Malaga's Russian Museum remains open amid controversy

There has been uncomfortable disagreement this week at Malaga city hall over what to do about the Russian Museum, located in the old Tabacalera building, following the invasion of Ukraine.

The city's mayor, Francisco de la Torre, said at the weekend, that he believed the centre, which houses part of the collection of the Russian State Museum of St Petersburg, should remain open because "culture is the best antidote to barbarity". He said it is important to distinguish between the Russian people and their art and their government.

Since then, however, the councillor for Culture, Noelia Losada, spoke in favour of suspending all exhibitions for as long as the invasion continues. The current exhibition, ironically entitled War and Peace in Russian Art, is due to be replaced in two months' time.

Until this Friday De la Torre resisted calls for him to return the Pushkin medal that he received from Putin in 2018 for his efforts in bringing the Russian museum to Malaga.