Signing of a Protocol of Intent between the State Hermitage and the Ministry of Culture of Portugal

On 2 March 2006 a signing ceremony was held in the State Hermitage at which a Protocol of Intent was concluded setting out the terms for implementing a program of cooperation between the State Hermitage and the Ministry of Culture of Portugal. The Protocol was signed by Director of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the Department of International Relations of the Ministry of Culture of Portugal Dr Patricia Salvacao Barretu and Director of the Portuguese Institute of Museums Dr. Manueli Bairrrao Oleiru. The signing took place in the presence of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Portugal in Russia Manuel Marcelo Monteiro Curto and directors of the main research departments of the State Hermitage.

The planned cooperation is founded upon a mutual desire to give all possible assistance to the study and preservation of the world cultural heritage, to acquaint citizens with the monuments of world culture and art held in the State Hermitage and in the museums of Portugal, to train researchers in the field of museum management and restoration and to widen mutual cultural and scientific contacts. The sides propose to prepare and implement a program entitled The Hermitage in Lisbon, which will include the following joint projects (measures) for collaboration and exchanges:

• research internships and exchange of experience between research staff and specialists in the field of cultural heritage, conservation and restoration, museum management, history and culture
• scientific conferences, seminars, round table discussions (with publication of materials) on issues of history and culture, museum management, restoration and conservation
• exhibitions of works from the collection of the State Hermitage (with possible participation of other Russian museums) and exhibitions of works from the collections of Portuguese museums in the State Hermitage carried out with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Portugal
• musical projects realized within the context of programs of the Hermitage Academy of Music and participation of the State Hermitage Orchestra, as well as in other ways
• special cultural and educational projects for children and young people
• exchange of experience in the field of digitalizing images of articles from the artistic heritage

In the course of preparing and implementing the program of cooperation, the sides propose also to prepare and examine a project for creating a "Hermitage in Lisbon" Centre. For the purpose of preparing and implementing this program, the sides propose to form a Program Coordination Board and to regularly conduct working meetings.

The Protocol of Intent runs until 31 December 2010, but with the agreement of the sides it can be extended for further periods of 4 years. It has been suggested that the first exhibition of the State Hermitage can take place in Lisbon during the second half of 2007.

Signing of a Protocol

At the State Hermitage's Conference room