The State Hermitage Museum: Hermitage News

The First Steps for a Cultural Exchange between the State Hermitage Museum and the South Korean Cultural and Artistic Association, Dong Bang

In 2008 the State Hermitage Museum has found new friends from South Korea: the Cultural and Artistic Association Dong Bang, operating with the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, and also the June & July Art Gallery, located in the very centre of Seoul.

The partnership is starting with the development of South Korean-Russian exchanges in the area of children’s creativity. On 5-19 August 2008 an exhibition of pictures by school children from the State Hermitage Museum’s school centre, Izostudio, will be displayed at an exhibition in Seoul, and in October the winners of the Korean children’s painting competition, organized by Dong Bang, will exhibit their works in St. Petersburg.

Dong Bang has already demonstrated its value as an organization actively helping children in its own country. Now its charitable activities have expended even as far as Russia.

On 30 May 2008 the Dong Bang Association together with the Society for Russian-Korean Friendship (St. Petersburg, North-West) donated to State Hermitage Museum’s school centre Izostudio new IT equipment.

This gift takes on special significance as it comes as part of the prelude to the Internation Day for the Protection of the Child which is held on 1 June.

Donation to Izostudio school centre of IT equipment

Song Young-Geun, Culture Counselor at the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea, and Irina Kureyeva, Head of the School Center

Kim Hie-Kyeong, Russia Adviser at Dong Bang Cultural and Artistic Association (Seoul, Republic of Korea)