On 18 May 2006, on International Museum Day, a festive assembly took place in the Hermitage Theatre to honor veterans of museum operations and administration.

Director of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky addressed words of greeting to the gathering, He congratulated those in attendance and distributed awards to museum veterans who have given decades of their lives to this important work.

Words of congratulations were also offered by the head of the Committee of Culture in the St Petersburg Administration N.V. Burov, who read out to the assembly greetings sent by St Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko. A concert in which Galina Yasnaya took part was organized for the veterans in the Hermitage Theatre.

At the assembly there were the following State Hermitage employees who have worked
more than 60 years in the museum - O.N. Bogdanova, N.B. Yankovskaya;
more than 55 years - N.Yu. Biriukova, I.G. Kotelnikova, K.A. Orlova, E.S. Shchukina;
50 years - À.À. Ivanov;
45 years - À.T. Adamova, R.M. Belyaeva, N.V. Brodskaya, E.P. Vasilieva, L.P. Gagen, T.I. Galich, A.G. Kostenevich, V.F. Marishkina, Ch.A. Mezentseva;
40 years - L.S. Aerova, O.E. Ermolina, L.L. Zhdanova, L.T. Isachenko, N.M. Karpikhin, N.M. Mavrodina, O.Ya. Neverov,N.S. Piniagina, N.A. Serova, S.V. Suetova, L.M. Utkina, M.B. Shchukin;
30 years - Î.B. Arkhipova, T.F. Bolshakova, V.D. Vagin, E.F. Vizner, V.F. Dorokhov, T.I. Zagrebina, E.A. Mikolaichuk, S.S. Moldovanova, Z.N. Rondova, R.G. Sudarushkina, E.V. Fedorov, A.E. Shigin, E.G. Shishkova.

Greetings from the Director of the State Hermitage Museum Mikhail Piotrovsky

Head of the Committee on Culture in the St Petersburg Administration N.V. Burov

In the Hermitage Theatre

Olga Bogdanova, Head of Department of Mechanical Equipment and household