During the working visit, the Minister of Culture held a meeting of the State Hermitage Museum Board of Trustees.
The museum’s director Mikhail Piotrovsky outlined the 2012 results, the development concept until 2018 and the Hermitage’s plans to celebrate its 250th anniversary. Specifically, Mr Piotrovsky told Vladimir Medinsky that the construction of a public museum depository has been completed, which will facilitate visitors’ access to museum exhibits. He also reported on the development of a virtual museum, which will enable people from Russia’s remote regions or those residing abroad to see the treasures of the Hermitage Museum online.
Furthermore, Vladimir Medinsky held in the city of Tikhvin, Leningrad Region, a meeting of the Culture Ministry’s Coordination Council for Tourism, which focused on the development of tourism in small cities.
The Minister of Culture said that the Government is drafting a targeted federal programme aimed at developing small historical cities. According to Vladimir Medinsky, 100 grants of 5 million roubles each will be awarded to Russia’s small historical cities to develop tourist routes and promote tourism. Regional, municipal and non-profit enterprises will be eligible to submit bids to the contest.
The trip finished with Vladimir Medinsky’s visit to the Russian Institute of the History of Arts, where he met with the institute’s heads and employees. The Minister confirmed that the institute will keep the building on St Isaac's Square and refuted the recent rumours on the institute’s liquidation. Mr Medinsky went on to say that the Ministry of Culture is committed to developing the Russian Institute of the History of Arts and moving forward the institute will focus on carrying out state contracts.
Source: Ministry of Culture
