We are shaken by the news of the passing of Irina Alexandrovna Antonova, President of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.
This is a major loss for museum affairs in Russia and for our country’s culture, an irreplaceable one for those who knew and worked with Irina Alexandrovna. Astonishing erudition, profound professional knowledge, boundless devotion to the service of the cause, inexhaustible energy and splendid qualities as a human being made association and collaboration with her unforgettable, interesting and productive.
© Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts
Irina Alexandrovna Antonova will remain in our memory as a unique leader, a shining public figure and an outstanding specialist on culture and art. Her work in the scholarly, museum and public sphere deservedly enjoyed unquestioned authority among colleagues both within Russia and abroad; her bold projects, incredible programmes, creative successes and high achievements in museum work made an invaluable contribution to the development of cultural life in Russia and the strengthening of museum and cultural ties with other countries. The memory of her will live forever in our hearts.
On behalf of the State Hermitage and ourselves personally we express our sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Irina Alexandrovna Antonova.
We share your sorrow and the pain of an irreplaceable loss.
Mikhail Borisovich Piotrovsky
General Director of the State Hermitage
Georgy Vadimovich Vilinbakhov
Deputy General Director of the State Hermitage
The Staff of the State Hermitage
Mikhail Piotrovsky speaks about Irina Alexandrovna Antonova (in Russian)
