Delegation from Tatarstan headed by Mintimer Shaimiev visited the Louvre and Versailles

On July 11, a delegation from Tatarstan headed by RT State Counselor Mintimer Shaimiev visited the Louvre museum and Versailles palace –park ensemble.

The RT State Counselor was accompanied by counselor to general director of International council on issues of monuments and sightseeing Mr Munir Bushenaki, aide to RT President on social issues, executive director of the Republican fund for reviving RT monuments of culture Tatiana Larionova, RT minister of culture Airat Sibagatullin, chairman of Russian national committee of world cultural and nature heritage at RF Commission on the UNESCO affairs Igor Makovetzky, chief of the Volga branch of the UNESCO chair on preserving town-planning and architectural monuments Rafael Valeev, plenipotentiary representative of Tatarstan in France Iskander Yusupov


In the beginning of the day, Tatarstan delegation visited restoration workshops of the Louvre museum and met with workshop’s director Mrs Maria Lavandie.
Maria Lavandie called attention of Tatarstan to combination of museum, educational (special school of arts at the Louvre), scientific (research workshops ) and restoration activity at the Louvre.
Mintimer Shaimiev got acquainted with equipment for analyzing origin, composition of materials, date and revealing authenticity of the artefacts.

Mintimer Shaimiev marked: «what I have seen today, – nuclear technologies for culture, For me as a representative of the nuclear power evokes the deepest respect. The point that these technologies are aimed at developing culture, - this is an ability to think about tomorrow , cultural heritage and spirituality».





The delegation also acquainted with methods of restoration of furniture items of the finest fabric of the times of Louis XIV. The guests from Tatarstan saw just finished restoration of polychrome sculpture by Jerome «Corinth» (1904 г.), the last masterpiece by a famous artist and sculptor. РRestoration of this object was held during the long period of time because its instaurator with special binocular magnifier, and special instrument resembling scalpel passed only 1sq.sm. per day.

Mintimer Shaimiev was presented also restoration of the picture by Leonardo da Vinci «Saint Anna with Ma Donna and the infant Christ ». Like sculpture by Jerome so the picture of Leonardo da Vinci in restored form still were not presented to the public. The first who saw them after restoration was a Tatarstan delegation.

The same day meeting of Mintimer Shaimiev with director of Department of preservation of cultural heritage of France ministry of culture Bruno Favele took place.
Mr Favele welcomed Tatarstaners on behalf of the Government and minister of culture of France. «We are glad that you decided to visit Paris and get acquainted with experience of France in the field of restoration and preservation of historic monuments. Paris knows well Kazan since the Kazan Kremlin is in the UNESCO world heritage list», - he mentioned.