Ceremonial Cancellation of Stamps Devoted to the 250th Anniversary of the Hermitage
On 1 July 2014 the Hermitage Theatre was the venue for the ceremonial cancellation of the miniature sheet devoted to the museum’s jubilee. The postage stamp “250 Years since the Foundation of the Hermitage” features a present-day view of the museum and its jubilee logo, while the margins of the sheet include part of Vladimir Borovikovsky’s painting Catherine the Great Walking in the Park at Tsarskoye Selo. 75,000 of the sheets were printed.
Georgy Poltavchenko’s Visit to the State Hermitage
On 6 July 2014 Georgy Poltavchenko, at that time Acting Governor of St Petersburg, paid an unofficial visit to the State Hermitage. He viewed the Manifesta 10 exhibition and was shown around it by Mikhail Piotrovsky, the General Director of the State Hermitage.
Liudmila Kagane’s book Paintings by Old Spanish Masters in St Petersburg Private Collections. Late 18th – Early 20th Centuries
The year 2014 saw the publication of a book by Liudmila Kagane, doctor of art studies, chief researcher of the Department of Western European Fine Art, the curator of 16th- to early 20th-century Spanish painting – Paintings by Old Spanish Masters in St Petersburg Private Collections. Late 18th – Early 20th Centuries (State Hermitage Publishing House, 2014). The independent jury of the Museum Olympus prize in October 2014 awarded this publication an honorary diploma.
14th Music of the Greater Hermitage International Festival
Between 9 and 15 July 2014 the State Hermitage and the Hermitage Academy of Music held the 14th Music of the Greater Hermitage International Festival to mark the 250th anniversary of the Hermitage.
Verdi Gala in the Large Courtyard of the Winter Palace
On 10 July 2014, as part of the 14th Music of the Greater Hermitage International Festival, the choir and orchestra of the Teatro Regio di Torino performed with great success under the direction of Gianandrea Noseda in the Large Courtyard of the Winter Palace. The Gala Verdi Concert was a gift from the city of Turin and personally from its mayor, Piero Fassino, for the 250th anniversary of the State Hermitage. Artistes from the theatre performed extracts from Giuseppe Verdi’s operas La forza del destino, Aida, Nabucco, Les vêpres siciliennes, Il Trovatore and Macbeth.
Round Table on Problems of Ecology and Energy-Saving in the State Hermitage
On 11 July 2014 the Staraya Derevnya Restoration and Storage Centre was the setting for a round table event on problems of ecology and energy-saving in the State Hermitage. In the course of the meeting the Hermitage presented the solar batteries recently installed at the Staraya Derevnya complex.
Flash Mob of Yamal Schoolchildren “To the Hermitage with Love!”
On 16 July 2014 Palace Square became the setting for a tremendous flash mob organized to mark the 250th anniversary of the Hermitage. This creative gift “To the Hermitage with Love!” was the work of the Piter. Yamal summer camp.
A Gift from the Chairman of the Theo Fabergé Foundation’s “St Petersburg Collection” to the State Hermitage
On 23 July 2014 Philip Birkenstein, the chairman of the Theo Fabergé Foundation’s “St Petersburg Collection”, presented Mikhail Piotrovsky, the General Director of the State Hermitage, with an Easter egg created specially to mark the museum’s 250th anniversary. The egg is covered with pale blue guilloché enamel and supported by three bronze atlantes. It is surmounted by the crown of the Romanovs incorporating a sapphire cabochon and decorated with a diamond-studded monogram of Peter the Great and, on the reverse, a double-headed eagle. The surprise inside the egg is a model of Catherine II’s coronation coach made from silver and gold with enamel and diamonds.
The Traditional Meeting with the Hermitage Journalists Pool “Seeing Off the White Nights”
The 28 July 2014 saw traditional “Seeing Off the White Nights” celebration. For many years now it has brought together journalists belonging to the Hermitage pool and members of the museum staff for an informal gathering. This year the venue was the State Hermitage’s Staraya Derevnya Restoration and Storage Centre. The new lecture and concert hall was used for the St Petersburg premiere of the documentary film The Hermitage Revealed by the British director Margy Kinmonth.
Opening of the Exhibition “The First World War in the Graphic Works of Russian and German Artists in the Hermitage Collection”
On 29 July 2014 the exhibition-event “The First World War in the Graphic Works of Russian and German Artists in the Hermitage Collection” opened in the Field Marshals’ Hall of the Winter Palace. It presented some twenty works of graphic art: posters, drawings and lubok pictures. The exhibition continued until 7 September 2014.
Restoration of the Winter Palace Roof Is Completed
On 30 July 2014 on the roof of the Winter Palace the acceptance report was signed for the restoration work on the roof and attics with the contracting organization ZAO Renessans-Restavratsiya. The work of restoration repairs, strengthening the rafters with replacement of the roof covering, installation of thermal insulation in the attic floors and repair of the ventilation shafts located within the attic of the Winter Palace had been started on 22 October 2010.
Meeting of the 20th International Consultative Council
Sessions of the 20th International Consultative Council of the State Hermitage took place between 29 and 31 August 2014. The meeting was as usual devoted to current problems in the development of the museum.
The Book The Hermitage. 250 Years – 250 Masterpieces
To mark the 250th anniversary of the Hermitage Arca Publishers produced the book The Hermitage. 250 Years – 250 Masterpieces to a commission from the Readers’ Digest publishing house. The album section of the book presents 250 pictures from the collection of the State Hermitage belonging to different periods, tendencies and schools of Western European painting. The book reflects the development of Western European painting over six centuries from the 1300s to the first half of the 1900s.
The Book The Hermitage: 250 Masterworks
The book The Hermitage: 250 Masterworks was brought out to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the State Hermitage. It was first published in 2014 in the United States by Skira Rizzoli Publications of New York in collaboration with St Petersburg-Based Arca Publishers. The book presents 250 of the finest items from the Hermitage collection covering a period from Ancient Egypt to the present day. The selection includes works by world-famous artists, sculptures and pieces of applied art. The illustrations are accompanied by texts written by members of the museum staff.
The Book The Hermitage: Palace and Museum
To mark the 250th anniversary of the foundation of the State Hermitage, the eminent Turkish photographer Ahmet Ertug produced a unique album of photographs – The Hermitage: Palace and Museum. This publication allows people to take a visual tour around the museum and to acquaint themselves with selected masterpieces of the collection. The exclusive book came out in the format 48 × 40 cm containing 200 pages of high-quality photographs, more than 100 in number.
International Workshop Conference “Archaeology and History of the Bosporus”
On 1–3 September 2014 the international workshop conference “Archaeology and History of the Bosporus” was held in Kerch devoted to the 250th anniversary of the Hermitage and the 80th anniversary of the start of the study of Myrmekion. The conference organizers were the State Hermitage, the Kerch Historical and Cultural Preserve, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of the Crimea, the Crimean University of Culture, Art and Tourism, Kerch State Maritime Technological University, and the Krasnodar State Felitsyn Historical and Archaeological Museum Preserve.
Opening of the Exhibition “In Battle, In Tournament, In the Hunt. Antique Weapons from the State Hermitage Collection”
On 1 September 2014, .in the Kerch Historical and Cultural Preserve, the exhibition “In Battle, In Tournament, In the Hunt. Antique Weapons from the State Hermitage Collection” opened. The display featured around 100 exhibits – unique examples of European weaponry from the 15th to 17th centuries. The exhibition allowed visitors to assess the contribution of Western European craftsmen to the development of weapon-making and also to appreciate through the finest examples the technical perfection and rich artistic decoration of the articles.
Opening of the Exhibition “Dining with the Tsars. Fragile Beauty from the Hermitage” in the Hermitage Amsterdam Exhibition Centre
On 4 September 2014 the fifth exhibition of the jubilee year, “Dining with the Tsars. Fragile Beauty from the Hermitage”, opened in the Hermitage Amsterdam Exhibition Centre. The exhibition presented eight dining services (over 1,000 items) from the State Hermitage’s extremely rich collection of European and Russian porcelain. The basis of the exhibition was dinner and dessert services bought by or presented to the Russian imperial family in the period between 1745 and 1894. The exhibition continued until 1 March 2015.
Catalogue of the Exhibition “At the Court of the Russian Emperors. Costume of the 18th to early 20th centuries in the Hermitage collection”
September 2014 saw the publication of the catalogue “At the Court of the Russian Emperors. Costume of the 18th to early 20th centuries in the Hermitage collection” (State Hermitage Publishing House, 2014). The two-volume publication was prepared for the exhibition of the same name. This was the first such large-scale presentation of the attire of inhabitants of the Winter Palace over the whole period of its existence as an imperial residence. Many pieces were being published for the first time.
The London Premiere of The Hermitage Revealed
On 8 September 2014 the film The Hermitage Revealed (director: Margy Kinmonth) had its London premiere. After that event the film began to be shown in 34 cinemas in Britain, 55 in Canada, 25 in France, 17 in Australia and also in Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, the USA and Japan.
International Conference “Museums and Power” in the State Hermitage
The international conference “Museums and Power” was held in St Petersburg from 9 to 12 September 2014. The International Council of Museums (ICOM) is a worldwide professional non-commercial and non-state organization possessing the highest consultative status in UNESCO and with the UN Economic and Social Council. The main venue for the conference was the State Hermitage. It continued on 13 and 14 September in Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Tagil.
The Bronze Railings of the Alexander Column Are Repaired
For the 180th anniversary of the Alexander Column the Hermitage made an excellent gift – to itself, to the city and, above all, to the monument: the elegant bronze railings embellished with figures of imperial Russian eagles that had repeatedly suffered criminal damaged was repaired. During the process anti-vandal technologies were devised and employed that are intended to protect one of St Petersburg’s most attractive symbols.
Formal Opening of the Second Phase of the Staraya Derevnya Restoration and Storage Centre
11 September 2014 was the date of the formal opening of the second phase of the Staraya Derevnya Restoration and Storage Centre. The second phase comprises six blocks. Block E of the second phase of the Storage Centre contains new premises for the restoration laboratories. The public route through the open storage has been extended with the inclusion of new facilities for the Hermitage’s Department of the Archaeology of Eastern Europe and Siberia, Department of the Ancient World and Department of the East.
Commemoration of the Victims of the First World War on Palace Square
On 14 September 2014 a commemoration of the victims of the First World War was held on Palace Square as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the State Hermitage and the programme of the “Era of Mercy” festival.
The Hermitage is Recognized as the Best Museum in Russia and Europe
The State Hermitage is recognized as the best European museum of 2014 according to the rating of the foremost international site for travellers TripAdvisor that was drawn up on the basis of an analysis of millions of reviews by tourists from different countries, becoming Russia’s only representative in a list of the 25 best museums in Europe. In the worldwide ranking the Hermitage was among the top three. It was also number one in the list for Russia.
“All of the beauty of the world in one place – it allows you to journey in your mind to all of the places and eras you've ever wanted to visit,” TripAdvisor representatives said of the Hermitage’s victory.
Opening of the Exhibition “New Acquisitions. 1997–2014”
On 19 September 2014, Mikhail Piotrovsky opened the exhibition “New Acquisitions. 1997–2014” at the Staraya Derevnya Restoration and Storage Centre. The display presented the most interesting items that had entered the museum stocks since 1997 – in all around 400 outstanding examples of fine and decorative art, as well as archaeological artefacts, numismatic items, books and documents. The exhibition continued until 15 February 2015.
Gift of Anne Sorine-Rouanet to the State Hermitage
On 19 September 2014, at the opening of the exhibition “New Acquisitions. 1997–2014” Anne Sorine-Rouanet presented to the Hermitage a portrait painted by Savely Sorine of her brother Pavel in 1933.
Opening of the Exhibition “Imperial Porcelain Factory. The Dialogue of Ages” in Tsaritsyno
On 25 September 2014 the exhibition “Imperial Porcelain Factory. The Dialogue of Ages” opened in ten halls of the grand enfilade in Moscow’s Great Tsaritsyno Palace. It was timed to mark the 250th anniversary of the State Hermitage and the 270th anniversary of the Imperial Porcelain Factory. The display featured over 1,000 examples of Russian porcelain art of the 18th to 20th centuries from the stocks of the State Hermitage, the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve, the Imperial Porcelain Factory and private collections. The exhibition continued until 10 January 2015.
“The Best in Heritage” International Conference
At the international conference entitled “The Best in Heritage”, which took place on 25–27 September 2014 in Dubrovnik, Croatia, the Hermitage was awarded a membership certificate of “The Excellence Club” of international professional mastery for its contribution to the development of “The Best in Heritage” 2014 international forum.
Visit to the Hermitage by Dmitry Medvedev, the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation
On 26 September 2014 Dmitry Medvedev, the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, visited the State Hermitage, where in the company of Mikhail Piotrovsky he viewed the Manifesta 10 European biennale of contemporary art and the exhibition “At the Court of the Russian Emperors. Costume of the 18th to early 20th centuries in the Hermitage collection”. During the visit matters of preparation for the 250th anniversary of the Hermitage were discussed.
Opening of the Exhibition “Edo – the Capital and the Period: Japanese Ukiyo-e Prints of the 18th – 19th Centuries from the State Hermitage Collection”
On 28 September 2014, the exhibition “Edo – the Capital and the Period: Japanese Ukiyo-e Prints of the 18th – 19th Centuries from the State Hermitage Collection” opened in the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus. The exhibition was devoted to Japanese artists who depicted the forerunner of Tokyo and contained 64 woodcut prints, representing the foremost names in Japanese art.
The Hermitage’s Jubilee and Public Transport
In the run-up to its 250th anniversary the museum made a gift to Russia’s northern capital’s citizens and visitors. From 29 September 2014 trams and a trolleybus appeared in St Petersburg decorated outside with pictures from the Hermitage collection (View of the Winter Palace from the Neva by Joseph-Jean Charlemagne) in combination with symbols relating to the museum’s jubilee.
