Hermitage Days – 2010
Handing over the first phase of restoration of the Eastern Wing of the General Staff building

10 December 2010 an official ceremony devoted to completion of the first phase of restoration of the Eastern Wing of the General Staff building was held.

In the presence of the Governor of St Petersburg Valentina Matvienko, President of Intarsia Group Victor Smirnov, who performed restoration works, passed a symbolic key of restored halls of the General Staff building to Director of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky.

By the Grand Front Staircase, participants of the ceremony walked to renovated halls of the General Staff. Guests, among whom were employees of the museum and organizations-participants of the project, were greeted by the Governor of St Petersburg Valentina Matvienko and Director of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky. President of Intarsia Group Victor Smirnov and authors of the project, directors of Studio 44 Architectural Workshop Nikita and Oleg Yaveins, spoke about the aspects of work on restoration. Within the framework of the ceremony, a short-length film on the progress of restoration of the building was presented, which was followed by a concert.

Guests of the ceremony were able to get familiar with an exhibition of models of the project designed by Studio 44 Architectural Workshop and an exposition of photographs from the cycle Birth of the Museum.

The total area of renovated halls of the General Staff is 32.5 thousand m2, of which 6.5 thousand m2 are exposition facilities where in future the larger part of the museum collection will be displayed. In the hall, where subsequently a collection of late 19th-early 20th century French are will be presented, guests of the ceremony were able to see “animated” paintings by Henri Matisse The Dance and The Music performed by artists of the St Petersburg State Conservatory.

Front staircase-amphitheater

The ceremony was attended by the Governor of St Petersburg Valentina Matvienko

Victor Smirnov, President of Intarsia Group

Directors of Studio 44 Architectural Workshop Nikita and Oleg Yaveins

Theatrical performance in honor of the opening of the first phase of restoration of the Eastern Wing of the General Staff building

Unique 14-meter doors opening an enfilade of exhibition halls