A list of federal museums, archives and libraries that will retain police security was published on Russia's Interior Ministry website Monday.
Four libraries (the Russian State Library, Russian State Children's Library and Rudomino All-Russian State Library of Foreign Literature in Moscow, and the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg), 10 archives and 46 museums across Russia made the list.
Russia's most famous museums — St. Petersburg's State Hermitage and Russian Museum, and Moscow's Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and Tretyakov Gallery — are all included on the list.
Federal institutions that are not on the list will have to hire private security agencies starting Nov. 1, due to mass police cuts ordered by President Vladimir Putin earlier this year, the Kommersant newspaper reported Monday.
The report said that in addition to museums, libraries and archives, the following children's centers and camps will keep police officers as security guards: Okean (Ocean) in the far eastern Primorye region, Orlyonok (Eaglet) in the southern Krasnodar region and Artek in Crimea.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
