Science Museum Group director Sir Ian Blatchford is returning a Russian medal, awarded to him by Vladimir Putin in 2015, in response to the country’s recent invasion of Ukraine.
“In response to the suffering of the people of Ukraine during the Russian invasion, I have taken the personal decision to return a Russian cultural decoration received in 2015,” Blatchford said in a statement.
The ‘Pushkin Medal’ is named after Russian poet, playwright, and novelist Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin. It was given to Blatchford for his role in the ‘Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age’ exhibition at the Science Museum in London.
Blatchford said he “cannot keep a medal that was handed out in name of the Russian state by Vladimir Putin, who is responsible for this war”.
The exhibition was “made possible by the expertise and dedication of colleagues in the Science Museum Group and many people in cultural and scientific organisations in Russia, who retain my gratitude and respect”, Blatchford said.
National Railway Museum cancels exhibition
“My enduring admiration for the Russian people themselves, and their cultural and scientific achievements, is undiminished,” he added.
“I know I speak for all my colleagues in the Science Museum Group, when I say we stand united in opposition to this conflict and in support of all those impacted by Russia’s invasion.”
In addition, the Science Museum Group’s National Railway Museum has decided not to proceed with its upcoming exhibition, ‘Trans-Siberian: The World’s Longest Railway’.
The Trans-Siberian Railway was completed in October 1916. The exhibition would have offered a look at the social and economic impact of the railway, as well as the construction challenges.
It was due to open at the National Railway Museum in York in summer 2022, and also as a smaller display at London’s Science Museum.
Elsewhere, the Hermitage Amsterdam in the Netherlands has decided to “cut ties” with Russia’s State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg due to the country’s “recent attack on Ukraine”.
Images: Science Museum Group
