The presentation of the new purchases of the State Hermitage

30 December 2008, the Picket Hall of the Winter Palace held an exhibition of the new purchases of the State Hermitage. Traditionally, in the last days of December the museum opens an exhibition which presents the most interesting exhibits purchased by the museum in the departing year.

Andre Brasilier

In 2005 the State Hermitage for the first time in Russia hosted the exhibition of one of the most prominent contemporary painters of France, Andre Brasilier (born 1929), where paintings, graphics, ceramics and espaliers were presented. In 2008 the artist donated to the Hermitage his painting "Le Cadre Noir de Saumur" painted in 1964.

Collection of Stamping Dies

At the end of 2007 - the middle of 2008, on the initiative of the St. Petersburg Mint’s director S. V. Orlov a large collection consisting of more than 3000 various types of stamping instruments (forms, stamping dies, etc) used for making soviet commemorative medals and signs was handed over to the State Hermitage for permanent storage. This generous gift complements the rich collection of Soviet and Russian commemorative medals and signs and serves as yet another indication of long-term partnership and friendship between the oldest enterprise of GOZNAK - St. Petersburg Mint, and one of the largest museums of the world, the State Hermitage.

The museums of Russia possess only single examples of the stamping instruments (The State Hermitage - the stamping dies of the Konstantin Rouble, The State Historical Museum – the stamping dies of the sample poltinas (50 kopeks) of 1699, and the Reichel* sample poltina). In the meantime, the Mints of many European countries in XVIII - XIX centuries began to hand over their stamping dies and the ancient equipment to the museums. In Russia the handing over of the collection of the stamping instruments by the Mint to the Numismatic Department of the State Hermitage was the first event of the kind.

The traditional new-year exposition will display more than 30 stamping dies from this collection.

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* Reichel Rouble and Poltina (colloquial) - sample silver coins, 1845, without face value, with the weight equal to the weight of the rouble and poltina, depicting the portrait of Nicholas I, created by the medalist Jacob Reichel.

The Riding School in Saumur ("Le Cadre Noir de Saumur")
1964
Andre Basilier

Mikhail Piotrovsky, the director of the State Hermitage Museum

Items of the exhibition

At the exhibition

The Picket Hall of the Winter Palace