Elizaveta Likhacheva has stepped into the role of director at the Pushkin Museum, and she recently spoke about the institution’s forthcoming changes in an interview. Her leadership style signals a clear intention to honor the museum’s legacy while pursuing thoughtful modernization that aligns with today’s cultural landscape for visitors in North America and beyond.
One of the first ideas Likhacheva considered was renaming the museum’s principal building to reflect the legacy of its founder and to honor a pivotal moment in its history. She suggested naming the building after the Tsvetaev family, a move that would resonate with long-time supporters and newcomers alike. The plan is to align any naming change with the completion of renovations to ensure a cohesive and symbolic reentry for the public. The intention is to rename the main structure as the Tsvetaevsky Corps, a designation that underscores both historical significance and contemporary relevance.
Beyond naming considerations, Likhacheva indicated a future focus on presenting the museum’s hidden or lesser-known masterpieces. She emphasized that a re-exhibition strategy has narrowed the visible collection, complicating public access to certain works during inspections and transitions. She explained that any change must be considered against the broader context of the museum’s campus project, which is essential to the building’s future capacity and layout. She spends time walking through the building, assessing spaces, and reviewing documentation, planning a careful, period-by-period approach that will unfold over the next weeks and months. This measured, hands-on process reflects a commitment to preserving accessibility while expanding opportunities for visitors to engage with the collection in new ways.
These plans come as the Pushkin Museum coordinates its long-term campus development. The leadership’s emphasis on systematic review and careful planning aims to balance renovation needs with the public’s right to experience and study the museum’s holdings. In parallel, other major institutions in Russia have announced similar efforts to reveal lesser-seen works, signaling a broader trend toward deeper public engagement with historically important pieces. The Pushkin Museum is positioned to contribute to this trend by sequencing displays, improving conservation practices, and potentially extending viewing hours or access through scheduled exhibitions that integrate both the core collection and curated discoveries.
Earlier reports noted that another important Moscow institution, the Tretyakov Gallery, has announced plans to display previously unknown Kandinsky and Venetsianov works. This context highlights a broader national conversation about heritage institutions expanding the public’s access to hidden gems while undergoing modernization. For audiences in Canada and the United States, these developments underscore a growing international interest in Russian art and the opportunities for cross-cultural exchange that museums now actively pursue. The Pushkin’s leadership emphasizes thoughtful, transparent communication with audiences as it navigates the balance between heritage and innovation, inviting visitors to explore both familiar masterpieces and newly revealed treasures.