Academician Boris B. Piotrovsky Memorial Readings

On 14 and 15 February, 2002, the Hermitage hosted the traditional readings commemorating Academician Boris B. Piotrovsky.
Boris B. Piotrovsky, an outstanding archeologist and major specialist in the history and archeology of the Ancient East and Caucasus, from 1964 to 1990 was director of the State Hermitage Museum.
The Readings were opened by Mikhail B. Piotrovsky, Director of the Hermitage, who told about events which took place at the Hermitage during the previous year. The Readings traditionally have the form of reports of the museum's departments on their previous year's activities. Presentations dealt with the research of various aspects of the history and art of the East and West from the ancient time till the 20th century.
The State Hermitage Museum has published abstracts of the presentations. The publication includes important documents pertaining to the important problem dealt with in the introductory article of Mikhail B. Piotrovsky and Eugenia Yu. Solomakha, The Hermitage and the Peace of Brest. Published for the first time are a memorandum of D.A. Schmidt and another memorandum on the legal aspects of the purchase of paintings from the Gallery of Malmaison for the Hermitage. The publication also includes a note of F.F. Notgaft about works of art that found their way to European museums as war trophies and a list of paintings bought by Alexander I from the Gallery of Malmaison. Two articles from German newspapers of 1918 discussing the return of Kassel paintings are added to this material.

Mikhail B. Piotrovsky, Director of the Hermitage, opening the Readings

Participants of the conference

The conference