On 8 December 2005, the traditional annual event - International Hermitage Friends' Day took place in the Museum. The ceremony was a part of the Hermitage Days celebrated in the Museum on 5 - 10 December.

The State Hermitage Museum was the very first to organise a museum Friends' society in Russia. The idea of establishing the Hermitage Friends' Club was announced by Prof. Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum, in November 1996. The Hermitage Friends' Club is one of the development programs of the State Hermitage, supporting the Museum in many projects relating to restoration, reconstruction, education, academic research and purchase of new exhibits. The International Hermitage Friends' Club brings together both individuals and corporations, Russian citizens and people from other countries. The Club also coordinates the activities of the Hermitage Friends' societies in different countries all over the world (the Netherlands, Great Britain, the USA and Canada).

The 8 December is the only day in the year when all Hermitage Friends from around the world are invited to the Museum for the celebration. As usually, the exclusive evening program was arranged for the Friends in the Hermitage Theater. Prof. Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum, welcomed the Friends and opened the evening. The greeting was followed by a ceremony of Honorary Diplomas and Acknowledgement Letters bestowed on Sponsors and Friends of the State Hermitage Museum, presentation of the new collection of Tatiana Parfionova Fashion House and a concert of the State Hermitage Museum Orchestra. The guests were then invited to visit the newly opened exhibition Masterpieces of 18th Century Sevres Porcelain from the Hermitage Collection. The program ended with the reception held on the occasion in the Jordan Gallery of the Winter Palace.

Another Friends' event organized within the program of the Hermitage Days this year was the Second International Hermitage Friends' Conference. It was held for the Heads of the Hermitage Friends' organizations from the Netherlands, USA, Canada, UK and Russia on 10 December 2005 in the Hermitage Conference Room. The participants discussed important questions and took several decisions aimed at promoting co-operation between the Museum and Hermitage Friends' societies abroad.

The First Conference, organized in December 2002, brought forth several major decisions, one of them being the publication of the Hermitage Magazine. The international Hermitage Friends' meeting in Amsterdam in 2004 coincided with the Hermitage Amsterdam opening; the most important result of it was the development of new personal Hermitage Friends' cards. The new decisions taken by the Second International Friends' Conference participants will define further directions of development for the international Hermitage Friends' Club.

Director of the State Hermitage Museum Mikhail Piotrovsky, is greeting guests

At the awards ceremony in the Hermitage Theatre

At the concert in the Hermitage Theatre

At the exhibition Masterpieces of 18th Century Sevres Porcelain from the Hermitage Collection

At the 2nd International Conference of Hermitage Friends