Art Association "Portal" in Vladikavkaz states threat of closure

The Creative Association "Portal", established in place of the frozen construction site of the National Museum of North Ossetia, is under threat of closure, said the organizers of the project. The head of the republic Vyacheslav Bitarov offered to leave the "Portal" at the already popular site of the museum, or to give it another premise. Museum managers believe that the association is illegally occupying the abandoned construction site.

The reconstruction of the National Museum began in 2008 within the Federal Programme "Culture of Russia (2006-2011)", but in 2012 the construction was frozen.

According to Albert Togoev, one of the organizers of the "Portal", the art project was spontaneously organized after he had invited his friends to paint on the walls of the unfinished premises.

Two years later, the "Portal" became a favourite place for the creative youth of Vladikavkaz. They hold film screenings, concerts, lectures and exhibitions there.

According to Togoev, the project was suspended on February 2, since they disconnected the premises from electricity.

The participants of the "Portal" have introduced the "Integration Project with the National Museum of North Ossetia", asking to leave a land plot in their use. According to their version, both parties will benefit from such cooperation.

However, Larisa Sokhieva, the Director of the National Museum of North Ossetia, doubts of the unselfishness of the initiators of the campaign around the museum.

In his turn, the painter Tembolat Gugkaev, one of the founders of the "Portal", has noted that the association does not claim to the territory of the museum.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.