Digital Museum Tours Gain Popularity in Russia
Media tours, audio guides, and AI tools are reshaping how visitors experience museums across Moscow.
Moscow’s museums are betting on technology. In 2025, they conducted more than 70,000 tours, and a significant share of programs now incorporate digital assistants.
Tours in the capital’s museums are increasingly enhanced with multimedia elements. At the Egyptian Pavilion of the Ostankino Palace, the program “Visiting Count Sheremetev” used animation and digital effects embedded directly into the historic interiors. Visitors saw “animated” portraits and interactive features that complemented the guide’s narrative. For independent visits, more than 170 audio guides are available, many of them operating through mobile apps.
Neural Networks and Object Recognition
The Marina Tsvetaeva House Museum has introduced a mobile video guide in Russian Sign Language equipped with an AI-based exhibit recognition system. Visitors receive a tablet with an app, point the camera at an object, and see a video with subtitles. The program also suggests additional exhibits based on the visitor’s location in the gallery.
At the Ivan D. Sytin Museum Apartment, a digital portal offers an audio guide for visually impaired visitors and video materials in Russian Sign Language. The system provides expanded information about the exhibition and supports visitors with different accessibility needs.
In 2026, the Ostankino Estate plans to launch a free VR tour for people with mobility impairments. The project will allow users to navigate the estate virtually and explore its history.
Museums are also integrating new audio guides into citywide digital services. At the Geology Pavilion of the Biocluster, a new route has been added to the “Discover Moscow” app, offering information not only about the exhibition but also about the building’s architecture.
Digital tools are steadily expanding the format of the traditional museum tour.
