Hermitage Director Defends Transfer of Relics to Orthodox Church

Hermitage director says ritual significance now outweighs artistic value in Russian society, defends transfer of relics to Orthodox Church

The director of the Hermitage Museum, Mikhail Piotrovsky, has commented on the transfer of religious relics from Russian museums to the Russian Orthodox Church, saying the Hermitage acted because ritual meaning now outweighs artistic significance in Russian society.