Photo credit: Russian Ministry of Defense
Specialists of the St. Petersburg Hermitage Museum will assist the Syrian authorities in the restoration of monuments of ancient Palmyra, RIA Novosti reports. The corresponding agreement was concluded on Monday, November 25. The document was signed by the director of the Russian museum Mikhail Piotrovsky and the head of the Syrian Office of Cultural Heritage and Museums (DGAM) Mahmoud Hammoud.
According to Mahmoud Hammud, this treaty will give a start to strong friendly relations that will bring great benefits. He recalled that earlier friends from Russia helped the people of Syria on the battlefield, and now they were helping to preserve the cultural heritage. Mahmoud Hammoud expressed hope that relations between the cultural ties between the countries would become as strong as in the political and military fields.
Mikhail Piotrovsky said that the Hermitage invited specialists from Syria to do internships. Restorers will share with their Russian colleagues the experience of restoring Syrian cultural monuments. The scientist recalled that the collection of the museum contained a lot of art from Syria. The director of the museum added that it was already planned to publish a book about Palmyra and how its monuments came to Russia.
Mikhail Piotrovsky also gave a lecture in Syria about the Hermitage and opened an exhibition of photographs called Two Palmyras. He expressed his readiness to assist in the restoration of the citadel of Damascus. Work on artifacts transferred to Oman for restoration will also be carried out with the participation of Russian specialists.
According to Piotrovsky, the next stage is the creation of an international campaign to save the monuments of Syria.
Russkiy Mir
