The Association of Friends of the Hermitage Museum Italy, like the other international Hermitage Friends organisations, has as its primary goal offering concrete support for the protection, enhancement and promotion of the extraordinary artistic heritage of the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.
To pursue this aim, the Association carries out numerous activities, including fundraising for the restoration of works held in the museum, with particular regard to those by Italian painters, sculptors and artists, the organisation of exhibitions, the management of new donations and publishing. It also promotes initiatives aimed at bringing Italian and Russian audiences closer to an understanding of the deep interrelations that have always bound Italy and Russia.
It does so by devising and launching cultural outreach initiatives such as conferences, meetings with prominent figures, concerts, seminars, lectures, lessons and trips in Italy and Russia, all united by the wish to foster greater mutual understanding. After all, the Hermitage itself is one of the finest testimonies to the rich dialogue that has always characterised the two countries.