Irina Shirshova Comments on Her Departure as Minister

Irina Shirshova left the post of Minister of Culture of the Yaroslavl Region after her department was merged with the Ministry of Tourism. The decision to create a single governing body was announced on January 24, 2026, and Svetlana Kostyshina, who previously held the position of deputy head of the governor«s administration, was appointed as its head.

On January 26, Shirshova published a farewell message on social media. «I served Yaroslavl culture for more than 20 years. I remember every object of the national project »Culture,« and there were 199. … I thank everyone — from the governor to the museum security guard — for the invaluable life experience. Leading such a huge sphere, communicating with bright and talented individuals, implementing large-scale and strategic projects, hearing and understanding everyone was difficult but very interesting,» she wrote.

The ex-minister reported that she has enrolled in the Moscow State Institute of Culture for simultaneous master«s and postgraduate studies in the specialty of »cultural studies.«

The university explained that such an opportunity is provided for holders of a specialist diploma. «If you have a specialist diploma, then a person has the right to study both in a master»s program and in a postgraduate program. The education law has no restrictions that would prohibit studying in two directions at the same time. However, after a bachelor«s degree, the next step is indeed a master»s program, and then — a postgraduate program,« the institute clarified.

Concluding her post, Shirshova emphasized the inseparable connection with Yaroslavl. «My family, friends, and more than five thousand people with whom we worked together in culture remain in Yaroslavl. Therefore, of course, I am always in touch with you…» she noted.

Shirshova«s resignation occurred during a large-scale reorganization of the social sphere in the region. In the Yaroslavl Region, they have already merged hospitals, created educational clusters, and also carried out mergers of museum-reserves, cultural centers, and theaters. Such transformations often lead to staff reductions in state institutions.