State Hermitage Director M. B. Piotrovsky is awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland

On 15 January 2004, a solemn ceremony was held in the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland to honor 15 Petersburg recipients of a high state award accorded them by Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski.

Crosses decorated with the likeness of an eagle were given out to well known personalities from the fields of culture and the economy. The main award, the so-called Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland was given to Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of the State Hermitage, and to Sergei Slonimsky, the famous composer.

In an interview with journalists M. B. Piotrovsky said that for him the award was not only an official event but also a family event: "Insofar as I have Polish roots, I can say that for me to receive a Polish order, a Polish award is an honor and a pleasure not just for me but for all of our family of brothers and sisters. There was a time when one of my great grandfathers had an order of the White Eagle, and now here is another white eagle."