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Interview in the newspaper "Nevskoje Vremja"
25 December 2002
- The Hermitage is working simultaneously on several major projects
and is preparing for the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg. Which coming
event in the life of the Hermitage during 2003 do you consider to be the
most striking?
- I think that such an event will be the exhibition which our museum is
organizing in Paris. Of course, it is devoted to the 300th anniversary
of St Petersburg, but its main theme is the Russo-French alliance. We
wanted the exhibition to reflect the whole 19th century, but then we narrowed
the focus to the first half-century. The main personalities will be Alexander
I and Napoleon, and we have named the show “War and Peace”. This is because
Russia and France will be presented as an opposition of two autocracies,
two armies, two cultures, between whom there was quite a bit in common
in that period...
- For example?
- The “Empire” style which came to Russia from France and here was transformed
into the ‘Russian Empire’ style. Therefore the exhibition in Paris will
show both furniture and books. We will present a very curious book – a
dictionary of Russian words borrowed from the French which entered into
our daily cultural usage. For example, the word ‘garderobe’, meaning wardrobe
or cloakroom. The exhibition was originally planned as an illustration
of the dictionary entries, but it turned into a much broader show. Of
course, some of the themes will be rather pointed, though they touch upon
history. For example, Borodino or Tilsit. We already tried to make this
sort of juxtaposition when we organized the exhibition entitled “Peter
I and Charles XII” together with several Swedish museums. It appears that
an exhibition can work with what are called “cooked facts”.
- Who are your partners on the Russian side?
- The Hermitage is organizing it together with the Historical Museum and
the Armory. They are giving us on loan the best that Russia has to offer
on the given subject.
- Who will be your French partner?
- The Museum of the Army. There will be several French items on display,
and Napoleon’s throne from the National Assembly has been promised to
us.
- And where will you stage the exhibition?
- In the cupola of Les Invalides, next to the tomb of Napoleon. The venue
is as unusual as the theme of the exhibition itself. We are grateful to
our French colleagues that they came up with such an unusual place. The
exhibition will be an historical event also in respect to the fact that
it enjoys the patronage of the presidents of both countries.
- Are there plans for them to be present at the ceremonial opening?
- I think the situation will become clearer closer to 20 May, the date
of the opening of the exhibition.
- That is on the eve of the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg...
- This proposal was made by the French side. The exhibition is being made
by Russia and paid for with Russian money. The sponsor is Interros. The
design of the lay-out is also Russian. The French like it very much. For
us this experience is very important, because the exhibition promises
to be an event that will demonstrate both Russian culture and history
in a worthy manner. We don’t intend to underline the fact that Russia
defeated Napoleon. In the Hermitage we often say that we look upon war
as a form of cultural exchange. In the given instance we don’t think it
is so important who won. It is more important that French culture arrived
in Russia. And this is one of the main themes of the exhibition. In this
manner we are giving the French a present on our anniversary.
- Will we see this exhibition in Russia?
- For certain. It will come back to its homeland, but in a somewhat altered
form.
- How will the international expansion of the Hermitage continue?
- At the end of next year we will open the first part of our project “the
Hermitage on the waters” in Amsterdam. A building in the city center has
already been given over to us. In 2003 we hope to already have an international
children’s center there.
- What can your followers in London expect?
- In April 2003 we intend to open a large exhibition in Somerset House
showing Islamic art from the Hermitage collection. The next exhibition
will be devoted to Peter I. We are planning to open that one in the autumn.
Now we are looking for money to cover the expenses. After all, projects
like this one cannot exist without sponsors. But it seems we have learned
how to work with sponsors.
- How are things going in the “Guggenheim – Hermitage” gallery which
was opened in Los Vegas soon after the events of 11 September?
- The huge revenues that it was assumed we would enjoy have not developed.
This is because the visitor levels to the gambling houses fell sharply
following those tragic events. Families stopped coming to Los Vegas. Therefore
there have been fewer visitors to the gallery than we expected initially.
Nonetheless these ‘fewer’ visitors still cover all the expenses. And so
the exhibition in Los Vegas pays for itself without any sponsorship. In
a way that is a success and evidence of the fact that our calculations
were correct. People asked us: “How much can you earn there?” We are a
conservative organization, and we don’t need much. We are trying out new
economic models over there, in the “capitalist jungles”. You might say
that we are studying what policy a museum should pursue in market conditions
without taking risks here at home. In London, for example, we apparently
have found our niche, because there are always crowds of visitors in our
Hermitage Rooms and we get huge attention in the press.
- So the exhibitions of the Hermitage are becoming events in the cultural
life of London?
- Of course. The three or four exhibitions a year in London are producing
an impression on the English public. We always try to find a theme which
is new for the British. At the same time we consider staging exhibitions
that draw on more than our own collections. We have developed a new scheme
for organizing shows in which, for example, the Kunsthistorisches Museum
of Vienna will participate as our partner. And our next project is an
exhibition of works of the American realistic artist Norman Rockwell.
- How is your television project “My Hermitage” coming along?
- As formerly it is signed up for airing on the television channel “Rossiya”.
For the time being we have themes and there is an interest in presenting
a series. I am now trying to tie in my stories with the museum as it is
today. I am presently making plans for several more broadcasts in the
future.
- On television they have again begun to show the series “A Bandit’s
Petersburg”, which does not have very pleasant things to say about the
Hermitage. They suggest that paintings are being stolen here and that
only copies are hanging in the museum halls...
- I have gotten over my suffering from this topic and it no longer evokes
in me the same indignation as formerly. If people say things like this
you have to be diplomatic. When the film was first aired there were quite
a few people who wanted to use the opportunity to criticize us. That was
absolutely unintelligent. The creators of the film took measures to protect
themselves against possible law suits by putting in a note about the imaginary
character shown in “A Bandit’s Petersburg”. It is not in the Petersburg
style to reproach us for covering something up and selling things somewhere.
I think that those responsible for the film are indulging in a kind of
philistine thinking of people who have never been inside the Hermitage.
The rumor about copies is more likely coming from Moscow, where it circulates
in well defined circles. I would say that the creators of the television
series have carried out an order to suit the taste of a certain marginal
part of our society. If someone lives and works in Petersburg, then his
taste should be functioning properly. But as for the authors of this film,
alas! In this sense they have not acted decently.
- Don’t you think that this was carried out to suit some politicians’
orders?
- Let God be their judge. The Hermitage always stands outside of politics
though it has always been part of Russian statehood, part of Russian history.
Our museum is, after all, situated in the palaces where the people who
created the history of our Fatherland lived. All of this is brilliÐntly
expressed in Alexander Sokurov’s film “The Russian Ark”. The Hermitage
is not only a symbol of Russian culture, but it also is a symbol of Russia
as a state. And being a symbol it is always linked with high politics
because it represents Russia. Russia has always been judged, is judged
and will be judged by the condition of the Hermitage.
Moreover, this is the place where for centuries the most important state
ceremonies have taken place. After the Revolution of 1917, the Hermitage
was the symbol of the old tsarist regime which was overthrown. Therefore
there appeared a desire to sell off its entire collection, to put here
only modern art. And during the period of perestroika, we heard the same
old motif: this is just an imperial museum, a fragment of the former USSR.
People’s attitudes towards the Hermitage, whether good or bad, are determined
most often by political views. This strongly distinguishes the Hermitage
from other famous museums around the world. Unfortunately politics come
to the Hermitage on their own.
-Allow us to present a question to you in your capacity of connoisseur
of oriental culture. Doesn’t it seem to you that for political reasons
we are often speculating on the oriental theme, treating it as something
exclusively Islamic?
- Of course, we are engaged in speculation. We are firstly creating for
ourselves an image of our new enemies. This tradition in our country is
unfortunately ineradicable. You have to be very, very careful when speaking
of the Islamic factor, because in those conflicts where it exists today
and where there are religious disagreements, we can create a conflict
of civilizations. There is still room for these clashes to develop in
a very dangerous direction. We make too frequent use - and here I include
the intelligentsia as well - of the phrase ‘Islamic extremism’ or ‘Islamic
threat’. In our history we have already passed through this. In the Middle
Ages poor, impoverished Europe set off for the Near East not for the sake
of finding the tomb of the Lord, but in order to plunder the rich Islamic
world. Then we needed an image of the enemy in the form of a Moslem, though
of course the Turks were at the walls of Vienna. But they never got further.
Xenophobia begins with beating up our own ‘aliens’, that is the Jews...
- Let’s try to speak about more pleasant things.
- Meaning?
- About VIP’s. You accompany kings and presidents on tours around
the Hermitage. Who among these VIP visitors to the museum has made the
strongest impression on you?
- The man in question makes a good impression on everyone. Of all the
honored guests, the most striking has been President of France Jacques
Chirac, who amazed us all as a connoisseur of oriental art. I even made
a special tour itinerary for him. I liked both American presidents, both
Clinton and Bush, Jr., who turned out to be more interesting conversationalists
than one might have previously judged on the basis of the stories you
hear from American intellectuals. The latter regard their presidents as
being not very intellectual personalities. However both presidents turned
out to be very smart. Moreover, I saw in them a very important feature
of a politician: they prepare themselves for every step. Each of them
was prepared not only for their visit to Russia but also concretely for
the Hermitage. Each knew something of what they had been told.
- What about VIP’s from outside the ranks of politicians?
- I try to converse with them in my office so that when we go around the
museum they will not be distracted by my presence but will enjoy the museum.
We chatted here with Jack Nicholson, with David Copperfield…
- And they say you allowed Lisa Minelli’s dog to walk about on the
Hermitage parquet floors...
- I don’t see anything sensational in this. This episode has been blown
out of proportion by the journalists. The animal was obedient and clean.
- There are quite a few myths and legends about the Hermitage. Which
of them do you like most?
- As a scholar, I don’t particularly like them. And so it is difficult
for me to respond to your challenge.
- Which legend about the cats that inhabit the Hermitage cellars?
- They exist and ‘perform’ their necessary service.
- And how many of them are there in the ‘service’ of the Hermitage?
- I have gotten a concrete figure – 50. But the number of cats is constantly
growing due to the kindheartedness of our staff, who bring more and more
of them here. Once a year we conduct a census. We have a new warehouse
facility and there is also a part of the General Staff building where
we also will have need of whiskered, striped and meowing ‘staff’.
- What concrete plans does the Hermitage have for participating in
the celebration of the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg in the city
itself?
- We intend to bring on line phase one of the new warehousing facility
for our collections during the anniversary days.
- Previously there was talk that during this period the Hermitage
would be open to visitors free of charge for two days...
- We studied this situation from all angles and carefully did our calculations
together with our security service, and we came to the conclusion that
it is more realistic and effective if the museum will be open for precisely
24 hours nonstop. In the daytime, evidently, it will be visited by important
guests and then the remaining time it will be open for the usual visitors.
The Hermitage will not ‘sleep’ on the city’s anniversary day.
- How is the project for a Greater Hermitage moving along?
- We are actively working in two directions. The first is that we have
already selected the architects who will participate in the reconstruction
of the General Staff building. We can well imagine now what the museum
will put forward to fill its space in the building. The second direction
of our work is to continue working in the conditions prevailing in our
existing building as it is today. We will soon be opening up all the restored
halls where the Ministry of Finances once was housed. Some of them in
summer were used to show the works by George Segal. Work is going on for
the reconstruction of the Arch of the General Staff. We steadfastly and
persistently are assimilating the territory that has been joined to us.
- I understand that the project of the Greater Hermitage has very
long term dates for implementation. But perhaps you can give us an approximate
year for its completion.
- In situations like this I always reply that we are in no hurry because
we are dealing with eternity. Everything depends on how quickly we can
collect the sum of money required.
- Will the younger generation of Piotrovskys dedicate itself to the
Hermitage in the same way as the older generation?
- In the museum we have a tradition which is that the children of staff
spend their free time in the Hermitage…
- Does your heir, Boris Mikhailovch, follow this tradition?
- He is busy. He is studying to be an economist. The rest of his time
he spends in the computer section of the museum and helps to develop concrete
programs and projects.
- Have you ever thought he would follow your example?
- I never thought about this for two reasons. Firstly why should he prepare
to work in the museum? A young man ought to choose his path in life on
his own. Secondly, I never thought or prepared myself to become director
of the museum which my father headed.
- But it happened nonetheless.
- Simply a situation developed where it appeared I might be called upon
to assume this post. I did not build my career around calculations on
the Hermitage. I just did my job. And the fact that I became its director
surely is due to a coincidence. Sometimes people call it fate.
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