21 August 2009, the Press Service of the museum spread an information message:

The State Hermitage informs

In connection with the interest of some mass media to the exhibition activities of our museum, the State Hermitage informs that exhibition activity is one of the most important spheres of the museum’s work alongside with its scientific, preserving and restoration activities.

Exhibitions in the leading museums of the world and in the Hermitage centres abroad and in Russia state Russian view of the world art. In 2008 the State Hermitage organised and conducted 8 exhibitions in Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Mexico; 1099 exhibits were displayed at these exhibitions. The State Hermitage has also provided 424 exhibits to other 39 exhibitions. In the same year 2 Hermitage exhibitions were held in Russia; at these exhibitions 537 art works were exhibited. 143 exhibits were presented at other 9 Russian exhibitions with participation of the Hermitage. In the first half of 2009 exhibitions of the State Hermitage were held in Kazan, Veliky Novgorod and Yekaterinburg; 732 exhibits were displayed at these exhibitions. 262 exhibits were provided by the Hermitage to other 6 exhibitions in other museums with participation of the Hermitage in Russia. In 2009 3 exhibitions organised by the State Hermitage were opened abroad (in the Netherlands, Austria and Japan); 2673 exhibits were displayed there. In the same year the State Hermitage provided 221 exhibits to other 21 exhibitions abroad.

The provision of exhibits to exhibitions is in full compliance with the Law of the Russian Federation on the ground of the two permissions issued by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and Federal Service for the Monitoring of Compliance with Legislation in the Area of the Protection of Cultural Heritage. There was no violation of time limits for transportation of museum objects in and out of the country. There was no loss of museum objects from the collection of the State Hermitage when providing them to the temporary exhibitions. There was no damage of exhibits from the collection of the State Hermitage during the transportation. All insured accidents that took place during the time of exhibiting were treated in accordance with the established order. Organisation and conduction of exhibitions is a complicated process, and the State Hermitage cooperates not only with host museums but also with many Russian and foreign companies that organise and conduct particular types of activities (insurance, packing, transportation). Particularly, when insuring exhibits of the exhibitions in Russian insurance companies (the hosting party is responsible for the expenses) the reinsurance is carried out abroad. In their turn foreign companies, both transportation (among them there are companies from Germany, France, the United States of America) and insurance companies, cooperate with Russian organisations. Regulation of relations with such institutions (and their heads) is conducted in accordance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation including the Federal Law # 94-FZ that is effective since January 1, 2006.

The State Hermitage does not consider it necessary to answer a number of questions that were asked by one newspaper. Particularly it concerns financial terms of concluded contracts that are not confidential, however, they are not subject to publication on account of the established business practice. To such questions we also refer questions of conviction, the answer to this questions is not a part of the information requested by the State Hermitage from its partners.

The keen interest in exhibition activity of the State Hermitage to the detriment of the interest in similar activity of other Russian museums makes us happy as it once again proves that the Hermitage occupies a special place in the world culture.

Alongside with this we have reasons to believe that under crisis conditions profits and expenses connected with the exhibition activity arouse financial interest in definite circles as well as desire to take participation. The interest in the Hermitage partners can be estimated from different sides. In modern conditions when the Federal Law # 94-FZ is effective many new partners will come in sight. The process of verifying the new partners as well as separate physical persons is legislatively complicated. We suppose that many contractors of the Hermitage deserve to be paid attention to not only from provincial competitive point of view.