Instruct or entertain? Constructing audiences by museum staff in Russia

This study investigates how museum staff in Russia conceptualize their audiences in the context of evolving cultural policies and institutional requirements. The research addresses the complexity of museums as multifaceted organizations navigating the tension between preservation, education, and entertainment. Employing a qualitative methodology, the study analyzes 33 semi-structured interviews with museum professionals from 21 museums across 13 Russian regions, representing various types and ownership structures. The analysis identifies three different types of museums based on the dominant «episteme» guiding their operations and audience formation: those prioritizing educational values, those emphasizing recreational functions, and those focusing on creative engagement. Museums with a strong educational bias, often established during the Soviet era, tend to maintain traditional exhibition formats and view visitors as recipients of knowledge. Museums prioritizing entertainment, frequently emerging in the post-Soviet period, adopt interactive approaches and see visitors as customers seeking engaging experiences. Finally, creatively oriented museums, including art galleries and vernacular museums, often collaborate with local communities and view visitors as active participants in meaning-making. The findings reveal that museum staff actively shape their audiences through their understanding of the museum’s role, the design of exhibitions, and their interaction strategies. These processes are influenced by historical legacies, neoliberal cultural policies, and the increasing need for museums to engage with diverse publics. The study concludes by highlighting the varying approaches to audience construction in Russian museums and their implications for visitor engagement and museum development.

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