Entry through the souvenir shop: How the Pushkin Museum is setting trends

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2023 marks the 111th anniversary of the founding of the Pushkin Museum. We discussed this event with Olga Alekseeva, Souvenir Manager at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. It is her efforts that allow us to harmoniously combine outstanding art with design, as well as social initiatives with commercial projects.

Leading expert in marketing and advertising at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, with an emphasis on souvenirs and cooperation with designers and brands; initiator of the youth career project «Up to me»; creator of the J.oak jewelry brand. He is also the author of the Telegram channel "P. M. Souvenirs."

Why should the Pushkin Museum, with its high status and authority, focus not only on exhibition events but also on selling merch?

— There are many reasons, and each of them is significant; giving a short answer in this case is not possible.

There is a concept known as the experience economy, which states that modern consumers most often spend money not on the product itself, but on the emotions and sensations it evokes. In this regard, museums are forced to compete not only with each other, but also with other forms of leisure, such as walks in the park, visiting cinemas, or watching TV series at home.

Research shows that when choosing a museum or gallery, people consider not only current exhibitions, but also various additional services. Important factors include the availability of benches in the halls, the cozy cafe, the selection of books and souvenirs in the shop, and the opportunity to take attractive photos for social media. Also of interest are courses and workshops for children, the availability of temporary parking spaces, the friendliness of the staff, and many other aspects. All these elements play a significant role in shaping the interaction between the visitor and the institution, helping to increase audience engagement and strengthen attachment to the museum brand.

In our country, trends related to the museum environment are not developing as actively. This is largely due to the traditional approach and lack of funding. Nevertheless, the public is already beginning to recognize these changes. Museums that focus exclusively on scientific activity and do not strive to create a comfortable environment or vivid impressions for their visitors are gradually losing their relevance. There are teams trying to implement modern methods of audience interaction, because everyone needs to attract clients who seek emotions. Souvenirs, in turn, can be a source of strong emotions, prolonging positive impressions of the exhibition and the museum as a whole.

It is also worth noting that many people strive to show their passion for art and show interest in it, which has become a current trend. Museum shops will help them with this.

Each of us who is in any way connected to the art world senses this new direction, notices the growing interest of people around us, and observes the many joint projects where businesses collaborate with contemporary artists and cultural institutions. We recognize that such initiatives resonate widely with the public, and they continue to appear in various forms. However, perhaps only sociologists have the opportunity to more deeply research and accurately determine the reasons for the emergence and evolution of this trend, especially among young people under 40.

Furthermore, raising additional funds has never hurt anyone.

Trading at a museum kiosk serves as an important source of financial support for the institution and its initiatives. An increased product selection contributes to increased revenue. This can be seen as a form of fundraising, where every visitor can become a sponsor. Museum visitors are beginning to realize that such establishments offer the opportunity to purchase something, and many of them understand that their purchases help support the museum. This creates a sense of participation, which is a wonderful aspect.

Visitors may experience a little confusion if the museum does not have a shop. To be honest, many people actually prefer shopping for art more than enjoying museum art itself.

Did you know that the MoMA Design Store's revenue significantly exceeds the museum's exhibition ticket sales? This is precisely why Western museums are striving to diversify their offerings and transform their stores into full-fledged large retailers, offering everything from furniture to children's toys. This move is a manifestation of their rational approach.

In the United States, there is an association that unites museum shops. The MSA's mission is to help museums create better service, emphasizing that a shop should not only fit seamlessly into the overall concept but also enrich the exhibition spaces. Understanding the importance of this aspect leads specialists to come together to share experiences. This is far from just an initiative to create products with logos.

The third important aspect is that merch can be a powerful marketing tool if approached correctly. In this context, there are extensive opportunities for collaboration with both large and local brands. Partners often express interest themselves, but they can also be actively engaged, which is what I do in my work. Collaborations not only create unique products that stand out from typical museum merchandise but also serve as an excellent opportunity for publicity. This certainly helps attract new audiences, especially young people. Furthermore, such initiatives generate additional income for the museum from the sale of image rights.

The museum is the sole copyright holder for high-quality digital images of its exhibits. Anyone wishing to obtain these photographs for commercial use must enter into an agreement with the museum under the terms established by the institution, which implies obtaining a license to use these images.

If the author of a work died more than seven decades ago, then this work becomes public domain, and to formalize rights, it is necessary to enter into an agreement only with the museum. If the author died less than 70 years ago, contracts will need to be concluded with both the museum and the author's heirs, such as their children or grandchildren.

There are many additional reasons. For example, the museum is actively involved in social and environmental initiatives, and also implements projects for children and young people aimed at creating physical goods for sale. The team at Polyarus, a St. Petersburg brand specializing in upcycling, created tote bags, cases, and fanny packs for us using our discarded facade banners. They also collaborated with the "Special Ceramics at VDNKh" workshop, which employs ceramic artists with autism and other mental disabilities, to create amazing custom pieces dedicated to the museum and its collection.

Every museum or art gallery has the potential to support young and emerging designers and artists. Moreover, merch is a form of art, offering broad creative horizons. With such a rich source of inspiration as museum collections, you can create a multitude of fascinating and original items.

What is the primary target group for Pushkin Museum-related merchandise?

— It's truly diverse. In the Main Building, you'll encounter numerous children on tours, each eager to spend their 100-200 rubles on a souvenir from the museum. I need to create this opportunity for them by offering a range of badges, magnets, postcards, notebooks and sweets.

Pensioners represent an alternative aspect of the situation, but their financial circumstances remain similar. I need to take their interests into account as well.

Today's youth tend to spend a little more, but their preferences in choosing products are noticeably different. We also have a fairly large and desirable audience - people over 30 with a high income. For this category of clients, I create unique designer bags, silk products, perfumes, porcelain and crystal items, jewelry, cosmetics, home fragrances and, of course, toys for children.

What are the characteristics of ideal merch for museums?

Perfect museum merch is the one that evokes memories of a museum. When looking at such an item, a person should remember exactly where they acquired it, what feelings they experienced at that moment. This object should encourage them to visit the museum again and relive those emotions.

Merchandising is always a means of promoting a museum's brand or its collection. True art lies in ensuring that a museum resonates with its visitors, and merch helps reinforce that impression.

The best museum merchandise not only pleases the eye but also offers educational value, helping to broaden horizons and develop aesthetic taste. Therefore, I place great importance on the quality of designer products and am constantly seeking unique partners—local brands that share our museum's values. I'm not interested in simply mass-producing popular images on products from China.

The difficulties we've endured are starting to pay off. Our store's reputation is gradually spreading beyond the museum district. Visitors come not only to see the exhibition, but also, as they say, "to pick up gifts on the way back." I've heard this many times.

— Which museums serve as examples or models for you?

As a visitor, I'm absolutely delighted with the MoMA design store. I have sneakers created in collaboration with MoMA and Vans, a T-shirt from MoMA and Uniqlo, and many other interesting things.

I research the practices of stores such as The Met Store, V&A Shop, and the British Museum Shop, but it's quite difficult to apply their approaches to my work. The Pushkin Museum has its own unique features, and our production capabilities differ from theirs.

No matter how far our imagination goes, we inevitably encounter the limitations associated with production in Russia. Questions related to watches, electronic devices, decorative cosmetics or glasses often baffle us due to a lack of offers. Each product and its packaging are created specifically for our needs, including the visual elements and logo of the Pushkin Museum. We are unable to sell finished products, as this does not align with our approach.

Furthermore, our museum shops are not distinguished by their modern design and have rather limited space. Therefore, another of my challenges, which The Met does not face, is finding interesting yet compact objects and exhibits that can be elegantly displayed in our display cases and on shelves behind glass.

I cannot say that we look to others for guidance. We certainly analyze the experience of others, but at the same time, we build our activities practically from scratch, taking into account our own goals and resources. The Pushkin Museum stands out among others for its active collaboration with local brands, making us a leader in this area. We focus on collaborations like these, and this is what allows us to offer a diverse product range.

Recently, mentions of Pushkin Museum merchandise have become increasingly prominent, especially after our collaboration with Gosha Rubchinskiy. Can you tell us more about this project? How was it received within your team, and what significance did it have for you?

The collaboration between Rubchinskiy and Titaev, known as Rassvet, at the Shchukin exhibition in 2019 was a significant event and attracted significant attention to the museum. Hundreds of journalists and bloggers covered the release, ensuring impressive coverage.

Of particular significance is the fact that this news sparked interest among people who previously might not have been regular visitors to the State Museum of Fine Arts. This collaboration has contributed to strengthening the museum's reputation as a modern cultural center that meets international standards. In addition, the institution has successfully earned royalties, and its employees have demonstrated a high level of professionalism.

Marina Devovna Loshak, the director of the museum, played an active role in initiating this collaboration. During the opening of the exhibition, she made an announcement about the launch of the new collection and was wearing a shirt with an image of Gauguin.

In fact, there were three collaborations. Our works, including paintings and engravings, served as the basis for prints on Rassvet products, which are available both in-store and online through the platform of the owner of Comme Des Garcons. In Russia, Rassvet products are available at the KM20 store.

The first collection, already mentioned, was created in collaboration with Gauguin for the Shchukin exhibition. Also worth noting was a release dedicated to Japanese graphic art from the Pushkin Museum collection, timed to coincide with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Despite the events being postponed due to the pandemic, the collection was released anyway and quickly sold out. In these first joint projects, media support was linked to a mention of our museum.

In spring 2022, the Rassvet brand presented a collection inspired by the works of Caspar David Friedrich. However, unfortunately, it was aimed exclusively at Western consumers, and the press releases made no mention of our museum. Everywhere the emphasis was placed solely on the fact that the design featured paintings by this German romantic.

You continue to actively collaborate with young designers, such as Marra and Good Local for the exhibition "Shchukin. Biography of a Collection," as well as with TTSWTRS as part of the "Tatu" project. Is this part of your strategy?

— Of course, we focus on collaborating with designers and brands, primarily small local ones, but we don't forget about large companies either. The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts' partnership with various market participants began about five years ago, which coincided with the active expansion of our souvenir range.

Mappa, Good Local, TTSWTRS, Tegin, Kochetkova, Heart of Moscow, Nina Donis, and St. Friday's Socks were our first partnerships. Since then, we have implemented many new collaborations, both large and small. Last year was particularly notable for its activity in this area.

The beginning of 2022 promised promising prospects. We were actively preparing for the 110th anniversary of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts and the large-scale exhibition "Brother Ivan. The Mikhail and Ivan Morozov Collections." Take a look at this list and try to grasp the breadth of our activities: KM20 and KM20 Food, Pangaia, Bernardaud, Raf Simons—we eagerly anticipated his visit to our museum—and we also collaborated with brands such as J.Kim, Tigran Avetisyan, Sergey Naumov, Vilhelm Parfumerie New York, and Uniqlo. And that's not all: there were a number of other, lesser-known brands as well.

The last week of February 2022 saw many cancellations, but only Vilhelm Parfumerie—thanks to our partners for this—and Uniqlo remained. These brands managed to enter the market.

Almost all activities had to be started from scratch.

We started and successfully completed the anniversary year, celebrating it on a grand scale. The museum has never before had such a large number of active collaborations.

Participants included Dina Khaichenko, a talented artist, Asya Muravieva's lingerie collection, presented at the "Universal Language" exhibition, and the Aadre brand, specializing in basic cosmetics. Also notable were silk bags from Two Eagles, porcelain from Volshebno Tut with four different lines, products from the Gus Crystal Factory, which offered two collections, Pure Sense perfumes, wooden toys from Raduga Grёz, steel bracelets from BNGL, Okasi chocolate, printed products from Falafel, Travki tea, home fragrances from Ucandles, and many other lesser-known brands.

We did not conduct open calls, despite the current circumstances, although this method could be effective for attracting new partners. Perhaps we will return to this in the future. However, right now we don't feel a shortage of projects; quite the opposite, we even have a surplus of work.

— I wonder how all these designers are found to help implement ideas?

Our team has only two employees responsible for coordinating the museum's cooperation. I search for new brands, create tasks for existing partners, and develop ideas with those who express interest in collaboration by submitting requests for joint projects, especially when it comes to products intended exclusively for the museum's stores.

When collaboration extends beyond our retail sector, Nastya Morozova, Head of Marketing, steps in. Together, we assist the brand in creating a new product.

Once all production preparations are completed, a significant portion of the partnership-related tasks is transferred to the sales department. At this point, the process of settling image rights, signing contracts, and completing other key organizational activities begins.

How I search for brands... In February, I wrote a detailed post on my Telegram channel "P.M. Souvenirs," where I shared all my developments and contacts. In short, I find them everywhere. I'm constantly immersed in this field: I read fashion news, visit local markets, browse websites of Russian multi-brands, and actively use social media. Thanks to this experience, I understand which specialists and products can be attracted to various events and exhibitions.

This is also due to the fact that I start thinking about the merch collection for the exhibition well in advance—usually I have 3-4 months to attract partners and organize production. At the beginning, I try to formulate a style for the exhibition display in my mind and select brands that fit this concept, thereby creating a harmonious collection. Even when brands themselves express a desire to participate, I still make adjustments to their products to ensure they fit the overall concept of the display. They are usually open to such adjustments.

— In honor of your company's 110th anniversary, a perfume collection was created in collaboration with the French brand Vilhelm Parfumerie. How did your collaboration with this international partner go?

— Everything went quite smoothly, and I would like to once again express my gratitude to our partners. Vilhelm Parfumerie is represented in Russia, and their active and extensive network includes the Molecule (Esterk Lux Parfum) perfume boutiques. They managed to attract the attention of Jan Wilhelm, the brand's perfumer, by organizing a meeting at the Pushkin Museum. Jan personally visited Moscow, selecting three works—by Gauguin, Cézanne, and Boucher. He personally developed impressive collages for the packaging, inspired by these paintings, and proposed fragrances for collaboration.

Preparation for the project took over a year, during which we met repeatedly to discuss all the details. The result was a great success and a pleasant surprise for everyone involved. For the museum's anniversary, we were able to release three 100ml fragrances, which was very opportune. We also offered our partners a convenient option—the Moscow Three set, featuring three fragrances from our collaboration, each in 10 ml bottles, in a single package. We also created a small collection of merchandise featuring Yan's collages, including shoppers, coffee mugs, and planners. Furthermore, the Vilhelm Parfumerie boutique on Malaya Bronnaya Street in Moscow was long adorned with Yan's collages, created for his collaboration with the Pushkin Museum. It looked truly impressive!

I'm curious to know about the collaboration with Asya Muravieva lingerie. A beaded bra, velvet panties, and cuffs—these are far from standard items for a museum store. What prompted you to experiment with this?

Asya Muravieva's lingerie line, designed specifically for the museum, wasn't quite so provocative. Even though it's a lingerie brand, Asya and I immediately decided it wouldn't be part of our project. We began exploring other options. The museum store featured embroidered items: a bib vest, organza cuffs, a velvet tote bag, a velvet choker and headband, and a set of gold-tone temporary tattoos. At the same time, the panties and bra, which were also created by Asya, were intended for her store and partners outside the museum.

All these items were in perfect harmony with the concept of the museum store's exhibition window, They blended seamlessly with the rest of the collection and, most importantly, vividly reflected the exhibition's content. Asya and I invested a great deal of effort and creative energy into searching for embroidery motifs, and she ultimately succeeded in designing a magnificent piece—a short vest crafted from black velvet and organza, adorned with embroidery depicting ancient texts. The geometric structure of these compositions effectively conveys the concept of the "Universal Language" exhibition.

On the vest, the texts are intertwined with gold threads, creating the silhouette of the Tower of Babel, with each level representing an ancient language. On the "ground floor" is cuneiform—the earliest form of writing known to humankind. Above that are the hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt, and even higher still are later languages ​​such as Ancient Greek and Latin. These inscriptions can be seen on various exhibits.

The point is that languages, like the arteries that permeate our world, interact with one another and serve as the basis for communication. By discovering a common language, it's possible to achieve mutual understanding and restore lost unity. The tower depicted on the vest is a symbol of the universal language that, according to legend, once existed.

A unique item with an original concept. This emphasis on meaning is more important than experimenting with different media.

Have there ever been cases when the products you released became much more popular than you expected?

— Yes. One of the pleasant discoveries was bracelets from the St. Petersburg brand BNGL, which, incidentally, offers only one product in its collection.

I discovered them at Poison Drop. At the time, I was just starting my work at the museum and trying to understand the needs of visitors to the Ksenia Hausner exhibition. The titles of her paintings struck me with their simplicity and clarity, devoid of complex subtext. "Reckless Love," "Under Voltage," "True Lies," "Dancer in the Dark"—situations I could easily imagine myself in.

As it turned out, I wasn't the only one captivated by this idea. Bracelets with similar inscriptions were incredibly popular, flying off the shelves like hotcakes. "Wow!" I thought, and decided to launch a second joint project for the "Art of Immortality" exhibition, using ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. This edition also quickly sold out. Then it was the turn of the "Morozov Brothers": the play on words associated with the French artists turned out to be so successful and funny that we decided to leave these bracelets in the permanent souvenir collection.

— What joint projects is the Pushkin Museum planning in the near future? And how do you see the further expansion of the merch range?

In 2023, we continue to expand the number of brands with which we collaborate. Ahead of the "After Impressionism" exhibition, we secured four new partners: Kitchen Ceremony, Oregano Mama, Le Pompon, and Eclat. The "Gold of the Sarmatian Chieftains" project was expanded to include Kioko tea and Krasnolesye ceramics. In addition, for the "Diderot Salons" we added Loom by Rodina and Julnika.

For each upcoming exhibition, we create a unique collection with an original assortment of products—we don't repeat ourselves. We strive to imbue the souvenirs guests take home with the meaning and atmosphere of the event, allowing us to evolve in line with our exhibition schedule.

We eagerly anticipate significant changes in the museum's renovation. We have long been promised a new, spacious, modern, and even rumored two-story museum store. Anticipation is especially intense, as the current kiosks no longer meet modern requirements.

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