Continuation of the joint project of the State Hermitage and the Coca-Cola Company - The State Hermitage - the General Staff. The 21st Century Museum

On 22 October, 2008 in St. Petersburg the State Hermitage and the Coca-Cola Company have declared continuation of the joint project the State Hermitage - the General Staff. The 21st Ñentury Museum.

This project has been launched in 2007, and owing to it a new page in the partnership between the State Hermitage and the Coca-Cola Company has been opened.

Certainly, it became an effective contribution to preservation and augmentation of cultural heritage of Russia especially because the 21st Century Museum is called to become a multi-functional social and cultural center which will allow looking generally at a diverse and multipronged picture of creativity of the epoch modern to us.

The given project has been declared as the long-term joint program which is carrying out under the slogan "Let’s keep our cultural heritage together!", which by the right is a shining confirmation of the corporate social responsibility shown by the Coca-Cola Company in Russia and worldwide.

On 22 October, 2008 in the General Staff building a press conference took place in which Director of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky and representatives of the Coca-Cola Company were participated. There has been declared a transfer of an annual payment of the Coca-Cola Company to realization of the project The State Hermitage - the General Staff. The 21st Century Museum.

During the press conference the partners have declared one more unique initiative which will be carried out within the limits of the given program.

On 1 October the All-Russian competition for schoolchildren of 6-11 forms of general education schools has started. The point of the competition is to enable children from all over Russia to make their contribution in creation of ideology of the 21st Century Museum, after all in their works they should answer questions:

What should be the 21st Century Museum?

How it is possible and it is necessary to show collections of world classical art and modern artists?

And the most important question is how to make so that those who once have come to the Museum would want to return there once again.

In March, 2009 winners of regional competitions can visit a cradle of Russian culture - the city of St. Petersburg, and certainly to be inspired of new scientific researches by knowledges and emotions which have been received as a result of excursions in halls of the State Hermitage.

And the most important! - Every schoolchild from the age of 12-17 years can take part in the competition. For this purpose it is enough to make only a call on a hot line of the Coca-Cola Company by phone 8-800-200-22-22 (the call is free-of-charge) and to find out conditions of participation.

The regional tour will be prolonged till December 1, 2008.

Information

For years of cooperation, owing to joint activity of the Coca-Cola Company and the State Hermitage scores of significant cultural-educational and social projects have been successfully realized.

For these years a total sum of the carried out and declared social investments of the Company in joint programs with the State Hermitage has made more than 35 million roubles.

Among global problems which are regarded as of paramount importance at realization of joint partner projects of the State Hermitage and the Coca-Cola Company, first of all is the care of preserving of the cultural heritage of Russia, educational projects aimed at the rising generation, support of young talents and providing conditions for their art creativity, introduction of modern information products and technologies in sphere of culture.

Among concrete results of the joint activity, certainly, the most significant ones are to be considered granting of equipment for the Laboratory of Tempera Painting scientific restoration (1993-1996), and also contribution to restoration of the Great Courtyard of the Winter Palace (2003).

Exactly this time the program “Preserving Cultural Heritage Together” within the scope of celebrating the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg has appeared, the interest to this program has not exhausted till today.

At the moment this program has transformed to the grandiose joint 5-years projectThe State Hermitage - the General staff. The 21st Century Museum.

Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum

Anna Kozlovskaya, Director of Public relations and communications of the Coca-Cola Company

Konstantin Chukchukov, Regional General Manager of the Northwest region of the Coca-Cola Company HBC Eurasia

Elena Lavina, Manager of Public relations and communications of the Coca-Cola Company HBC Eurasia