The eighth action "The Night at Museum" was held in Moscow on May 17. Some 300 art spaces of the capital have taken part in it.

"The main goal of our action "The Night at Museum" is to help Muscovites to love museums, make museums more accessible to every Muscovite. The year 2014 is declared in Russia as the Year of culture, the action makes it possible to demonstrate the diversity of cultural offerings of the capital" - said Sergey Kapkov, Minister of Moscow Government, Head of the Culture Department of the city of Moscow.

According to the Culture Department of Moscow, the preliminary estimations show that number of visitors in 2014 has increased by 100 thousand people and reached the mark of 1 million 300 thousand.

The museum-reserve Kolomenskoye (96,000 visitors), the museum-reserve Tsaritsyno (55,000 visitors), Darwin Museum (16,000 visitors) were leaders in attracting people.

In time of the action the admission to all museums, exhibition halls and art galleries administered by the Culture Department of Moscow as well as to most of federal, administrative and non-state museums was free.

In all cultural institutions special programmes were organized: theatrical and musical performances, literary and theatrical evenings, master classes, interactive projects.

The great interest among citizens of the city was stirred by outdoor events: the open-air festival of "Luna-movies", Moscow march to museums, public art objects, the projects "Citing monuments", "The Night Wanderers”, a historic quest, the programme "The Night in the Park".

From May 5 to 17, the official website of "The Night at Museum" was visited by more than 235,000 unique users (2.6 million views).

Fifty complimentary buses with the action emblem were going along three routes carriyng some 7 thousand passengers. Another 7.5 thousand people have benefited from free taxi of the official carrier of the "The Night at Museum" "Mostaxi" company.

"The Night at Museum" was initiated by the Culture Department of the city of Moscow with the support of Moscow Government and the general partner of the project – Visa company. The Culture Department of Moscow reminds that museums subordinate to it operate free of charge not only during "The Night at Museum" action but every third Sunday of a month. Every Thursday the opening hours of the museums are extended till 21:00.