Anneta Yakovlevna Bass (1930–2006) and Samara Regional Art Museum (known as Kuibyshev Art Museum until 1990) are bound together as closely as the fate of a person can be intertwined with that of a cultural institution. Immediately after graduating from university, the young alumna crossed the museum’s threshold, and within five years she became its director, assuming responsibility for an entire cultural world. She remained in this position until the end of her life, dedicating more than half a century to passionate and active service to the museum.
Thanks to Anneta Yakovlevna, a provincial museum was transformed into a major cultural center, respected not only in Samara (known as Kuibyshev until 1990) but also within the international community. She saved more than four hundred avant-garde paintings from destruction and curated multiple exhibitions. Thanks to her efforts, the collection expanded significantly, making regular loans to leading domestic and international museums possible. An essential part of Bass’ work was educational outreach: organizing lecture programs, working with schoolchildren, and participating in television broadcasts. A native of Samara, she knew her city and its cultural traditions intimately. Her attention to local history and her involvement in research on Samara artists were reflected both in the development of the museum’s collection and in the creation of its branch in Shiryaevo.
This book was written by Anneta Yakovlevna’s daughter, who grew up among exhibitions, archives, conversations about art, and professional and friendly meetings. Rather than a mere biography, the author, who was raised within museum culture, offers a vivid and warm narrative filled with everyday and historical detail. The book portrays the figure of director Anneta Bass as a «great little woman» who succeeded in preserving and enriching the Samara art collection.
