245th ANNIVERSARY OF THE HERMITAGE
The Hermitage Days - 2009

The Hermitage Days - 2009 opened November 30 by the traditional Internet meeting with the museum Director Mikhail Piotrovsky that was dedicated to the 245th anniversary of the Hermitage.

The main events took place on December 7 - 9.

7 December, on the birthday of the Hermitage, the Day of St Catherine, patroness of Catherine the Great, who founded the museum, ceremonial employees meeting and press-conference took place; during both events Mikhail Piotrovsky imparted preliminary results of the elapsing year, told about future plans and also introduced publication activities of the museum to all the attendants.

Two exhibition - The Hermitage in the World of Publications - 2009 and The Hermitage in the World of Photography - 2009 - opened in the Hermitage Theatre Foyer.

On the same day for the firth time the Hermitage Theatre employees had been awarded with grants of the Vladimir Potanin Charity Fund.

8 December the Enamels of the World 1700-2000. From the Khalili Collections exhibition was opened in the Picket Room of the Winter Palace.

The painting by French artist of the 19th century Jean-Leon Gerome Pool in a Harem returned to the exhibition after restoration.

On the same day the Museum welcomed all Hermitage Friends from around the world for the traditional annual event - celebration of the International Hermitage Friends’ Day.

9 December the Hermitage invited everyone to the Grand Ceremony in the St George Hall that was dedicated to the Day of St George and in the course of which the public was introduced to the gift from the Dukes Nikolai Romanovich and Dmitry Romanovich Romanovs - the sabre of St George, belonging to Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov Senior; relics from the Royal Armoury Chamber Museum in Stockholm and a gift from Yantarny Dom (Amber House) LLC - three wonderful drawings by Yury Felten - his designs for the Small Hermitage Building.
On the same day official opening ceremonies took place for new permanent exhibitions - Art and Culture of the Northern Black Sea Coast in the halls of Bospor (the Antiquity Department) and Art of Dagestan in the 14th - Early 20th Centuries (The Oriental Department).

The Hermitage Days were concluded by the opening of the 12th International Festival Admiralty Music in the Hermitage Theatre.

The Hermitage Days project partner is BDO Unicon Ltd.

At the ceremony of awarding the Vladimir Potanin Foundation grants to the employees of the State Hermitage		At the Enamels of the World. 1700 - 2000. From the Khalili Collection's exhibition Larger view
Pool in a Harem Jean-Leon Gerome After restoration Larger view		The sabre of St George belonging to Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov Senior Larger view
At the opening of a new permanent exhibition Art and Culture of Antique Towns of the Northern Black Sea Coast		At the opening of a new permanent exhibition Dagestan Art of the 14th - Beginning of the 20th Centuries

Internet meeting with Mikhail Piotrovsky in the Hermitage's CafeMax

At the ceremonial employees meeting

At the press-conference

Georgy Vilinbakhov, Deputy Director of the State Hermitage, represents Symbols of Russia work

At the Alberto Giacometti. Sculpture. Painting. Drawing's exhibition. A photo from the exhibition The Hermitage in Photographs - 2009