International Gala Banquet in the Winter Palace

26 June 2009, 6th International Gala Banquet took place at the Winter Palace. Funds to be raised at the event will be directed to finance restoration project of the Eastern Wing of the General Staff building and to create XIX, XX and XXI century art museum. The Hermitage intends to celebrate its completion on the 250th anniversary of the museum’s foundation in 2014.

The three previous International charity Gala receptions raised in total more than two million Euros. This money added up to the sum of charity money that will be used to complete the second stage of the General Staff restoration project. The first stage was financed by the World Bank. In order to complete the whole project the Hermitage has to raise no less than 50 million Euros of charity and sponsorship funds; in that case the Government of Russia (as expected) will assign means equal to that amount.

The State Hermitage is grateful for the support of Co-chairmen of the Committee of Honour of the International Charity Gala Reception - Alexey Kudrin, Valentina Matvienko, Mikhail Piotrovsky, Prince Dmitry Romanov and Vladimir Potanin.

Traditionally the Gala Reception is dedicated to one of the arts, this year the State Hermitage honoured Sculpture. Among other honourable guests of the night there was Wim Delvoye, Anna Jeolud, Rem Koolhaas, Jeff Koons, Grigory Yastrebinitsky, Zurab Tsereteli.

The guests of the reception were able to enjoy splendid collection of antique sculpture in the Hermitage rooms as well as to see several examples of contemporary art: a new gift from Louise Bourgeois to the museum ("Nature Study"), "D11 Buldozer (1:2.5)" by Wim Delvoye (the exhibition is supported by JT International) that will remain in the Main courtyard of the Hermitage until September and after that it will take part in the 3rd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, and "A Hall-Stand" by resident of Moscow Anna Jeolud (courtesy of Aidan Salakhova who brought it specially for the evening from Moscow). In the Hermitage Theatre Foyer GIFTS OF IL CIGNO GALLERY (2008) TO THE HERMITAGE were presented:

Alberto Biazi. Visual Triangular Dynamics
Jorrit Thornquist. Untitled
Ben Ormenese. Small Theatre
Franco Costalonga. Reflection
Horacio Garcia Rossi. Electric Colour Light, Rotation

Dancers from the Mariinsky Theatre and chamber chorus Musica Practica conducted by Vladimir Suzdalevich took part in musical entertainment. The highlight of the evening was gala ballet in the Hermitage Theatre with participation of Aleksey Ermakov, Mikhail Lobukhin, Uliana Lopatkina, Denis and Anastassia Matvienko, Tatiana Tkachenko.

The State Hermitage is grateful to the companies who generously provided support in organizing of the Gala Reception in 2009:

Charitable Foundation of Vladimir Potanin
Intrasia, JSC
Blavatnik Family Charitable Foundation
Hennessy Cultural Foundation
Jordans
JT International
Jet Republic
WestPost
Imperial Porcelain Factory
Information Sponsor Art and Auction (Russia)

See photos

A Hall-Stand by young xculptor Anna Jeolud met the guests at the Nikolaevsky entrance
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Mikhail Piotrovsky is greeting David Iacobashvili
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Mikhail Piotrovsky is greeting senator Sergey Tarasov and ballerina Anastassiya Kollegova
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Mikhail Piotrovsky introduces Jeff Koons to governor Valentina Matvienko
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Zurab Tsereteli I giving interview to the programme World Fashion International in front of the Louise Bourgeois’s gift to the Hermitage Nature Study
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Antique rites in the Bosphorus Halls before the Gala Dinner
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Paul Rodzianko and Julie Silvester
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