The Opening of the Hermitage-Kazan Center and an Exhibition entitled The Golden Horde. History and Culture

On 23 August 2005 the State Hermitage opened its first representation within Russia - the Hermitage-Kazan Center. President of the Republic of Tatarstan Mentimer Shaimiev, Governor of St Petersburg Valentina Matviyenko, Director of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky and other officials took part in the festive opening ceremony.

Dr. Mikhail Piotrovsky and chief researcher of the State Hermitage M. Kramarovsky, who is the curator of this first show in the new Hermitage Center, acquainted the visiting dignitaries with the exhibition, which is entitled The Golden Horde. History and Culture.

On the same day Dr. Piotrovsky held a press conference in the Lecture Hall of the Hermitage-Kazan Center which was attended by more than 40 representatives of the mass media at the federal and republic levels. He also delivered a public lecture on “The Culture of Islam in the European Context” at which were present members of the Academic Council of the Sh. Mardjani Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences (Republic of Tatarstan). Following the lecture Dr. Piotrovsky was awarded a robe and certificate of honorary doctorate degree by the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences (Republic of Tatarstan).

On 24 August 2005 Director of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan Z. Valeyev and Director of the Kazan Kremlin State Historical, Architectural and Artistic Park I. Vakhitov signed a Protocol of Intent between the State Hermitage, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Kazan Kremlin State Historical, Architectural and Artistic Park concerning the continuation of their collaboration in the development of the Hermitage-Kazan Center.

On this day Dr. Piotrovsky took part in the opening of a special street which is St Petersburg's gift to Kazan on the occasion of the city's 1,000th anniversary.

More