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Hermitage Director Says Bulatov Collection Will Be Sold, Urges Global Museum Dispersal

He contends broader placement would raise Erik Bulatov’s international profile beyond a primarily Russian identity.

Overview

  • State Hermitage director Mikhail Piotrovsky told TASS the late artist’s works should go to museums worldwide rather than stay concentrated in Russia.
  • Piotrovsky said the collection will be sold and that the buyer will determine its fate.
  • He argued that limiting the works to the Tretyakov Gallery would confine Bulatov’s reputation to Russia, whereas displays in New York, San Francisco, and Paris could secure global acclaim.
  • Piotrovsky noted Bulatov was among the most expensive artists but remained behind Ilya Kabakov in worldwide recognition.
  • Bulatov died on November 9 at 93, with a farewell planned in Paris and a burial planned in Moscow, and Piotrovsky highlighted the artist’s enduring connection to Russian and Soviet aesthetics despite long residence abroad.