Ceremony of Transfer of Historical and Artistic Values

On 26 August, 2003, the Hermitage Theater hosted a ceremony of transfer to the State Hermitage Museum, State Russian Museum and Tsarskoye Selo Museum of historical and artistic values lost in the Civil and 2nd World Wars and returned to Russia in May-July 2003.

Since 1957, in the Royal Guards’ Grenadier Regiment in London has been preserved the St. George Banner of the Life Guards’ Grenadier Regiment of the Russian Imperial Army. This standard witnessed victories of the Russian Army during the Crimean and Turkish Wars and the 1st World War and was taken by the Grenadier Regiment’s officers to Paris after the defeat of the White Army to be later transferred for custody to the UK Life Guards Museum.
In 1994, after the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Russia, the Hermitage started its efforts to bring the banner back to its native country. These efforts were joined in 2001 by the Department of Cultural Values Preservation, which requested the Commander of the Grenadier Regiment of the Royal Guards to restore the historical relic to Russia. The Commander of the Regiment granted the Russians’ request.
The St. George Banner of the Life Guards’ Grenadier Regiment was handed over to the Russian President Vladimir V. Putin during his state visit to the United Kingdom on 24-27 June, 2003.

At the Sotheby’s latest Russian auction, experts of the Ministry of Culture identified a Portrait of Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna by Fedor Bognevsky, which was lost by the Russian Museum during the 2nd World War.
At the Culture Ministry’s behest, the painting was withdrawn from the auction. Due to the assistance of the London-based art sponsor and financier Jacob Rotschild, the Portrait of Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna was purchased from its owner for 24 thousand euros and brought back to Russia.

In May 2003, Xenia Konstantinovna and Dmitry Georgiyevich Grabbe residing in the United States handed over in the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in New York to a representative of the Tsarskoye Selo Museum 3 watercolors taken by a German officer from the Alexander Palace during the 2nd World War, Nicholas II and Alexandra Fedorovna, watercolor paper 7.5 x 11.0 cm (A.D-M 2803), and Nicholas II and the Author at a Tree on which Alexander III Carved the Letter A, watercolor paper 12.0 x 15.0 cm (A.D-M 2804), by M. Zichi, and Blue Boudoir in the House of Count Brevern de la Gardi, watercolor paper 12.0 x 15.0 cm (A.D-M 2802), by G. Cumming.
The Alexander Palace’s inventory number has been preserved on the reverse of each of the drawings.

Mikhail Shvydkoy, Culture Minister of the Russian Federation and Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum at the ceremony

St. George Banner of the Life Guards’ Grenadier Regiment of the Russian Imperial Army