Hermitage Director Mikhail Piotrovsky turns 80 years old

Director of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky celebrates his 80th birthday on December 9. "Izvestia" learned about how he manages to maintain the success and greatness of the museum for more than 30 years.

"My interest in the ancient world, in archaeology, it is hereditary, because my father, Boris Borisovich, was an archaeologist, a historian. I grew up in the Hermitage, I grew up on archaeological excavations," Piotrovsky said.

The museum director traveled around the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Yemen in search of ancient worlds.

"I fell off the cliffs more than once. This is a famous story, because I went then to the famous mysterious mountain Mug, where amazing monuments were found. I was walking on mountains, I was walking on ovrings. Ovring is when there is a rock and there is no path. Sticks are hammered into the rock and boards are put on them, and a path is created," the Hermitage Director shared.

Piotrovsky calls himself a historian with extensive archaeological experience. He never aspired to the position of director, despite the fact that he grew up within the walls of the Hermitage. After entering the Oriental Department of Leningrad University after school, he learned Arabic with all its dialects and knows about 10 other languages.

"I don't speak Japanese or Chinese. I own Arabic, I read Persian, I read Hebrew. English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, of course, well, and so on," the museum director shared.

Piotrovsky headed the museum in the 1990s. According to him, at that time it was a difficult time, when there was no money and there were attempts of commercial seizure. However, under him, the museum expanded, the General Staff Halls were restored, stockpiles were built, and branches were opened in the regions and abroad.

"There is a wonderful director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Glenn Lowry. He is also an orientalist. Like me, he too served as director for 30-something years. He too, like me, is getting ready to have a changing of the guard," Piotrovsky concluded.

Chief at the exhibits: Mikhail Piotrovsky - 80

What path the Hermitage Director has traveled and to whom he may pass his post

Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Piotrovsky on his 80th birthday. The head of state noted the enormous contribution that the Hermitage director made to the development of the museum business in Russia. In addition, he called Piotrovsky's many years of work as head of the museum an example of selfless service to people and the Fatherland.