9th Annual Charity Event in the Hermitage
ANO “International Festival of Arts “Diaghilev. P.S.”. in collaboration with the State Hermitage Museum hold the 9th Annual Charitable Gala Banquet in the Winter palace on 27th June. This year it was dedicated to the 250-year anniversary of the museum, so the Hermitage invited its guests to a journey throughout the three centuries of its great history.
18th century
Welcome cocktail was in the Hanging garden, arranged for Catherine II on the second floor of the Small Hermitage building, above the premises of the former stables and manege. After the Peacock’s chime the guests were invited to the Hermitage theatre.
In the Hermitage Theatre, built by order of the great foundress of the Museum – Catherine II, the guests were entertained by the music of that distant epoch, performed by a brilliant interpreter of early music – ensemble “Soloists of Catherine the Great” under the director of the “EARLYMUSIC” Festival. The costumes for this unique performance were created by famous fashion designer Larisa Pogoretskaya. Klaus Abromeit who created choreography is one of the few specialists in genuine baroque dance.
19th century
After the performance the guests were transported to the General Staff building for the gala dinner and ball in the former apartments of the minister of the foreign affairs of the Russian Empire. During the dinner and after it the guests could preview the exhibitions of MANIFESTA in the Generall staff.
Nowadays
In 2014, on the year of its 250th anniversary the State Hermitage hosts MANIFESTA 10 – the only itinerant biennial in the world, which changes its location every two years. In the end of the evening the guests enjoyed jazz and a glass “for the road” in the 5th courtyard of the General staff building.
The guests of the celebration were Dmitry and Dorrit Romanov, Aleksandr Sokurov, Kaspar König, Mikhail Shvydkoy, Marina Loshak, Olga Sviblova, Guy Ullens, Leonid Mikhelson, Inna Bazhenova, Sergey Bazhanov, Dmitry Aksenov, Larisa Zelkova, directors of many world museums, company directors providing support in the holding of the celebration, artists, journalists, and patrons of art from different countries of the world. Funds collected will be sent to the Special-Purpose Management Fund for the Development of the State Hermitage.