Due to constant interest in its purchasing activities, the State Hermitage Museum writes to inform you

On March 19th, 2013, the State Hermitage Museum, due to constant interest in its purchasing activities, writes to inform you:

Money for purchasing museum items to add to the museum reserves of the Russian Federation, the purchase of archival documents to expand the archival reserves, as well a library rarities to expand the library reserves are assigned to the State Hermitage Museum from the federal budget (since 2012, this has been a subsidy for the fulfilment of government tasks).

The museum has the right to use the income from its operations for the aforementioned purchases (that is, expanding the museum, archival and library reserves of the Russian Federation).

The State Hermitage Museum, as a federal budget cultural institution, does not conduct any commercial activities, since the goals or commercial activity do not match the goals that have been set for it.

Since 1996, the State Hermitage Museum has published annual Reports on its activities, and particularly on expanding reserves via acquisitions and gifts.

Information about expenditures on the acquisition of museum values, archival documents and rare and valuables publications in 2010 and 2011 are open to public access and officially published in the “Report of the State Hermitage Museum” for the corresponding years: as such, 75,467.1 million rubles were spent on the acquisition of museum valuables, and 39,853.6 million in 2011.

In 2012, by order of the Ministry of Culture, the State Hermitage Museum was instructed to complete a government task, including expanding museum reserves.

This state task was established by an order of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation dated 30.12.2011, N1312 “On the Establishment of a State Task and Values for Normative Expenditures on the Provision of State Services (the Completion of State Work) for the State Hermitage Museum Federal Budgetary Cultural Institution for 2012 and the 2013 and 2014 planning period”.

The State Hermitage Museum has presented a report on its fulfilment of its state task for 2012 to the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation for publication.

Order N 1312 and the report on its fulfilment have been placed at WWW.BUS.GOV.RU: in 2012, 68,400.3 million rubles were spent on the expansion of museum reserves.

The acquisition of museum values is conducted by the State Hermitage Museum in full compliance with the regulatory documents of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation through the Expert Reserve-Purchasing Commission, a collegial agency with a staff including experts from the museum’s leading specialists. The staff is approved by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. At present, the Expert Reserve-Purchasing Commission includes nineteen people; the chairman of the commission is the General Director of the Hermitage. The decision to buy every item, as well as the definition of the price of its purchase by the museum, is conducted separately. In the event of a difference of opinion among the members of the commission in determining the cost of the item, the issue is resolved by open voting, and the result of the voting is set down in the record of the session of the commission.

The acquisition of any item costing more than 100,000 rubles requires than the museum seek approval from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation according to the established procedure.

Items made available for sale by Russia and foreign houses, antiquarians and private citizens are presented for consideration by the Expert Reserve-Purchasing Commission.

The employees of the New Additions Sector and the custodians of the appropriate reserves constantly follow the appearance of works of art and historical artifacts capable of expanding the collection of the Hermitage as they appear on the art market.

The museum receives several proposals by email every day.

On acceptance days (Thursdays) the New Acquisitions Sector is open to everyone who might wish to propose an item to the museum.

Items that are necessary for the museum’s permanent expositions or filling gaps in certain collections are of the highest priority for purchasing.

The most expensive acquisitions are conducted, as a rule, by the Department of Western European Applied Art, the Department of Western European Fine Art, the Department of the History of Russian Culture and the Department of the East.

The Department of Modern Art relies exclusively on gifts, and the Department of Eastern European and Siberia Archaeology - on materials from architectural expeditions.

The most significant acquisitions made from 2010-2012 are the following:

2010

1. Collection of artistic porcelain form the collection of the Popov and Co. Gallery in Paris. 149 items of 18thcentury: 2,500,000 US dollars;

2. August Querfurt (1696-1761). Hunters outside a Tavern. Oil on canvas. Austria. No earlier than late 1720’s: 240,000 rubles;

3. Antonio Marini (1668-1725). Seaside View. Oil on canvas. Venice, end of 17th century - early 18th century: 1,305,000 rubles.

4. Descent of Mu`lia'n into Hell. Illustrated manuscripts. China 1440’s: 1,000,000 rubles.

2011

1. Antoine Boullier. Toilet set of the Galitzines-Stroganovs. Paris, 1786-1789. Silver, casting, embossing. 21 items: ?274,300 pounds sterling;

2. Francesco Simonini (1686-1755). Cavalry Skirmish. Oil on canvas. Venice. First half of the 18th century: 1,350,000 rubles;

3. Frans Pourbus the Elder (1545-1581). Crucifixion in the Presence of the Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and Mary Magdalene. Oil on wood. Netherlands. 16th century. 2,100,000 rubles.

2012

1. G. Gandolfi (1734-1802). Madonna and Child. Oil on canvas. Italy. 18th century: 5,500,000 rubles;

2. C.W. Dietrich (1712-1774). Shepherd resting with the herd in a landscape. Germany, 1731. Oil on canvas: 2,000,000 rubles

3. Luigi Premazzi (1814-1891). View of the red chamber of Maria Fyodorovna in the Anichkov Palace, 1866-1867. India ink, pencil, ceruse: 372,000 rubles.

4. Mantel clocks in the shape of a vase. Bronzer: Robert Osmond (1713-1789, master since 1746). Clock mechanism: David Louis Courvoisier (?- 1773).Paris, France, late 1760’s. Bronze, casting, embossing, gilding, clock face: metal, glass, enamel: 4,200,000 rubles.

5. Two ice vases with lids. Porcelain, multicoloured paint. France, Sevres Porcelain Manufactory. 1808. Belonged to N.P. Rumyantsev: 3,600,000 rubles.

Information about the specific sums paid to natural persons, the owners of museum items acquired by the Hermitage as well as data about the sellers themselves are closed information, protected by Federal Law dated 27.07.2006 N 152-FZ (25.07.2011 edition) “On Personal Data”.