Tregulova, Zelfira
Zelfira Ismailovna Tregulova, born on June 13, 1955, in Riga, Latvia, is a prominent Russian art historian and curator. She is best known for her role as the director of the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow from 2015 until her removal in 2023. Tregulova’s career has been marked by her significant contributions to the field of art curation and her involvement in international exhibition projects.
Early Life and Education
Tregulova was born into a family of filmmakers; her father was a cinematographer from Tatarstan, and her mother was a sound engineer from Kyrgyzstan. She graduated from the Historical Faculty of Moscow State University in 1977 and completed her postgraduate studies there in 1981. Her early career included curatorial work at the All-Union Art Production Association from 1984 to 1997, where she focused on international exhibitions of Russian art.
Career Highlights
Throughout her career, Tregulova has curated numerous notable exhibitions, including:
- “Victor Popkov. 1932-1974” (2013-2014) at various venues including the Russian Academy of Arts and Somerset House in London.
- “Russia Palladiana” (2014) at the Museo Correr in Venice, showcasing Russian architecture.
Under her leadership, the Tretyakov Gallery underwent significant changes, including a successful rebranding and expansion of its facilities on Krymsky Val. One of her notable achievements was overseeing an exhibition of works by Valentin Serov that attracted over 485,000 visitors, making it one of the most attended exhibitions of Russian art.
Removal from Position
In February 2023, Tregulova was removed from her position as director following complaints regarding the gallery’s alignment with “traditional Russian spiritual and moral values,” as articulated by the Ministry of Culture. Her successor, Elena Pronicheva, has ties to the Kremlin and is seen as part of a shift towards more ideologically aligned leadership within cultural institutions in Russia[2][6]. Tregulova’s tenure was marked by both acclaim for her curatorial expertise and criticism over certain artistic choices and management practices[1][2].
Awards and Recognition
Tregulova has received several honors for her contributions to culture, including:
- Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy (2012)
- Commander of the Order Pro Merito Melitensi (2012)
- Order of Francis Skaryna (Belarus, 2018)
- Order “Dustlik” (Uzbekistan, 2022)
Tregulova’s influence on Russian art and culture continues to be felt through her extensive network and contributions to international art discourse.
Citations: [1] https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B3%D1%83%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0,%D0%97%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%98%D1%81%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0 [2] https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/02/09/moscow-museum-director-removed-after-complaint-against-institutions-lack-of-traditional-russian-spiritual-and-moral-values [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zelfira_Tregulova [4] https://fondpotanin.ru/en/about/persons/sovet-po-ispolzovaniyu/zelfira-tregulova/ [5] https://www.goldtrezzini.ru/en/team_member/zelfira-tregulova/ [6] https://artreview.com/russian-ministry-of-culture-removes-tretyakov-director-zelfira-tregulova/ [7] https://www.tretyakovgallerymagazine.com/node/5873 [8] https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/tretyakov-gallery-director-replaced-zelfira-tregulova-1234656774/
Biography
She was born in a family of filmmakers, her father was a cameraman, and her mother was a sound engineer. In 1977 she graduated from the art history department of the Faculty of History of Moscow State University. In 1981 she graduated from the graduate school of Moscow State University. From 1984-1997 curator of international exhibitions of Russian art in the All-Union Art and Production Association E. V. Vuchetich. In 1993-1994, she completed an internship at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. In 1998-2000, she was head of the department of foreign relations and exhibitions at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. In 2002-2013, she was deputy general director for exhibition work and international relations at the Moscow Kremlin State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve. From August 14, 2013, Director General of the State Museum and Exhibition Center “ROSIZO”. From February 10, 2015, Director General of the All-Russian Museum Association, State Tretyakov Gallery [2].
Awards
Diploma of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation Commander of the Order of the Star of Italy (Italy, May 2, 2012)
Commander of the Order Pro Merito Melitensi (Order of Malta, 2012)
Order of Francis Skaryna (Belarus, August 16, 2018) for outstanding achievements in cultural and educational activities and significant successes in strengthening and developing Belarusian-Russian cultural ties
Winner of the award “Honor and Dignity of the Profession” of the VII All-Russian festival Intermusey (2005)
Gold Medal named after Lev Nikolayev (November 14, 2016)
Winner of the award “RBC-2016” in the nomination “State Person” (December 6, 2016)
Putin’s confidant (2018)
Also Tregulova is known as Vladimir Putin’s confidant in the pre-election campaign of 2018.
Conspectus
Year | Milestone |
---|---|
1977 | MSU Faculty of History |
1984 | Vuchetich All-Union artistic and production association |
1993 | Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum |
1998 | Pushkin Museum |
2002 | Moscow Kremlin |
2013 | Rosizo |
2015 | Tretyakov Gallery |
See also
Footnotes
[1] Опубликована третья часть списка доверенных лиц Путина (TVC)
[2] Tregulova, Zelfira (Wikipedia)
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