The State Hermitage Museum Annual Report 2010 the State Hermitage Museum Annual Report 2010 Contents

The STaTe hermiTage muSeum annual reporT 2010 The STaTe hermiTage muSeum annual reporT 2010 conTenTS General Editor a year of two staircases ............................................................. 4 Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the state Hermitage Museum, The State Hermitage Museum. General Information ............... 6 Corresponding Member of the Russian academy of sciences, Full Member of the Russian academy of arts, Awards .......................................................................................... 12 Professor of st. Petersburg state University, Doctor of sciences (History) Composition of the Hermitage Collections as of 1 January 2011 .................................................................... 14 ediTorial Board: Permanent Exhibitions ............................................................... 27 Mikhail Piotrovsky, temporary Exhibitions ............................................................... 30 Director of the state Hermitage Museum Georgy Vilinbakhov, Restoration and Conservation .................................................... 70 Deputy Director for Research Publications ................................................................................. 85 Svetlana Adaksina, Conferences ................................................................................. 96 Deputy Director, Chief Curator Marina Antipova, Dissertations ................................................................................ 99 Deputy Director for Finance and Planning Archaeological Expeditions ....................................................... 100 Alexei Bogdanov, Major Construction and Restoration ......................................... 110 Deputy Director for Maintenance Vladimir Matveyev, Structure of Visits to the Hermitage in 2010 ............................ 116 Deputy Director for Exhibitions and Development Educational Events ...................................................................... 117 Mikhail Novikov, Special Development Programmes............................................. 123 Deputy Director for Construction Board of trustees of the state Hermitage Museum ................. 133 Mariam Dandamayeva, academic secretary International Advisory Board Yelena Zvyagintseva, of the State Hermitage Museum ................................................ 134 Head of the Publishing Department Guests of the Hermitage ............................................................. 136 Larisa Korabelnikova, Head of the Press service Hermitage Friends Organizations .............................................. 142 Financial Statements of the State Hermitage Museum ............. 148 execuTive group: Principal Patrons and Sponsors of the State Hermitage Tatiana Baranova, Mariam Dandamayeva, Yekaterina Danilina, Viktor Faibisovich, Larisa Korabelnikova, Svetlana Philippova, Museum in 2010 .......................................................................... 150 Yevgenia Viachina, Yelena Zvyagintseva Hermitage Friends’ Club ............................................................ 152 staff Members of the state Hermitage Museum ...................... 154 Email Addresses of the State Hermitage Museum .................... 159 ISBN 978-5-93572-415-3 © The State Hermitage Museum, 2011 a year of Two STaircaSeS a year of Two STaircaSeS together. The Hermitage continues its experiments with the 21st century – we recently amazed our visitors (and shocked some of them perhaps) with This year, the Hermitage can be proud of two symbolic achievements – our Pompidou Centre Festival. the restoration of the Jordan Staircase and the erection of an as yet un- This year, the Hermitage Board of Trustees made a decision to create an en- named grand staircase in the eastern wing of the General Staff building. dowment. We have finally reached the stage where we can use this modern One is a symbol of a tradition preserved and transformed. The other is a new instrument for funding our culture and research. Another efficient innova- construction in a former courtyard. It, too, brings about a transformation, tion is a “ring” of councils which undertake preliminary scrutiny of all plans a harmony between the courtyard and the great suites of the Hermitage. and ideas, from exhibition design to grant allocation. The work on both staircases was very time-consuming and skill-intensive; This year, we have had to concentrate specially on the museum entrance it required many of the techniques of the new century. We have held com- area, where a special regime was introduced. We have many visitors, and petitions, installed state-of-the-art energy-saving lighting systems, and ben- queues are often inevitable. The Hermitage has run a social programme efited from the input of international organizations. All of this is symbolic for a long time. The museum provides discounts for those who find it hard for the Hermitage, which is starting to prepare to celebrate its 250th anni- to afford a trip to the museum but would still benefit from one. The muse- versary as a model innovative museum of the 21st century. um is free for children and students from all countries as well as for Russian This Hermitage anniversary celebration will be an international event, old-age pensioners. Once a month, we have a day when admission is free for as the museum’s work has a worldwide significance. A dozen of exhibitions all. Nearly half of all our visitors do not pay admission fees. Russian citizens have been held in Russia, including a special one, an anniversary present to tend to be impecunious, which is why we have discounts for them. They the Saratov Museum of Fine Arts. And – most importantly – we have opened bring the price down to a level below the standard internationally accepted a new museum centre Hermitage • Vyborg. It uses the experience of the basic fee. Hermitage • Kazan Centre (an exhibition of French art) and Hermitage • Such a difference in pricing proves a magnet to frauds and crooks who try Amsterdam Centre (Alexander the Great). The Hermitage • Italy Centre has to make a living out of the Hermitage. They get free and discounted tickets produced new catalogues and organized new conferences this year. For the and flog them in the queue at exorbitant prices. It is not surprising that first time, a Hermitage archaeological team was working in Italy, an addition this causes indignation among the visitors. This is why we are introducing to the twenty earlier expeditions. All of these contribute to the museum’s stricter regulations for discount ticket sales, which require proof of age, stu- unique research potential, which also manifests itself in dozens of books dent or pensioner status, and citizenship. This also causes protest, but this and extraordinary restoration projects. Bringing back to life the exception- time, I believe, from those interested in backdoor sales. Alas, some people ally fine glass beads from the Glass Bead Room in Oranienbaum and the are impervious even to the ennobling influence of Palace Square and the laser cleaning of the silver “treasure hoard” of the industrialist Likhachyova Great Courtyard. But others are not. The vast majority of our visitors are are truly miraculous achievements. appreciative people with cultural values. We are very glad that our numer- The Hermitage research once again presented its spectacular findings in ous special programmes, music festivals, special exhibitions and events find a permanent exhibition of ancient Central Asia and the great Pazyryk buri- a gracious response in their hearts. The museum lives for them and for the als featuring the oldest carpet and the oldest tattoos in the world. An exhibi- treasures entrusted to our loving care. tion of ancient Korean art was a revelation which showed us masterpieces which had never before been seen here on the banks of the Neva; and a gala exhibition of Picasso’s works in the state rooms of the Winter Palace was a real celebration. In return, we sent to Paris an impressive collection of items on the Russian Imperial Guard. The summer reception at the Winter Palace was dedicated to modern art, where works by Anish Kapoor, Antony Gormley, Zurab Tsereteli (a portrait Mikhail Piotrovsky, of Sobchak), along with wonderful works by young artists, were all on display Director of the state Hermitage Museum 4 5 The STaTe hermiTage muSeum. general informaTion General InformatIon founding of The muSeum archiTecTural complex of The muSeum main collecTionS enTering The foundation date of the museum is con- The museum complex consists of the Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage, The muSeum Since sidered to be 1764, when Empress Catherine Hermitage Theatre, New Hermitage and Reserve House (30–38 Dvortsovaya Embankment); iTS foundaTion the Great purchased an impressive collection Menshikov Palace (15 Universitetskaya Embankment); eastern wing and the arch 1764 – Johann Ernest Gotzkowsky collection of works (225 paintings) from the Berlin of the General Staff building (6–8 Palace Square); Staraya Derevnya Centre for Restoration, merchant Johann Ernest Gotzkowsky. Conservation and Storage (37 Zausadebnaya Street); Imperial Porcelain Factory Museum, 1769 – Count Heinrich von Brühl collection The museum celebrates the anniversary located on the premises of the Imperial Porcelain Factory Public Company 1772 – Baron Pierre Crozat collection of its founding each year on 7 December, (151 Prospekt Obukhovskoi Oborony). St. Catherine’s Day. 1779 – Lord Walpole collection 1781 – Count Baudouin collection muSeum BuildingS

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