Published on: 2026-09-26
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
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On the final day of the XII St. Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures, a solemn ceremony of awarding the Hermitage Prize in the field of culture and art took place in the Georgievsky Hall of the Winter Palace. The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Chairman of the Government of Russia Tatiana Golikova, Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov, and General Director of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky.
Deputy Prime Minister, Chair of the Forum Organizing Committee Tatyana Golikova emphasized that the Hermitage Award has become an important part of the forum and reflects the ideas of international cultural dialogue embedded in it.
“The culture of each country is unique and distinctive, but we are united by values of mutual respect, creation, and humanism. It is on this fundamental basis that love for one’s family, one’s homeland is born and develops, and most importantly – trust is born. The laureates of the previous three awards and today’s laureates are people who have devoted themselves and their lives to culture, its development in their countries and around the world,” noted Tatyana Golikova.
She also emphasized the special role of the forum as a platform for open professional dialogue among representatives of different countries.
“Our forum is a unique platform that gives cultural figures from around the world the opportunity to share what matters most: what concerns them, how they see the development of their countries’ culture and world culture. And this dialogue is extremely important to us,” said Tatyana Golikova.
Governor of Saint Petersburg Alexander Beglov noted the special symbolism of holding the ceremony in the cultural capital of Russia – a city whose history has been shaped over centuries through the interaction of different cultures and peoples.
“The Hermitage is the heart of our city, the cultural capital of Russia – and not only Russia, because St. Petersburg has absorbed the cultures of many countries and peoples. The Hermitage Prize accurately reflects the character of Petersburg: it is awarded to those who preserve the best traditions of world art and build cultural bridges between countries and peoples,” said Alexander Beglov.
The Hermitage Award is being presented for the fourth time. It was established by the organizing committee of the International Forum of United Cultures in cooperation with the State Hermitage Museum. The decision to grant it is made by an expert council, which includes leading figures from culture and the arts. The chairperson of the expert council is Mikhail Piotrovsky, the General Director of the State Hermitage Museum.
“The Hermitage Prize is a recognition not only of an outstanding creative journey but also of culture’s ability to create connections between people and countries. It is symbolic that its laureates are presented with a reduced copy of the Kolyvan vase – one of the main masterpieces of the Hermitage and Russian lapidary art. In this image, craftsmanship, continuity, and culture converge, transcending epochs and continuing to speak to people in a universal language,” noted Mikhail Piotrovsky.
In 2026, the laureates were the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation, Ambassador for Special Assignments Mikhail Shvydkoy, and the Italian opera director Giancarlo Del Monaco.
Giancarlo del Monaco is one of the renowned representatives of European opera directing. Throughout his career, he has staged more than a hundred operas on the world’s major stages. The director has a long-standing collaboration with Russian theatrical culture: in 1996, he staged Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Otello” at the Mariinsky Theatre, and in 2024, “Rigoletto” at the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia.
Mikhail Shvydkoy has been involved for many years in matters of culture and international humanitarian cooperation. Over the years, he has headed VGTRK, was one of the founders of the “Kultura” TV channel, and held the position of Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation. Today, he serves as the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation.
Mikhail Shvydkoy noted that the Forum of United Cultures demonstrated that Russia is not isolated from the world. “The peoples of all countries show great respect and attention to Russian culture. The Forum proved that kindhearted people can unite in the name of the future,” said the laureate.
The award is a reduced replica of the Kolyvan vase – the famous “Queen of Vases” from the collection of the State Hermitage. The replica is made from Revnev jasper at the Kolyvan stone-cutting factory named after I.I. Polzunov, which continues the traditions of Russian master stone cutters.
Over the years, laureates of the Hermitage Prize have included the artistic director of the State Academic Mariinsky Theatre Valery Gergiev, choreographer Juan Ignacio Duato García, founder and director of the Saint Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theatre Boris Eifman, musician and diplomat Polad Bülbüloğlu, General Director of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky, and conductor, founder and artistic director of the musicAeterna orchestra and choir Teodor Currentzis.
The organizer of the XII St. Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures is the Roscongress Foundation, with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, and the government of St. Petersburg.
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