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New Life of the Publishing Project “Catalog “Social Entrepreneurship of Russia”

"A Journal Within A Journal" – that's what you can call this section. It is an extension of the "Social Entrepreneurship in Russia" catalog published since 2014 (see inset). Since 2021, the catalog has become part of the Positive Changes Journal.⁹²

Kolomensky Posad

Museum and Creative Heritage Cluster in the Historical Center of Kolomna.

The Kolomensky Posad team conducts sociocultural research, implements projects that involve restoring historical buildings and adapting them to new functions (museums, hospitality centers, art residences, cafes, educational centers), and restores traditional industries and crafts. This contributes to the renovation and sociocultural revitalization of the urban environment, relying on local heritage and symbolic resources. One of the team's significant achievements is the revival of a unique local product, an apple confectionery called Kolomna pastila.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

A limited range of opportunities for the development of a territory and self-fulfillment of its residents with an inexhaustible resource and the diverse cultural heritage of the city. Threat to the integrity of the historical environment.

The goal of the museum and creative cluster is to transform Kolomna in a systemic way and to develop the local community on the basis of the cultural and symbolic resources of the territory.

The project currently consists of five museums, three museum production facilities, as well as a visitor center, a literary cafe, and other creative infrastructure. The annual Antonov Apples international apple-and-book festival is held here. The “Heritage Library” Center for Social Innovation in Culture is open for cooperation. A new project at the intersection of culture and agriculture is being developed – the Dostoevsky Collective Farm (Zaraisk, Moscow Region).

METHODS USED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM

• developing a creative economy;

• expanding the research base for the development of new creative industries;

• engaging contemporary artists, writers, directors, and musicians in the cluster through art and literary residencies and festivals;

• raising additional funds for development of innovations through participation in contests and programs of various private and state funds, authorities, etc.;

• engaging small and medium-sized businesses and communities in urban development and preservation processes.

FUNDS RAISED IN 2021

• a subsidy from the Ministry of Culture of the Moscow Region for the activities of the art and literary residence “Artkommunalka. Erofeev and Others” and an education program for teenagers;

• a grant from the Presidential Grants Foundation to hold a family camp, The World of Fedya Dostoevsky, in the village of Darovoe (Moscow Region);

• funds from the Russian Cultural Foundation to hold the Antonov Apples international apple-and-book festival and the “Go Beyond” program;

• a grant from the Vladimir Potanin Charitable Foundation to establish the “Heritage Library” Center for Social Innovation in Culture.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND AWARDS

The team's merits have been recognized at the professional museum level, as well as at the public and governmental levels:

• a special prize of the European Museum of the Year Award (2012) as “a pioneer of cultural entrepreneurship in Russia, creating not only a high-quality public museum, but also extensive opportunities for employee development”;

• Impulse of Kindness Award (2015) “for a systematic approach to social entrepreneurship”;

• prize of the Government of the Russian Federation (2016) “for the restoration of the historical site and the creation of Kolomna Pastila museum and tourist complex;

• diploma of the EMYA competition (2017) to the Kolomensky Posad cluster “for outstanding achievements in strengthening the public role of the museum”;

• the finalist's diploma of the Museum Flagship professional skills contest of the V. Potanin Charitable Foundation in the nomination “Changing Museum – Changing World” (2018);

• Kolomna Pastila ranked in the top 10 in the “Countrywide” category in the Tastes of Russia national competition of regional food brands (2020);

• Kolomna Kalach ranked in the top 10 in the “Countrywide” category in the Tastes of Russia national competition of regional food brands (2021);

• the Silk Factory ranked in the top 30 projects of public interiors (2019–2021) according to the Project Russia magazine (a professional magazine on architecture, urban planning, construction technology and design in Russia). The city became known outside the country thanks to the Kolomna Pastila brand. Kolomna pastila as a special national product is a fitting representative of Russia at various international festivals, including those in Austria, Italy and Great Britain. Kolomna pastila was an element of the Russia-Great Britain Year of Culture events (2014) and the official symbol of the Russia-Austria Year of Tourism (2017).

Thanks to the Kolomensky Posad projects, about 200 new jobs have been created, new partner museum projects and new opportunities for creative self-fulfillment of citizens have appeared, the hospitality industry is developing, and the urban environment is being improved.

WHAT WAS DONE LAST YEAR

The “I Can” coffee shop opened at the Museum-Navigator, with its own line of products following the Slow Food philosophy⁹³.

The ninth Antonov Apples international apple-and-book festival was held in September 2021.

The year 2021 marked the 200th anniversary of the writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. In honor of this event, the Dostoevsky Collective Farm, together with its partners, planted the Museum's Apple Orchard: 200 apple trees of historical varieties that had been traditionally grown in Russia. Kolomensky Posad managed to preserve the forests in the Dostoevsky Collective Farm lands.

In May 2021, the Garden of Kolomna Pastila Factory was founded at the Kolomna Pastila museum, in the center of Kolomensky Posad. The organizers planted more than 100 flowers, herbs and trees, built a two-tiered pavilion (today it is one of the most beautiful locations in the old city). The new green public space in the historical part of Kolomna is conceived by its authors to be a place for having a pleasant pastime, listening to music, meeting with biologists, and gardening.

The municipality allocated an extra 540 square meters for the Heritage Library. A new design concept for the space was developed and repairs carried out at the new address: 205 Oktyabrskoy Revolutsii St.

“Lazhechnikov” literary cafe ranked among the top 5 restaurants in Moscow Region, with a new branch opened at the Krivyakino estate in neighboring Voskresensk, Moscow Region.

The Kolomna Pastila Museum and Creative Cluster also conducted the following activities in 2021:

• unveiled two new theater programs, “A House in Kolomna” and “Mamandi”;

• updated the Kolomna Pastila Museum website at http://kolomnapastila.ru;

• opened stylish free public restrooms in the Museum-Navigator near the Pyatnitskaya Tower of the Kolomna Kremlin;

• held a summer international exhibition “When Pomegranates Bloom…” at the Silk Factory;

• set up a call center to make appointments for the museums and tour programs;

• launched online ticket sales for all its museums;

• launched the Kolomna Constructivism motorcycle tour around the city.

DIRECT RESULTS FOR THE LAST YEAR

Sustainable development of the museum and creative cluster, overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

Tourist traffic: about 100 thousand people.

Revenue from the sale of pastila products increased 40 % compared to 2020.

More than 300,000 pieces of kalach bread baked in one year.

SOCIAL EFFECTS ACHIEVED IN 2021

130 permanent jobs for local residents, including people with disabilities.

Improving the quality of life in the historical city.

In July-August 2021 two “People/Ideas” laboratories were held for project and start-up initiators in the field of creative industries and heritage of the Moscow Region together with the Ministry of Culture of the Moscow Region.

“

¹ Scattered hotel”, “dispersed hotel”, “Albergo Diffuso” is a concept in the field of hotel business, which was first implemented in Italy in the early 1980s as a way to revitalize small historical Italian villages and communes. The philosophy behind the scattered hotel can be formulated as a discreet fusion between a hotel and the existing architecture, as well as local culture and customs.

The events were held in Kolomna (the Silk Factory museum-laboratory) and Sergiyev Posad (Moscow Region). Their goal was to transform the participants' ideas about the place and role of heritage in the development of creative industries and the economic, social and cultural development of the Moscow Region territories. More than 30 people participated in the laboratories.

In October 2021, together with the Ministry of Culture of the Moscow Region, the Kolomensky Posad team prepared and conducted a special 5-day Heritage and Creative Industries school at the Tavrida art cluster. It was attended by more than 50 young designers and representatives of creative industries. The participants learned methods and techniques for working with cultural heritage as a resource for local development.

On June 7–11, 2022, Kolomna hosted an internship for the winners of the Cultural Mosaic of Small Towns and Villages competition of the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Charitable Foundation, where the participants learned about the principles of operation of the museum and creative cluster and were consulted on the projects they would implement in their respective territories.

Case studies in the sphere of the use of cultural and symbolic capital of the Collection 100 territories were published on the Heritage Library's website, www.rhlib.ru.

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT

The activity of Kolomensky Posad is a driver of social, cultural and economic development of the territory based on the history of the place, traditional forms of economic management, the growing trend of domestic tourism development, cooperation with local communities, and heritage management.

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY MODEL

Financial sustainability is achieved through a combination of three main product groups:

• procultural (crafts, theatrical productions, publications, media products, exhibitions, festivals, fairs, ceremonies, contemporary art, design, fashion, etc.);

• knowledge and impressions generated by the atmosphere, environment, style and way of life, authentic cuisine, real lived life programs;

• symbolic souvenirs.

The Tom Sawyer Fest

A Historical Environment Restoration Festival, Run by Volunteers and Funded by Partners.

The Tom Sawyer Fest is a festival for those who want to make the city better, to move from words to action, to choose and clean up the city looks, to draw attention to the value of the historical environment and unite urban activists into an active community.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

Loss of historical heritage.

METHODS USED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM

A grassroots heritage restoration initiative. Festival participants restore the facades or individual elements (e.g., doors) of historical buildings, architectural elements of the city (sculptures, bus stops), engage volunteers, raise resources (materials, tools, partner funding), working in coordination with the authorities.

FUNDS RAISED IN 2021

The project has federal and local partners. 5.2 million rubles' worth of support from the federal partners have been raised.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND AWARDS

In 2016, the Tom Sawyer Fest was cited in a UNESCO report at Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, as an example of effective “soft renewal.”

The festival originated in Samara in 2015 and over the course of 7 years has expanded to more than 75 locations in Russia. The technology developed proved to be understandable and applicable throughout the country. During this time, more than 130 objects have been restored.

WHAT WAS DONE LAST YEAR

In 2021, the festival was held in 41 cities of Russia; 36 sites were restored, and more than 3 thousand volunteers were engaged all over the country.

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY MODEL

Volunteer activities and resources from partners.

Observer

The Russian Manufacturer of Electric Wheelchairs.

The Observer factory is not just a business; it is a social enterprise with more than 60 staff members, where one in three employees have Group 1 and 2 disabilities (working as assemblers, machine operators, seamstresses, fitters, etc.).

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

Electrically driven wheelchairs are provided for free to qualifying people with disabilities in Russia, if indicated by a doctor and medical commission. This process has been in place for more than 10 years, supervised by the regional Social Insurance Funds. More than 2,000 Chinese-made wheelchairs are imported into Russia every year and distributed for use by people with disabilities. The quality and service of these models leave much to be desired. As Roman Aranin, head of the Observer company, says, every problem has a silver lining, which becomes an opportunity. In this particular case, the company saw an opportunity to develop its social story and, with the support of the regional government, built a factory for the production of domestic technical rehabilitation equipment.

METHODS USED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM

Developing a new wheelchair model for people with disabilities, setting up in-house production, creating jobs for people with disabilities

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND AWARDS

Winner of the XVII Annual “PROFI-SUMMARY 2020” Business Award in the nominations “Entrepreneur of the Year” (company founder Roman Aranin) and “Engineer of the Year” (Boris Efimov, Chief Engineer at Observer LLC).

Winner of the “Best Social Project of the Year” All-Russian social entrepreneurship contest – 2019 (company founder Roman Aranin in the nomination “Best Social Entrepreneurship Project in the Development of Technical Rehabilitation Equipment”).

Winner of the 2015 Impulse of Kindness Award (Roman Aranin).

FUNDS RAISED IN 2021

20 million rubles of the company's own funds.

WHAT WAS DONE LAST YEAR

In 2021, the company supplied more than 500 wheelchairs to 38 regions of the Russian Federation.

SOCIAL EFFECTS ACHIEVED IN 2021

The Observer factory is primarily working to increase the employment figures among people with disabilities in the region, as well as to develop related industries (providing orders and work for other businesses).

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT

1. Increasing the number of people with disabilities employed and working in the region.

2. Developing related industries and economic activities in the Kaliningrad region.

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY MODEL

The company generates revenue from sales of the basic electric wheelchair model, “OBSERVER standard.”

Northern Heritage Foundation

Porato Project – Preservation of Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The Northern Heritage Foundation revives and refreshes traditional crafts in rural areas, develops the tourist potential of the territories, develops tourist routes and supports local producers.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED

The Arkhangelsk region had once been famous for weaving – almost every home had a loom. Irina Mezhinskaya asked the residents of Oshevensk, a village with population of 500, why they were not weaving anymore. The answer was: “We have no rags.” The residents of Kargopol, the town nearest to Oshevensk, gave the same answer.

That's how the idea of a project to revive weaving emerged. Irina Mezhinskaya arranged for shipments of rags from Moscow to the village, so that artisans could make rugs and mats and earn money selling their products.

“More often than not, people donate their old clothes to thrift stores like The Second Breath or The Joy Shop. Any clothes in good condition are given to the needy. But there are still items that cannot be worn or reused. For example, bed sheets. You could wash it, remove any worn or damaged fragments, and get a very good material for use in weaving,” says Irina Mezhinskaya.

Another partner in the project is a garment factory in Moscow, which agreed to give away scraps of fabric.

“That's how the story began. Today we collect rags in Moscow, prepare them, wash and sort, then send to the village, where the craftswomen weave mats and return them to us in Moscow for sale, or sell them locally to tourists. We have already sold about 700 meters of mats. There are craftswomen not only in our village, but also in neighboring villages, who ask to be included in the project,” Irina Mezhinskaya says.

METHODS USED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM

Creation of new jobs, support and development of traditional crafts, conservation of natural resources, recycling. Assistance in setting up a workspace at home or in a village workshop area.

Every craftswoman who decides to do weaving has a loom at home. There are also workshops where weaving is taught.

Another direction of the project is the development of tourism potential of the Russian North. Kargopol is a fairly well-known place among people who plan a trip to the North. The city is a year older than Moscow, it has the same rich history as Suzdal and Vladimir. The Moscow-Arkhangelsk railroad passed through Nyandoma, population 30,000. Another 80 km by bus or car – and you get to the town of Kargopol, and another 40 km on is Oshevenskoe municipality.

“The place has the Alexander Oshevensky monastery, a wooden church, and chapels. All this will be especially interesting for tourists interested in wooden architecture. The place is rich with all kinds of legends and tales. There is a river that disappears into the ground at one end of the village and resurfaces at the other end. Legends have it that this happened because a saint was once prevented from drinking water there. Also nearby is Kenozero National Park. And Oshevensk itself has a guest house and a village hotel,” Irina Mezhinskaya says.

In addition to weaving, the Porato project also supports craftswomen making embroidery: embroidered sundresses, pillowcases, towels.

WHAT WAS DONE LAST YEAR

In 2021, about 200 meters of homemade mats were produced and sold, with the proceeds amounting to about 200,000 rubles. One craftswoman embroidered a sundress to order. She was able to renovate her kitchen with the money earned.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and respective restrictions, the Northern Heritage Foundation had low expectations of tourism in 2021. During the year, about 70 tourists visited the area, leaving a total of about 1 million rubles in Kargopol, Nyandoma and Oshevensk.

Together with the Kargopol Museum and The Three Squares publishing house, a book titled “Kargopol” was published, which includes a large section on the town's wooden architecture and plenty of information about Oshevensk.

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT

The use of recycled materials and production of new artisanal products has increased. Artisans participate in craft competitions and demonstrate their products at various exhibitions. Residents of neighboring villages become interested in their experience and join the project. Weaving generates interest towards other crafts – garment-making, embroidery, patchwork, knitting. Such activities help unite the village residents. The local folk ensemble “Bolshukhas from Oshevensk” got a new breath of life.

“We gave the local seamstresses the fabric to make 11 sundresses. They checked with the museum to learn how to make traditional Kargopol sundresses properly; the museum staff showed them everything and taught them. They wore these sundresses all year long, going everywhere, giving concerts. This also highlighted the project's activities,” says Irina Mezhinskaya.

SOCIAL EFFECTS ACHIEVED IN 2021

The main achievement of the work at this stage, according to the project author, is winning the trust of rural artisans and inspiring them to continue their development. New craftswomen are joining the project, interest in weaving looms is growing, and some of the residents are thinking about growing their own linen.

“The artisans come together, holding work meetings as they discuss how to weave. They don't treat weaving as a line production; they care about their activity creating value. To them, their mats aren't just striped, colored, red or green; they talk about them differently: “Here we have a sunset, here a field, this is a swamp, and this here is a berry.” That is, they clearly have a very palpable aesthetic perception of their work. Each doormat is special, original. Because it is made of rags, the pattern never repeats,” Irina Mezhinskaya explains.

Village residents are increasingly asking the author of the project: “What can we do, what can we sell, what can we make to earn some money?” It's a story about believing in yourself, Mezhinskaya believes.

“I had another woman approach me; she makes teterkas – local traditional decorated oven-baked rye bread. She said: “I can make teterkas, but I have to come up with the packaging.” Our designer made the logo, and we called the product “Bolshukha's Treat.” Bolshukha is the eldest woman in the family. We also made postcards for her with a description and recipe. Now, when tourists come to this woman's house for lunch, they can buy a box of teterkas to take home. I think this is also a good social effect,” Irina Mezhinskaya says.

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY MODEL

Proceeds from the sales of mats in Moscow at the Northern Heritage Foundation's events and online, as well as at the Foundation's websites.