THE «FREE CULTURE» SOCIETY
THE «PUSHKINSKAYA-10″ ART CENTRE

The story of The St Petersburg «Pushkinskaya-10″ Art Centre began in 1989 when a group of independent artists, musicians and others in the arts occupied a condemned building on Pushkinskaya Street. With the goal in mind of establishing a contemporary art centre, they developed the concept and registered their project as a non-governmental, non-profit organization, now called The «Free Culture» Society. In the 17 years of its existence, the art center has developed its structure and organized numerous cultural events in Russia and abroad.

In the period of its creative activity The «Pushkinskaya-10″ Art Centre has become one of the world’s best known cultural centers. It comprises art galleries, museums, concert venues, clubs, and studios for about forty artists and musicians.

In 1998, following in the St Petersburg tradition of respectfully conserving its art, The «Free Culture» Society established Russia’s first Museum of Nonconformist Art at «Pushkinskaya-10″. The Museum possesses a unique collection of unofficial art from the second half of the Twentieth Century, works not previously known by a wide audience. The Museum has The Archive and Library of Independent Art; another branch of The Museum is the one-man gallery, «Bridge over the Styx», formed in co-operation with The State Russian Museum. At this gallery you may see recent Russian history as interpreted by one of St Petersburg’s contemporary artists.

The «Pushkinskaya-10″ Art Centre has consistently represented the integration of Russian contemporary art and new world culture at numerous international exhibitions and festivals. Works by many artists from the Art Center are in the collections of famous Russian, European and American Museums.

Since 1995, The «Pushkinskaya-10″ Art Centre has been a member of such international organizations as «Trans Europe Halles» and «Res Artis». The Art Center presented the contemporary art of St Petersburg on the national level at the Festivals «St Petersburg in New York» (1996) and «St Petersburg in Warsaw» (1997).

The Art Centre visitors can not only get impressions about contemporary art, but can also buy paintings, graphics, books, albums and music. At the Information Bureau «Kultprosvet» they can receive information about the history of St Petersburg’s underground. They can study drawing in The Studio of Fine Arts.

The Art Center supports creative people to do their own art projects. Artists can organize their own exhibitions and publish their catalogs. Writers and poets working with our publishing houses can issue their books. Musicians can perform and make CD recordings of their concerts. Actors can have their performances videoed.

On the last Saturday of June, The «Pushkinskaya-10″ Art Centre celebrates its birthday. On that day, a festival of contemporary art fills all the exhibition spaces in The Center and in The Museum of Nonconformist Art, as well as in the building, in the courtyards, and on the stairways. Participants in the festival are not limited to those who work at «Pushkinskaya-10″, but include guests from all parts of the world.
Rock and jazz concerts celebrating the birthday of The «Pushkinskaya-10″ Art Centre take place at the city’s concert halls and music clubs.