Format: on Shaninka campus and online
Language: Russian, English
Moderators: Daria Donina (M.A. in Cultural Heritage Studies, Olfactory Researcher and Curator)

Heritage is the practice of experiencing history — “cultural production in the present tense that looks back to the past.” In a similar way, scent, too, can be considered a form of heritage, though it confronts several prejudices: it is intangible, elusive, subjective, and difficult to preserve. Unlike heritage, history relies on vision and facts, which makes it more evidence-based and, as a result, more trustworthy.

Previously, this subject has been discussed in terms of olfactory practices, olfactory codes, and “olfactorium’, but it has not been examined specifically within the heritage context. The emergence of the term "olfactory heritage" in international academic discourse is associated with a growing interest in historical odors and how they might be perceived in the present. The COVID-19 pandemic, with anosmia as one of its symptoms, has played a significant role in increasing attention to this field.

Working with scents in the domain of cultural heritage encompasses numerous paradoxes: we can hardly visualize odors, nor can we trace their trajectory; they remain inherently elusive. However, once caught in the nostrils of the recipient, scents can provoke vivid, tactilely perceptible imagery (Proust’s case comes to mind immediately). Although scent itself is immaterial, it frequently resides within material containers (perfume bottles often serve as representations of fragrance in exhibitions but they do so ‘silently’, without offering any actual olfactory experience). This phenomenon raises a fundamental question: should sensory heritage be classified exclusively as intangible, or does it necessarily encompass material elements as well? So, what exactly do we preserve?

Working with olfactory medium demands specialized expertise that can rarely be found in museums or other cultural institutions. The lack of discussion and methodological exchange in the community, combined with the complexities of preserving scent-bearing museum artifacts, makes it challenging to ensure that olfactory elements receive the same level of representation as other cultural and artistic artifacts. Nevertheless, specialists worldwide are gradually recognizing that sensory, tactile, and olfactory engagement with exhibition objects positively influences visitor perception and enhances memory retention.

The processing of olfactory stimuli engages parts of the brain's limbic system that are responsible for memory formation and emotional regulation. Evoking vivid impressions in the minds of museum attendees, we can create immersive experiences — not only to entertain but also to establish physical, corporeal connections with the imagined past.

Currently, we are witnessing an increasing interest in olfactory practices within the Russian context. However, not all exhibitions are successful cases — in many projects, odors serve merely decorative purposes and have not yet been conceptualized as potential heritage objects or as fully-fledged instruments of expositional storytelling. Within the framework of this section, we aim to initiate a discussion on olfactory heritage in Russia, examining it from various perspectives, both theoretical and practical. Consequently, we are seeking speakers from a range of professional backgrounds, including museum curators, anthropologists, historians, literary scholars, hospitality management professionals, perfumers, chemists, and neuroscience specialists.