Once we had the key word - character development: "acceleration" and "new thinking". Today they are forgotten, and not having time to become a reality. Meanwhile, in the field of culture "new thinking" is needed. Need it and those who create and preserve the culture, and to those who accept and those who control her life and development.

In the business documentation activities of cultural institutions are still characterized as a "service", at the office of museum exhibits - "goods". When they say "cultural values", it almost always mean the monetary value of works of art. Cash equivalents are completely overshadowed by a special type of values - cultural. Accordingly, the culture and in words, and constantly thinking of making simplistic terms: "property", "price", "liability", "inventory".

It is very difficult society to understand that culture - is the most important thing that we have, it is inherited memory of generations, the main difference between man and animals and people together. Once again, this is reflected in the fact that culture is not only fell out of the national projects, but clearly not considered in a number of government priorities. And not only in Russia.

audience, even intelligent, had forgotten (or not used) to think and reason freely . In this issue contains an article on the history of painting of the Winter Palace and Palace Square. This paper - part of the discussion that the Hermitage is trying to organize. However, the mechanism of the debate did not work. People do not want to understand what "discuss". They see everything as some kind of solution, which can accept or fight. Max, what happens - there is the term "public hearing". appeal, we become almost the sole form of participation in the discussion. This primitive .

Against this background, it is very difficult to explain fine details of an innovative and sensitive approach to the problem of the Hermitage show of new art in a classical context, the Hermitage admission comparisons of different architectural ideas of the Hermitage "philosophical" museological debate, not requiring immediate action.

The new thinking, as I believe, should be based on three important aspects of the social role of culture - as the ethics of public life, as a particular style of economics, as an incentive and criterion of efficiency solutions. But for them - next time.

Michael Piotrowski,
Director of the State Hermitage.