Amstelhof

News of: Wednesday, June 17 2009,

Queen Beatrix and Russian President Medvedev open Amsterdam Hermitage

From Saturday June 20, Amsterdam will have a new major attraction: the Hermitage Amsterdam. The official opening by the Queen and the Russian President is Friday evening.

The Hermitage Amsterdam is a dependency of the world-famous Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The new attraction is beautifully located along the river Amstel, very close to the City Hall/Opera House (see number 8 on this map of Amsterdam museums).

The first weekend the museum will be open day and night (it will be open for the public from June 20).

The opening of the building is also the opening of the first exhibition At the Russian Court. On this exhibition, 1,800 treasures from the mother museum in St. Petersburg will be displayed.
The exhibition, a scholarly researched exploration of the opulent material culture, elaborate social hierarchy and richly layered traditions of the Tsarist court at its height in the 19th century — will remain on show from June 20th January 31st 2010.

Here is more information about the exhibition and opening.

The Hermitage is located in the Amstelhof building, an old peoples home, built in the 17th century. It had this function until the complete renovation for the Hermitage Amsterdam.

President Medvedev, who is on an official state visit in the Netherlands, will open the Hermitage on Friday evening, together with Queen Beatrix. They will make a tour through the Amsterdam canals.

The gay community has taken the opportunity to give a 'special welcome to the tolerant city Amsterdam', because the canals are also the location of the yearly gay pride tour in Amsterdam. The COC (the main gay organization) calls upon everyone to welcome the President with rainbow flags and rainbow posters, in order to call attention to the oppression of gays and lesbians in Russia.

Amstelhof

Amstelhof

Gay rights, human rights

Gay rights, human rights