Finnish President Tarja Halonen Visits The Hermitage

On 26 May, 2002, the Finnish President Tarja Halonen visited the State Hermitage Museum. Director Mikhail B. Piotrovsky took the guest for a tour of the exhibitions of Spanish, Italian and Dutch painting. Passing by Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal Son, the Finnish President noted that the painting had been restored. Mikhail B. Piotrovsky told the guest about the masterpiece restoration performed a few years ago.
Tarja Halonen also visited the Hermitage Special Storeroom, opened last week after a restoration. The exhibition shows jewelry of various countries and epochs, from the 3rd millenium B.C. to the early 20th century A.D.
Tarja Halonen and Mikhail B. Piotrovsky discussed a project which the Hermitage is preparing for the St. Petersburg Tercentenary together with a number of Finnish museums. On this occasion the Hermitage will show an exhibition dedicated to Gustav Mannerheim. When making an entry in the Hermitage Book of Honorable Guests Tarja Halonen told Mikhail B. Piotrovsky jokingly that she had long since wanted to do this but when she visited the Hermitage before nobody offered her to. Mrs. Halonen had been to the Hermitage many times when in her student years she studied art history.
As a keepsake Mikhail B. Piotrovsky gave the President of Finland a book about the State Hermitage Museum.

According to RIA Novosti.

Finnish President Tarja Halonen and Hermitage Director Mikhail B. Piotrovsky