"Monuments of Islamic art" in Kazan

On January 9, an exhibition "Monuments of Islamic art" from the State Hermitage collection was opened in Kazan with participation of RT President Mintimer Shaimiev and the director of the State museum "Hermitage', academician Michael Piotrovsky.

The new exposition organized within the framework of the Russian and regional cultural program "Hermitage-Kazan" continues a series of unique exhibitions "Treasure of khan Kubrat" and "Treasure of the Golden Horde" which had great success in Kazan. The exhibition, presenting invaluable masterpieces of Islamic art of many epoch and peoples, has a special section, reflecting specific features of Islamic art of the Middle Volga region from museum assemblies and libraries of Tatarstan. Today, when the tragic events of September 11 are followed by the attempts to deform a true essence of Islam, organization of the exposition, presenting samples of Islamic culture to the public, is in a way a historical mission. This exhibition can be viewed as a serious step to peace and consent between the peoples in the new world, as a formula of humane coexistence of the two greatest confessions.

At the press-conference, M.Piotrovsky supported similar approach to the problem of coexistence and interaction of two great cultures. In his opinion, not only such actions have educational value, but also allow to prevent the conflict of civilizations by artistic means.