Petition in Support of the Russian Institute of Art History (RIII)

Dear Colleagues,

It has recently come to the attention of SHERA's officers that the Russian
Institute of Art History in St. Petersburg is being threatened with
closure, and that a petition is circulating in defense of the Institute at
this address:

http://tinyurl.com/c9dewno
*
*
Late 2012 marked the beginning of a campaign in Russia to “consolidate”
cultural institutions in order to “increase their economic effectiveness.”
This campaign was launched by people who are more familiar with efficiency
in labor organization than with the type of intellectual production
necessary in the humanities.  Among their initiatives is a proposal to
eliminate one of the oldest cultural institutions in Russia, the Russian
Institute of Art History (RIII), which was founded in 1912. The Institute
is an important base for scholars, with an extraordinary high level of
professionalism and integrity. For more in the Russian Institute of Art
History, see http://www.artcenter.ru/en/

The text of the petition is in Russian. We as SHERA officers believe that
it is a worthwhile cause for our membership to support. Whatever other
motivations there might be for closing it, our position as art historians
is clear--that art historical research is important and should be
prioritized; it should not fall victim to "economic necessity." SHERA's
mission is to promote research on art from this region, and we encourage
you to sign this petition in support of our Russian colleagues.*
*

http://tinyurl.com/c9dewno

Sincerely,
SHERA Officers

Margaret Samu, President
Natasha Kurchanova, Vice-President/President-Elect
Yelena Kalinsky, Secretary-Treasurer
Society of Historians of East European, Eurasian, and Russian Art and
Architecture
[email protected] <[email protected]>

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