15 April 2010 an official event dedicated to the presentation of joint projects of the State Hermitage and the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines: the start of the KLM’s daily flights by the route of Saint Petersburg – Amsterdam and the presentation of the Holland Alliance project was held at the State Hermitage.

The Saint Petersburg – Amsterdam route is very important for the State Hermitage in connection with intensive contacts between the museum and its Amsterdam branch, the Hermitage-Amsterdam Exhibition Center. Over the recent years the State Hermitage has supported the KLM Airlines in its endeavors to increase the number of flights in this destination.

On Sunday, 28 March 2010, daily flights operated by the KLM Airlines between two cities were initiated. Conjointly with the Rossiya Airlines today 12 flights are operated from the Pulkovo Airport, Saint Petersburg, to the Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, which creates a vast choice for consumers and provides and opportunity to reach any of the 900 places of the world through the Schiphol Airport to which the KLM Airlines and its partners operate their flights.

Within the framework of daily flights between Amsterdam and Saint Petersburg, the KLM Airlines took an active part in the project of special transportation of a painting by a famous French artist of the early 20th century, Dance by Henri Matisse, to the Hermitage-Amsterdam Exhibition Center for the exhibition From Matisse to Malevich. Pioneers of Modern Art from the Hermitage (6 March - 17 September 2010).

29 March 2010 the KLM Airlines sent to Saint Petersburg a Boeing 747 Combi, the largest airliner of the Dutch air fleet. In honor of the 100th anniversary since the day of creating the Dance painting, made by Matisse in 1910, this outstanding canvas now holds a special place at the exposition in Amsterdam until 9 May 2010 and then, by the beginning of the tourist season, will be returned to the State Hermitage.

Year 2013 has been announced the Year of Russia in the Netherlands and the Netherlands in Russia. In this connection numerous events are planned in both countries. At the State Hermitage the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions (NBTC), the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, announced the creation of an alliance of Dutch partners, the Holland Alliance, which activities will be intended for the promotion of Holland in order to increase the flow of tourists from Russia. The State Hermitage and the Hermitage-Amsterdam Exhibition Center, through an active exhibition policy, will participate in both the preparation of the year of Russia in the Netherlands and the Netherlands in Russia and the activities of the created alliance.

Presentation of projects is held within the framework of the Window to the Netherlands program organized by the General Consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Saint Petersburg.