The General Directorate of Antiquities signs two cooperation agreements with the Hermitage Museum and the Russian Scientific Academy

Two agreements for scientific cooperation in the field of restoration of antiquities were signed yesterday in the Shamia Hall of the National Museum in Damascus between the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums and the Russian Scientific Academy and the Russian Hermitage Museum.

The agreement aims at restoring the Syrian antiquities that have been sabotaged by terrorists, rehabilitating Syrian workers and benefiting from the Russian expertise in this field.

 Dr. Mahmoud Hammoud, Director of Antiquities and Museums, stressed the importance of the two agreements, especially as they include benefiting from the restoration methods adopted in the Russian museums and training Syrian cadres according to the best adopted methods.

He pointed out that these two agreements are the beginning of a close and deep relationship that will contribute to eliminating the grievances that occurred on our heritage and edifices as a result of the war imposed on our people that has led to the loss of a large part of its heritage and its monuments, noting the importance of what the Russians offer in various fields to protect and preserve our heritage.

Professor Mikhail Petrovsky, director of the Russian Hermitage Museum, stressed the historical ties between Syria and Russia and the intellectual links between the cities of Palmyra and St. Petersburg, pointing out that the World Heritage must be saved and protected because it belongs to all humanity and should not be destroyed.

The Russian professor said that the Russian side will provide the experience of the restoration of the Hermitage Museum in addition to launching a media campaign aimed at saving the Syrian heritage in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and

specialized agencies in this subject.

With the aim of introducing the Hermitage Museum, the Russian professor gave a lecture entitled “The Great Hermitage of the 21st Century, a museum with a history of 255 years of civilization, heritage and history”

Mr. Petrovsky, through the photos, presented the museum and its sections, which includes a large collection of images and sculptures from around the world in addition to its connection with a large number of museums and cultural centers of the world and its features as it contains a place for political and cultural activities, the Arc de Triomphe, rooms of modern art and mummy.

The Russian artist Maxim Atiyams embodied during an exhibition titled “Twinning,” which opened at the National Museum, the relationship between the cities of Palmyra and St. Petersburg through photographs illustrating the similarity between the two cities in buildings and architectural style.

Atiyamis pointed out that during the construction of the city he used architectural decorations similar to those in Palmyra, especially the triumphal arch in the corners of the two cities, clarifying   that the Russians used this architectural experience  which he tried to embody it through the images of his exhibition.

Amal Farhat