MAX Messenger to Guide Visitors to Museums With QR Discounts
Russia’s Culture Ministry has launched a benefit verification feature in the national messenger MAX.
Students, pensioners, large families, and people with disabilities can now confirm eligibility for ticket discounts using a smartphone. Users open the “Digital ID” section in the MAX app and display a QR code. A staff member scans it, and the system verifies the visitor’s status.
The pilot project covers several hundred cultural institutions across multiple regions. Participating venues include sites in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as institutions in Krasnodar Territory, Tatarstan, and the Sverdlovsk, Tula, and Nizhny Novgorod regions.
The Digital ID is most frequently used by visitors to the Tretyakov Gallery, the Pushkin Museum, the Russian Museum, the Moscow Zoo, the Peterhof Museum-Reserve, and the Tula State Museum of Weapons.
Free for Now
Earlier, the ministry launched the “Kultura po MAXimumu” (Culture to the MAXimum) campaign. Until March 1, MAX users with eligible status can visit cultural institutions free of charge or at discounted rates. To confirm eligibility, users must present their digital profile in the app.
A list of participating events is published on the Kultura.RF portal and on regional culture ministry websites. A prize competition is also underway. To participate, users must access the “Kultura po MAXimumu” chatbot and complete the required steps.
The Digital ID is a dynamic QR code within the user profile. It updates every 30 seconds and is protected against screenshots. Access to the service requires identity verification via facial recognition or fingerprint authentication.
To create a Digital ID, adult users must upload documents to their profile and confirm the data through Gosuslugi. The code is valid only on the device where it was generated.
MAX as a Go-To Tool
MAX is positioned as a national messenger and digital services platform. The app supports calls, chats, file sharing, and money transfers. It also features mini-apps and chatbots.
The application is included in Russia’s official register of domestic software and is available in mobile, desktop, and web versions. At the end of January, the number of MAX users reached 89 million.
