This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the Netherlands branch of the State Hermitage Museum. Over that time, the institution – located on the banks of the Amstel river – has displayed more than 6,000 exhibits from the St. Petersburg museum’s collection, which have been viewed by around 5 million people. The 16 exhibitions which have taken place at the museum to date are a testament to the collaboration between Dutch and Russian specialists, with items dating from prehistoric times to the turn of the 21st century being displayed.

The Dutch branch has an agreement with the State Hermitage Museum to hold two exhibitions taken from the St. Petersburg museum’s collection per year. This anniversary year’s exhibitions are entitled Treasury! Masterpieces from the Hermitage (to 25 August) and Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court (from 14 September).

The museum also collaborates with Dutch institutions, including the Amsterdam Museum, Rijksmuseum, and Outsider Art Museum, and is taking active steps to develop inclusive programmes and programmes for children.

Cathelijne Broers has been a part of Hermitage Amsterdam since the very beginning, and was appointed director in 2011. The meeting at Manege saw Cathelijne talk about her experience launching a major international collaborative project between museum branches, the museum’s achievements over the past 10 years, building relations with major sponsors, funding Hermitage Amsterdam’s programmes entirely from non-public sources, and the museum’s plans for the coming years.

The event was held with the support of the Friends of Manege Club. It took place in English, with consecutive interpreting into Russian provided.