well as the common perception in society that nature reserves and national parks are solely guardians of pristine nature, which understates their role. For example, the renowned Kenozersky National Park is the custodian of the history and culture of the Pomors, unique cultural landscapes featuring ancient wooden architecture. The park was recently inscribed on the World Heritage List specifically as a cultural landscape. The Central Black Earth Nature Reserve is undertaking complex work to preserve the historically developed steppe biodiversity, and the Kulikovo Field Museum-Reserve has restored and maintains the feather-grass steppe in the state it was in during the Battle of Kulikovo. These are the most striking examples, but there are many others that clearly demonstrate the indivisibility of natural and nature-related cultural heritage. The Foundation's school is unique in that it aims to preserve heritage in its entirety.
The museum as a platform for meaning
The New Jerusalem is an example of a museum that expands its mission beyond traditional exhibitions, using its resources to promote cultural heritage. According to Irina Karabanova, the museum's deputy general director, concerts are held to attract people who don't usually attend exhibitions but enjoy music. The museum also actively engages with local residents of Istra, who rarely attend exhibitions. To this end, it launched the "Art Closer" program, which displays reproductions of exhibitions on stands in city parks and forested areas. The museum also operates an interactive children's center, introducing children to local history from an early age. The New Jerusalem also serves as a conference venue—all of which underscores its primary goal: not just preserving heritage but also promoting it as widely as possible.
When nature "lives" in a museum
When museum-reserves acquire new territories that include natural landscapes, it becomes a serious challenge. Kirill Kondratyev, Director of the Kolomensko-Zaraisky State Museum-Reserve, believes that the traditional museum structure, adapted to working with inanimate exhibits, is often unprepared for managing "living" nature—forests, ponds, and even animals—which require a completely different approach and consideration. For many staff, the idea of working with living, growing, and dying trees seems alien, as they are accustomed to dealing with dead wood and pest control within the building. Many museums still don't consider their natural resources a significant part of their work, which can lead to the gradual destruction of historic landscapes. Therefore, it is important to build a team of competent specialists within the museum to manage this invaluable resource, urged Kirill Kondratyev.
The cultural layer and how to work with it
Krasnoyarsk Stolby National Park is an example of a protected natural area becoming part of Krasnoyarsk's cultural identity, shaped by a unique local subculture known as "stolbism." This movement, founded in 1851, is based on free climbing, social interaction, and a love of rocks, and has become a true intangible heritage that helps protect nature. Acting Deputy Director for Environmental Education and Educational Tourism at Krasnoyarsk Stolby National Park, Svetlana Yushkova, explained that "stolbism" has shaped strong support for the park and a unique culture of caring for the syenite cliffs, as climbers eschew the use of tools, preserving the rock formations. Thanks to its traditions, legends (such as the story of Krasnoyarsk stolbist Alexander Gubanov, whose galoshes ended up in the British Museum), and 14 historic izba (cabins), the movement is alive and expanding its reach for environmental education, attracting even those interested in more than just nature. Local communities are becoming key allies in environmental conservation, the speaker emphasized.
Volunteers are not only helpers, but also conductors of meaning
Experts agreed that volunteers and the active public play a key role in all of the processes described, as their involvement and concern greatly enhance public support and help promote the need for a comprehensive approach to protecting natural and cultural resources. Experience shows that working with them is most effectively accomplished not through one-off events, but through systematic interaction with established communities, as is the case with the "stolbism" subculture in Krasnoyarsk Stolby. Such deep integration allows activists not only to foster a culture of respect for nature but also to participate in the preservation of historical infrastructure and serve on public councils for joint decision-making.
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