The first university center of the State Hermitage in Russia will be opened at KBSU

Release date: 02.09.2020

The ceremony of signing an agreement on the establishment of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after H.M. Berbekov cultural and educational center «Hermitage-Caucasus» will be held on September 16 in St. Petersburg.

The decision to open such a center was made at a meeting between the rector of the university Yuri Altudov and Director General of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky in December 2019.

The management of one of the largest art museums in the world strives to promote in every possible way the expansion of scientific and cultural ties with the regions of Russia, in particular, with Kabardino-Balkaria and the entire North Caucasus; to acquaint local residents with the monuments of world culture and art stored in the State Hermitage. The State Hermitage has extensive experience in the preparation and implementation of cultural, educational and educational programs in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, including the creation and implementation of programs of the Hermitage centers.

The task of creating museum and educational centers in the regions of Russia was set by the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin, who believes that «such cultural clusters can be compared to beacons that will broadcast the Russian cultural code so that the world sees the greatness and versatility of our culture.»

There are five Hermitage centers operating in the world today. At the interstate level, the Hermitage-Amsterdam (Holland) and the Hermitage-Italy (Venice) were established; at the level of the leadership of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, such centers have been created in Kazan, Vyborg, Omsk — «Hermitage-Siberia». It is planned to open similar centers in Spain — the Hermitage-Barcelona and in Yekaterinburg.

The Kabardino-Balkarian State University will become the first university in the Russian Federation to be honored to create on its basis a cultural and educational center of one of the best museums in the world, which will contain five segments: the research base of the North Caucasian archaeological expedition of the State Hermitage, restoration and exhibition centers , an information center (library, cinema, lecture hall), an installation hall «Russian Ark» (dedicated to the famous film directed by Alexander Sokurov, filmed in the halls of the Hermitage).

Among those invited to the ceremony of signing the agreement between the Hermitage and KBSU — Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Valery Falkov, Head of the KBR Kazbek Kokov; member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Arsen Kanokov; Artistic Director of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, member of the Board of Trustees of the KBSU Yuri Temirkanov; film director, member of the Board of Trustees of KBSU Alexander Sokurov; Yakov Gordin, chief editor of the literary magazine Zvezda, published in St. Petersburg.