The MOMus- Museum of Modern Art-Costakis Collection (former State Museum of Contemporary Art) was appointed ‟Museum of the Year” by the ‟The Art Newspaper Russia” at a special ceremony that took place on March 1 in Moscow, at Gostiny Dvor.

In an impressive ceremony, the Museum was awarded for the methodical study, promotion and display of the Russian avant-garde to the world through the ‟vehicle” of the Costakis collection and on the occasion of the highly successful exhibition ‟Thessaloniki. Costakis Collection. Restart”, which took place from June 26 to September 16 2018, giving the opportunity to over 4,000 visitors to experience and admire the masterpieces of the Russian avant-garde in the museum’s fully renovated exhibition space of the museum at Lazariston Monastery.

The prize was received by MOMus’ director Maria Tsantsanoglou, who thanked the administration, colleagues, supporters and friends of the museum, pointing out that the latter is a collective affair and that the prize belongs to everyone, and especially to the collector George Costakis, thanks to whom the important chapter of the Russian avant-garde was written in the history of art.

Head of the Museum Supporters Association and founder of the Heritage International Foundation, Kristina Krasnyanskaya referred to the museum’s dynamic ‟restart” in the summer of 2018 and the great success of the exhibition ‟Thessaloniki. Costakis Collection. Restart”. She also referred to the prospect of scholarships for young art historians wishing to contribute to the organization of the Costakis archive.

Also present at the event was the exhibition’s main sponsor Andrey Cheglakov, Chairman of AVC Charity Foundation for the Support of Cultural Programs, as well as many artists, museum directors, curators and professionals from the art world.

The other two out of the three finalists in the Best Museum of the Year category were the Kremlin Museum ‟for its faith in the traditions of Russian art and the evolution of this tradition down to our time″ and the Museum of Vitebsk in Belarus ‟for the restoration of the historic building of Malevich’s UNOVIS school.

The award “Exhibition of the Year” was given to “Ilya and Emilia Kabakov. Not everyone will be taken to the future “(TATE Modern, 18.10.2017-28.01.2018 / The State Hermitage Museum, 21.04.2018 – 29.07.2018 / The State Tretyakov Gallery, 6.09.2018-13.01.2019). The “Book of the Year” prize was awarded to the publication “Just Rome. Images of Italy XXI” by Arkady Ippolitov (Colibri, Alphabet-Atticus, 2018). The “Conservation of the Year” award was given to the “Oranienbaum” palace and park (as part of the “Peterhoff” state museum and park) while the “Personal Services to Art” award was given to Natalia Opaleva, Founder and Managing Director of the AZ Museum of Moscow