From 14 through 16 March 2007 the newly launched festival "Days of Classics" took place in the rooms of the Hermitage's Department of the Ancient World. The festival was organized jointly by the State Hermitage and the Likeon - Museum Concepts and Projects Ltd.

The proceedings on 14 March were devoted to the creativity of young lovers of Antiquity. On this day there was a competition for best composition on the subject of "A Trip to Ancient Greece" which was open to school children of St Petersburg and also a competition for best costume on the theme of "Gods and Heroes." In the museum's School Center, there was a Conference for those enrolled in the Hermitage study circles on sculpture of Antiquity. Within the framework of the "World of Antiquity in Paint," thirty future artists presented to the public the works they created right there in the halls of the Department of the Ancient World. After the festival closes, they will be exhibited on the walls of the Sivkovsky Passageway joining the New Hermitage and the Winter Palace. A photography exhibition entitled "Rooms of Ancient Art" (the Hall of Athena, the Oval Room and the Hall of Heracles) opened in the Youth Center in the General Staff Building, and in the cinema and lecture hall there was the screening of the film Medea by Pier Paolo Pasolini.

The project to restore the halls and reconstruct the exhibitions brought together specialists of the State Hermitage, employees of the Committee on State Control, Use and Protection of Monuments of History and Culture, as well as organizations which carried out the restoration work, lighting installations and technical engineering work.

On 15 March, after a Press Conference devoted to the Days of Classics Festival, there was the festive opening of the halls of the Art of Classical Greece. These rooms had been closed for restoration work and have now re-opened with modernized exhibitions. Chamber music was performed in the rooms. The smallest participants in the festival showed off their "ancient" costumes and students from a Classical curriculum secondary school gave a presentation on the Ancient Greek language.

On 16 March the Days of Classics concluded in the Hermitage Theatre with a summing up, as well as presentation of valuable prizes and gifts.

Every day of the festival the public could see Italian silent movies.

At the press conference

Anna Trofimova, Head of Department of Classical Antiquity

Georgy Vilinbakhov, Deputy Director of the State Hermitage Museum

Young artist

Smallest participants of the festival

At the ceremony of the opening of the halls of the Art of Classical Greece