The Hermitage-Kazan Exhibition Center, Tatarstan

History of the Project

The program of cooperation in cultural education and exhibition activities between the State Hermitage and the Republic of Tatarstan began in 1997 with the opening of the exhibition entitled The Treasure of Khan Kubrat. During the years 1997 through 2004, five art exhibitions which attracted a great deal of attention were held in Kazan. The development of cooperation between the State Hermitage and cultural institutions of the Republic of Tatarstan led to the signing of a Protocol of Intent between the State Hermitage, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Administration of the City of Kazan and the Institute of History of the Republic of Tatarstan's Academy of Sciences relating to the opening of a scholarly, cultural, popular education program entitled the Hermitage Center in the City of Kazan (Order of the Republic of Tatarstan's Cabinet of Ministers Й 384-р dated 31.03.2004 ) in time to mark the 1000th anniversary of the founding of Kazan.

The Hermitage-Kazan Exhibition Center has been created under the patronage and with support from the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Mentimer Shaimiev. It is structurally part of the Kazan Kremlin State Historical and Architectural Museum-Park and is situated on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin in an edifice formerly occupied by the Junker School that was built in the beginning of the 19th century.

The concept for the creation of the Hermitage-Kazan Center and for its operations, as well as modern technical equipment all allow for a multifunctional use of the premises, with arrangements for exhibitions, lectures, conferences, scholarly meetings, and educational museum programs.

On 23 August 2005, during the celebrations to mark the 1000th anniversary of the city of Kazan, the exhibition entitled The Golden Horde. History and Culture was opened in the Hermitage-Kazan Exhibition Center. Within the context of the opening, an Agreement on Further Cooperation was signed between the State Hermitage and the Kazan Kremlin Museum-Park.