The exhibition "Royal Hunting", which is to run in Moscow from 26th September 2002 until 20th February 2003, deals with various types of hunting, the pastimes of the elite in Russian and German society, which impressed everyone by their scale and splendour for centuries.

The exhibition embraces the period from the 16th to the early 20th century and shows the significance of hunting at the time when it was the favourite leisure activity of the Russian sovereigns. The large number of exhibits taken from 13 Russian and German museums will acquaint visitors with fields of Russian history and culture about which little is still known. The exhibition offers visitors to the Historical Museum the opportunity to acquaint them-selves with hunting in the German principalities, taking Hessen-Kassel as an example. The 16th-19th century pictures, weapons and hunting equipment from the State Museums of Kassel displayed here not only reflect the entertaining and reckless, exciting sides of hunting, but also its important part in establishing international relations, in "building bridges". In the past, contacts with representatives of neighbouring countries and cooperation between them were often forged on hunts of the courts of the Russian tsars and in the domains of the Hessen landgraves and electors.

This aspect was extremely important to the Wintershall company in organizing the exhibition, since its joint activity with Gazprom in the promotion of art signifies a further expansion of German-Russian ties in culture and strengthening mutual understanding between our peoples. Thus, the exhibition "Royal Hunting" at the State Historical Museum, with the sponsorship of JSC Gazprom and Wintershall AG is a further continuation of these traditions. The exhibitions "Catherine the Great" and "Puppets and Nests of Dolls. Wooden Toys from Germany and Russia", "The Birth of a Time. The History of Images and Concepts.", "With All Us Might. Russian Avantgarde 1910-1934", have been held within the framework of these traditions. The partnership between JSC Gazprom and Wintershall AG has existed for more than 10 year now. Our cooperation in holding cultural events has lasted almost as long.

I would like to thank everyone who took part in preparing and organizing the exhibition "Royal Hunting" and wish them every success with it.

I feel sure that visitors to the Historical Museum will find the exhibition interesting and it will promote a deepening of the ties and the forming of new contacts between our peoples. Это и многое другое вы найдете в книге Royal Hunting