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The opening of the new MFUA-MASI Museum "African Art" took place in the Krasnye Vorota academic building of the Moscow Finance and Law University in honor of MFUA-MASI's 35th anniversary. The exhibition, spread across two halls, is dedicated to the distinctive culture of the peoples of Tropical Africa.
The Museum "Art of Africa" has become part of the large Museum and Exhibition Educational Complex "Science, Technology, Art" of the Moscow University of Law and Architecture (MFUA-MASI).
Distinguished guests, including the rector of the Moscow University of Finance and Law, spoke at the gala event.Alexey Zabelin and the president of MSTU-MASI Galina Zabelina.
Alexey Grigorievich In his welcoming address, he emphasized that Africa is a self-sufficient civilization with a rich cultural heritage dating back over 60,000 years. In the new museum, students will be able to immerse themselves in the unique world of African culture. This experience, according to the rector, will be an important stage in their personal development.
"We must cultivate in our students not only professional competence but also a broad cultural outlook—the ability to sense and understand the full diversity of world culture: from Western European and Russian to Asian, African, and Latin American. It is this holistic perspective, including a deep study of African art as one of the most ancient traditions, that allows us to see alternative paths for the development of civilizations and find within them the resources for building a common future," he emphasized Alexey Zabelin.
MSTU-MASI President Galina Zabelina thanked everyone who contributed to the creation of the new museum, located next to the Theatre-Lab "At the Red Gate."
"Thank you for joining us on this important day—the opening of our new museum. We created this space to become a magnet not only for our students but also for all art lovers. We look forward to seeing everyone at the exhibitions and performances!" Galina Arkadyevna addressed those present.
The curator of the African collection at the Moscow University of Law and International Relations (MFUA-MASI) congratulated her colleagues on the opening of the "Art of Africa" exhibition Daria Vanyukova:
"Today is a very important historical event for the university. Now anyone can explore unique exhibits that are part of a larger world culture. Direct, live interaction with authentic history provides our students with invaluable experience that cannot be replaced by lectures or textbooks."
The "Art of Africa" exhibition features approximately 100 unique artifacts from the collections of the Moscow University of Finance and Law and the Moscow State Technical University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. Visitors will be able to see famous ritual masks and wooden sculptures—the hallmarks of African art—as well as household items, crafts, traditional textiles, and musical instruments.
"Thanks to the museum, African history and art will become understandable and relatable to the younger generation. Each exhibit here is unique and can tell a lot about the life of the continent," shared one of the new museum's curators, Sergei Kurasov, Rector of the Stroganov Russian State University of Art and Industry.
All exhibits have a rich history: they have undergone scientific attribution and have previously been exhibited at MGIMO, the Moscow Government, and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
"We are incredibly pleased to have opened not just an exhibition, but a permanent collection. Our goal is to showcase the full diversity and depth of the African artistic tradition, rooted in archaic cultures," said the director of the Museum and Exhibition Educational Complex "Science, Technology, Art" at the Moscow University of Law and Architecture (MFUA-MASI) Yulia Smirnova.
Executive Secretary of the Russian-African Club of Lomonosov Moscow State University Alexander Berdnikov praised the African Art Museum as a bridge between the cultures of the two countries and a unique educational platform for young people.
Louis Gouend, Chairman of the Commission for Work with African Diasporas at Moscow State University's Russian-African Club, called the museum a "strategic investment in the future," emphasizing its role as a bridge connecting Russian society with Africa's rich heritage.
