MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2018) France on Wednesday named the director of Moscow's renowned Treatyakov Gallery, Zelfira Tregulova, a Knight of the Order of Arts at a ceremony at the French Embassy to Russia, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
"I am happy that I can present you the Order, throughout the year of my work in Russia, I saw wonderful exhibitions [at the gallery]. You are a unique person, thanks to your energy, the Tretyakov Gallery has become a living space," French Ambassador to Russia Sylvie Bermann said at the ceremony.
Tregulova expressed gratitude to France for the prestigious award and noted that one of her first works related to France was an exhibition of the treasures of the French Crown at the Moscow Kremlin Museums, where she used to work.
Tretyakov Gallery actively cooperates with the French Pompidou Centre and currently exhibits 11 pieces from France's popular center of art and culture, according to the director.
The new member of the Order noted that she "cannot wait for the opening of an exhibition of the [late major art collector Ivan] Morozov collection, which will open in France in 2020."
The prestigious medals are awarded to recognize contributions to the arts and literature. Tregulova thus joined the ranks of Meryl Streep, Bob Dylan and Leonardo DiCaprio, who also received France's highest cultural honor.
The Tretyakov Gallery, founded in 1856, is one of biggest museums of Russian fine art in the world. In recent years, the gallery has held a number of critically and commercially acclaimed exhibitions, including the ones showcasing the works of Vasily Vereshchagin and Ivan Aivazovsky as well as pieces from the Vatican Museums, all held under the direction of Tregulova, who was appointed in 2015.
