Gatekeeping Access: Exploring Open Access Challenges for Museum Collections Held in Russia

Abstract

This study examines the value and challenges of Open Access (OA) to digital cultural heritage, focusing on Russian museums before and after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Utilizing a comparative socio-legal analysis of pre-and post-2022 legislation, cultural policies, and museum practices, this research evaluates changes and their effects on access to and use of digital museum objects. Findings indicate an increasing ideological indoctrination of Russian museums and digital spaces, a tightening of access to digital collections, and a (self)censoring function of control over online collections through, inter alia, copyright. The study underscores the need for OA to support diverse discourses in cultural heritage and highlights the role of material and digital infrastructure in maintaining narrative control. Moreover, it underlines the controversy of OA, as it can enhance the spread of ideological narratives with the reuse of Russian-produced data.