Russia, long known as a culture whose people - rich and poor - revere the arts in all its many forms, has also developed a reputation as an emergent economy that is solely driven by immediate profit, if not greed. Since the government provides no tax relief or other incentives for philanthropy, the story of Interros is more noteworthy. Interros has stepped beyond simply giving to providing sustainable development in the area of art, culture and education by supporting long-term social programs in education and culture.
Innovation
A principal partner and sponsor of the famed State Hermitage, the world's biggest museum located in St. Petersburg, Interros and the museum are focusing on the Greater Hermitage Project. This project will make the unique museum an entertainment complex, housing new Hermitage exhibitions, commercial entertainment and community centers. The State Hermitage occupies six magnificent buildings situated along the embankment of the River Neva, right in the heart of St Petersburg. The leading role in this unique architectural ensemble is played by the Winter Palace, the residence of the Russian tsars that was built to the design of Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1754-62. This ensemble, formed in the 18th and 19th centuries, is extended by the eastern wing of the General Staff building, the Menshikov Palace and the recently constructed Repository.
Put together throughout two centuries and a half, the Hermitage collections of works of art (over 3,000,000 items) present the development of the world culture and art from the Stone Age to the 20th century. Today the Museum is creating its digital self-portrait to be displayed around the world. Computer technologies enable the State Hermitage Museum to provide global access to information about the Museum and its treasures.
One step in implementing the project was the restoration of the Chariot of Glory on the arch of the General Staff building and decorations of the arch itself, financed jointly by the Russian government and Interros. To optimize the museum's financial strategy and attract investments, in 2003 a Board of Trustees of the Hermitage was set up with Interros President Vladimir Potanin as its chairman. Potanin, also represents the Hermitage's interests on the Board of Trustees of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Fund - a strategic partner in the Greater Hermitage project.
With the help of Interros' Potanin and the Hermitage-Guggenheim alliance, a new museum and exhibition complex, the Hermitage-Guggenheim, was opened in Law Vegas in 2001. One objective of this new museum is to raise money for the Greater Hermitage project. A Hermitage-Guggenheim charity fund was then established with Potanin as chairman of the Board of Directors, to implement joint projects between the two museums in the fields of art and education. In 2002, Potanin then donated $1 million in U.S. dollars to the Russian Ministry of Culture to acquire Kazimir Malevich's painting "Black Square" for the Russian Federation Museum, which then lent it permanently to the Hermitage. The acquisition of this painting constituted the biggest private donation to the state since the 1917 Revolution.
By the spring of 2003, Interros increased its efforts to bring the arts of Russia to the world by initiating, organizing and sponsoring a Russian-French cultural event in Paris dedicated to the Tercentenary of St. Petersburg. French and Russian masterpieces from the first 30 years of the 19th century were loaned to the event from collections at the State Hermitage, other leading Russian museums, and the Musee de l'Armee in Paris. This program - "Paris-St. Petersburg, 1800-1830. When Russia Spoke French" - was held under the patronage of Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Jacques Chirac. The artwork was exhibit from May through September at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, then it left for St. Petersburg where a new exhibition entitled "Russians in Paris!" opened on December 6, 2003, in the Alexander Hall of the Winter Palace. It was the biggest cultural event in Western Europe dedicated to St. Petersburg's anniversary.
Impact
To implement education programs, the Vladimir Potanin Charity Fund was set up in 1999, its aim being to help those who will constitute the country's intellectual elite in the future. Long-term scholarship and grant programs from the Fund are intended for gifted young people studying at the country's leading state higher educational institutions and schools, as well as talented teachers who successfully combine teaching and research work. The Fund targets specific aims and concrete aid recipients, then decisions regarding the granting of scholarships or allocating of grants are made according to the results of multistage competitive selection processes.
The Fund currently implements four scholarship and five grant programs. During the 2003/2004 academic year, scholarships were received by over 2000 students in civil and military higher educational institutions from all parts of the country, as well as school children who won international Olympiads in curriculum subjects. Like the winners of previous year's Olympiads, the children will receive a scholarship from the Fund throughout the period of study, first in school and later in a higher educational institution. Fund grants were allocated to 133 young lecturers in the country's leading state higher educational institutions.
In 2004 ten creative teams won the national TEFI TV contest and the zonal TEFI-Region contest. Members of each team received grants from the Fund to spent time as interns at Vladimir Pozner's Television Skills School, as well as the BBC international training center. Also, the same year, 450 applications were received from museums and museum organizations from 66 regions of Russia as part of a competition entitled "A Changing Museum in a Changing World". Fifteen projects entered in one of five different categories won the competition and received grants of $5,000 to $25,000 from the Fund.
Inspiration
“I’m confident that it is most important to provide assistance to those who, today, being yet at the very start, have, nevertheless, achieved something in their lives; to those, who possess the energy and development potential to make good use of such assistance. As a result the effect doubles, because once strongly on his/her feet, a purposeful person will be able to assist others. It’s not without a meaning when they say that the one, who gives at the right time, gives twice more. This is the reason why we support the active and gifted young people, the most powerful resource of the society, and we think this is the right thing to do”.
Vladimir Potanin
President of the Interros Holding Company
The World Inquiry editorial team edited this profile from the original submission of the interviewer or other source. The views expressed do not necessarily represent Case Western Reserve University, the Weatherhead School of Management or the Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit. More >>
