Oil Easel Painting Conservation Laboratory

This laboratory is one of the leading in the museum conservation department. Traditions founded by the masters of previous generation M.N.Markov, N.A.Shaposhnikova, A.B.Brindarov, K.V.Berniakovich are carried on by present-day conseravtors.

The main peculiarity is the close neighboring of the conservation process and technical and technological investigation data. Every painting before and in the very process of conservation is put to the total complex of physical and chemical studies and it favors to the growth of scientific validity of conservation methods and ensures controlling over conducting conservation operations.

Difficult conservation of works in bad condition takes important place in the work of workshop restorers equally with permanent work on preventive measures and precaution of paintings. New acquisitions that regularly fill up the museum collection are a constant source for difficult technical conservation. Many paintings taken to the conservation workshop after the purchase commission are in an extremely bad state because of the former owners incorrect storage conditions and non-professional previous conservation.

Conservation and connected studies demand careful documenting by the restorer. There was created a computer database, which included color numbered images of the objects. The range of the duties of museum restorers is not confined to the restoring process. Exhibiting work, regular inspection of funds and exposition, training and consulting students and probationers - all these activities amplify in the present time restoring work characteristic of the workshop group. Restorers' participation in exhibitions preparing should be also distinguished. The number of exhibitions sent every year to different countries all over the world is constantly increasing. In this connection the workshop collective is very busy in its exhibition activities. Restorers accomplish the main practical part of preparing works for long-distance sending. This includes safety descriptions, easy conservation of the paintings, controlling their enveloping and packaging. On average the workshop deal yearly with up to 2000 works of art. Workshop employees elaborated new exhibiting documentation system founded on the latest achievements of computer technology to perfect and simplify at the same time the exhibiting work.

There are conducted probationers' exchanges between the painting conservation workshop of the State Russian Museum and big conservation centers of USA, Great Britain and Finland.