A Point for Quitting

Irina is director of the local-history museum in Cherdyn, in the north of the Perm Region. She came for the job a few years ago and grew attached to the place. She loves devising exhibitions, finding a contemporary language in which to speak about history, and turning the museum into a place that feels alive. But the old troubles of the institution haunt her as well: court cases, unease in the staff, a constant strain. The need to take hard decisions begins to wear her down.