The Pushkin Museum, the Tretyakov Gallery, the GES-2 House of Culture in Moscow, and St. Petersburg’s Hermitage experienced unplanned evacuations as visitors were directed to leave. Reports circulating on several Telegram channels showed footage of people moving through the halls and outside the buildings.
In a statement from the Culture House press service, visitors were evacuated after an anonymous call prompted a search for a potential explosive device inside the museum complex. According to TASS, the safety check prompted the temporary shutdown of access to the venues while security teams assessed the risk.
Within the Pushkin Museum im. Pushkin, the Telegram channel Inside Telegraph relayed a message indicating the museum was closed for technical reasons. The administration advised guests that tickets could be refunded or exchanged via an electronic application, offering flexibility for those who planned to visit later.
The Tretyakov Gallery reported that the Lavrushinsky Lane complex briefly restricted public access. Guests who had not completed their planned tour could still use their tickets for a 14-day window to revisit the gallery. Management did not provide a detailed explanation for the closures, but noted that other galleries within the same network remained open for visitors.
The Hermitage in St. Petersburg reportedly asked visitors to leave for what was described as technical reasons, according to a post on the channel marked “78.”
Early on the morning of June 24, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced that all mass events in the city would be canceled as authorities declared the city under an anti-terror operation regime, a measure that impacted cultural institutions and public gatherings alike. This directive intensified precautionary steps across major cultural sites in the capital and its outskirts, guiding institutions to pause normal operations while safety protocols were reviewed. The city’s leadership emphasized that the move aimed to protect residents and visitors during a period of heightened security concerns, with ongoing coordination between municipal services and cultural venues to ensure rapid communication and safe egress when necessary.