Transfer of Rostropovich-Vishnevakaya’s Collections to State Not Done Deal – Shvydkoi

MOSCOW. Sept 18 (Interfax) – Although businessman Alisher Usmanov has bought Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya’s collection of art objects in Russia’s interests, this does not mean it will be handed over to the state, Mikhail Shvydkoi, the head of the Federal Culture and Cinematography Agency, said.

“It’s Usmanov’s right to decide how this collection should be handled. We will discuss this issue. The 20th century experience suggests that everything must be in the hands of the state. But this is not definitely so today. It would be a Soviet-era approach,” Shvydkoi said at a news conference in Moscow on Tuesday.

“If a collection has been acquired by a Russian citizen and is in Russia, it has been acquired in Russia’s interests,” he said.

“The more private collections are in Russia, the better for the country. After all, when visitors come to see works of art, they don’t care whether they belong to the state or a private citizen,” he added.

The state will assist Usmanov legally and organizationally in moving the collection to Russia, Shvydkoi said.

No one has given anyone any written guarantees, Shvydkoi commented on the talks on the future of the collection. “Everything is based on honest words spoken over a telephone,” he said.

Sotheby’s head Lord Marc Poltimore said at the news conference that the deal made and the collection’s removal from the auction was a unique instance Sotheby’s had accepted because the collection was returning to Russia. It was a brilliant opportunity to pay tribute to Galina Vishnevskaya’s husband [Mstislav Rostropovich],” Poltimore said.

The speakers did not disclose the value of the deal. Asked how she would handle the money gained, Vishnevskaya said, “First of all it will be our family fund. We are a large family. We run funds, including a health fund and a music fund. I am selling this collection because I want to continue what my husband began,” she said.

Asked how the state could thank Usmanov, Shvydkoi said he was not authorized to make any decisions.

“But I will contact various agencies to get Usmanov awarded,” he said.

In the pre-revolution era orders were awarded to patrons of the art in Russia.

“The Order of St. Anna is no longer awarded in this country, but we have other state orders. It would be right to stimulate other businessmen in this way,” he said.

The speakers said that the Russian Arts Museum in St.Petersburg, the Kremlin and the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum have offered to accommodate the whole collection or a part of it in their exhibition halls.

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