Agreement of Cooperation signed between Gazprom and Tsarskoe Selo Museum
RELEASE
Release
Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Olga Taratynova, Director of the Tsarskoe Selo State Museum and Heritage Site, today signed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2021 the Agreement of Cooperation for the preservation of cultural heritage and development of the Tsarskoe Selo Museum.
The signing ceremony took place in the restored interiors of the Lyons Hall of the Catherine Palace, which was recently opened to visitors. The restoration of the Hall’s interiors, including the ornate plafond and lapis lazuli paneling, along with the recreation of fireplaces, inlaid door paneling, and partition mirrors with lapis lazuli frames and gold-plated cast bronze ornaments, was carried out with support from Gazprom.
The Agreement outlines the principal areas of further cooperation between Gazprom and the Museum.
“We consider the restoration of the unique interiors of the Catherine Palace to be a vital endeavor. Thanks to the joint efforts by Gazprom and the Tsarskoe Selo Museum, both St. Petersburg residents and guests of our beloved city can now enjoy the decor of the Lyons Hall and the Palace Chapel of the Resurrection – genuine masterpieces of world culture. We still have a great deal of work ahead of us. In 2023, we will finish the ambitious project for the recreation of the interiors of the Zubov Wing, which will open its doors to the public for the first time,” said Alexey Miller.
“After so many decades, the Lyons Hall – the pearl of the Catherine Palace – is once again shining in all its incredible splendor. To us, this is a true miracle. And yet behind this miracle is the goodwill of specific people and organizations. Without support from Gazprom, these walls would have still been virtually bare. Without support from the ENGIE Foundation, we would not have seen this sumptuous ‘golden’ silk. We can confidently say that our conservation experts have performed a feat of virtuosity. The recreation of the Lyons Hall offers compelling proof that culture knows no borders and that good intentions consolidate efforts and bring people together,” said Olga Taratynova.
Background
The Tsarskoe Selo State Museum and Heritage Site is a magnificent monument of world architecture and landscape design of the 18th to early 20th centuries. The Great Palace of Tsarskoe Selo (the Catherine Palace), the centerpiece of the palace and garden complex, is an example of the Russian Baroque style.
In 2016, the Tsarskoe Selo State Museum and Heritage Site commenced the ambitious restoration of the Palace Chapel of the Resurrection at the Catherine Palace with support from Gazprom.
With the purpose of restoration and conservation of Tsarskoe Selo’s historical appearance, Gazprom assisted the works aimed at recreating the interiors of the Catherine Palace’s Lyons Hall that had been lost in the Great Patriotic War.
In the course of these works, Gazprom and its partner, French energy company ENGIE, came forward with a proposal to finance the recreation of fabric for the walls and window treatments of the Lyons Hall, which was to be performed at the Prelle Manufactory that had fulfilled the Russian Imperial Court’s order for this fabric in the 1860s. The restoration of the Lyons Hall was fully completed in March 2021. The interiors opened to the public on May 1, 2021.
Among the major restoration projects run by Gazprom and the Tsarskoe Selo Museum is the project entitled “Catherine II. Personal Space,” which envisages the restoration of the interiors of eight personal rooms in the Catherine Palace’s Zubov Wing that belonged to Catherine the Great and were lost in their entirety.