The Culture of Creativity. Yury Luzhkov and the Moscow Museum of Modern Art

In 2026, Yury Luzhkov would have turned 90. To mark this anniversary, the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, together with the Yury Luzhkov Foundation, presents an exhibition celebrating his legacy. The project tells the story of Luzhkov's role in the creation of MMOMA, as well as his broader contribution to cultural initiatives and his support of Moscow's art institutions in the 1990s and 2000s.

Yury Luzhkov and Zurab Tsereteli had a sincere friendship based on mutual respect and shared views on cultural development. The exhibition includes models of Tsereteli's sculptures Luzhkov the Athlete and Luzhkov the Janitor. The latter depicts the mayor in his famous cap, a symbol of his openness and democratic nature. The cap itself, along with other personal belongings of Luzhkov, is also on display.

The mayor's sociability and genuine interest in art earned him many friends in the creative community. Some of the exhibits are Luzhkov's personal donations to MMOMA, including Oleg Vukolov's iconic ‘pillow’ (Opus No. 50, 1992) and Salvador Dalí's drawing The Horse Who Wanted Revenge on the Deer (1976). Also featured are several Moscow landscapes from the 1990s–2000s, early museum publications, catalogues, and books written by Luzhkov himself.

Yury Luzhkov (1936–2019) was an outstanding statesman who served as mayor of Moscow from 1992 to 2010, making a significant contribution to the capital's development. He was born on September 21, 1936, in Moscow, into a working-class family, and graduated from the Gubkin Institute of Petrochemical and Gas Industry as a mechanical engineer.

He began his career in research, working on the automation of technological processes. From the 1970s onward, he held key positions in the chemical industry and the Moscow City Council. In 1990, he became chairman of the Moscow City Executive Committee, and in 1992 he was appointed mayor of Moscow.

During his tenure, Moscow transformed into a contemporary metropolis with developed infrastructure, an improved transport system, and numerous social initiatives. Luzhkov was a full recipient of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, a laureate of State Prizes of the USSR and the Russian Federation, and recipient of many other awards.

After completing his political career, he devoted himself to teaching and agriculture. He was the author of more than 100 academic papers and 150 patents. He passed away on December 10, 2019.

The Yury Luzhkov Foundation was established in 2020 with the aim of preserving and developing the rich legacy left by Yury Luzhkov as mayor, politician, public figure, and philanthropist. The Foundation is a non-profit organization founded on the initiative of relatives, friends, colleagues, and in response to appeals from Muscovites and Russians.