MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th May, 2022) Russia's State Hermitage Museum on Thursday expressed gratitude to individuals and organizations involved in the successful return of the Morozov artwork collection from France to Russia.
Earlier on Thursday, Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova said that the collection, consisting of more than 160 art pieces, has returned to Russia. "The Morozov Collection. Icons of Modern Art" exhibition, which ran in Paris from September 22 to April 3, featured 67 artworks from the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, 33 paintings from the State Tretyakov Gallery, 65 exhibits from the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, and two works of art from the State Russian Museum.
"The Hermitage is grateful to all state and non-state structures that ensured the well-coordinated work after the completion of the exhibition in the most difficult conditions," the museum said in a statement.
Despite the COVID-19 restrictions, the exhibition was visited by more than one million people, the museum noted.
"The exhibition in Paris was a vivid demonstration of the historical role of Russian collecting and Russian art in the early 20th century. Events around it have shown the credibility of the safeguards and immunities system developed by Russian museums over the past decades," State Hermitage Museum chief Mikhail Piotrovsky said in a statement.
The first restoration survey showed that the state of preservation of the exhibits is good, the statement read.
In early April, the Russian embassy in Paris told Sputnik that the paintings from Morozov Collection were being prepared for shipment to Russia. Later, Russian presidential representative for international cultural cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy said that the return of the collection is possible during the May holidays. On April 18, the first car with exhibits arrived to Russia.
