Maria Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova

Maria Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova (PhD in Cultural Theory) is the CEO of the Narva Museum. She is the author of scientific articles and several monographs focused on the study of imperial and military ideology in early 18th-century Russia, when Russian imperial concepts were being systematically developed during the Great Northern War. Maria researched the theme of military propaganda and the Baltic conquests of the first Russian Emperor, Peter I, using an analysis of verbal and visual church art.

She also wrote articles on museology from 2013 to the 2020s, during her time at the Tallinn City Museum, where she managed two of its branches: the Peter I House and the Tallinn Russian Museum.

Since 2021, Maria has headed the Narva Museum, which has become a key center for promoting Estonian national identity, competence and the system of European values in the predominantly Russian-speaking region of Ida-Viru County, in Narva, located on the border between Estonia and the European Union and Russia.

At NEMO’s European Museum Conference 2024, Maria Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova will join the session “Are we allowed to talk?” on Tuesday 12 November.

Lars Ebert
Lars Ebert

Maria Vlachou 
Maria Vlachou