This is news that will surely delight animal lovers but also occasional visitors to the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. One of the largest in the world, the establishment boasts over three million works of art, paintings, sculptures and other priceless pieces. But, it is also home to a large feline population since its creation by Catherine the Great in 1764. A French citizen has decided to bequeath part of his fortune to animals, reports CNN.
The generous French donor, identified by the Moscow Timesunder the name of Christoff Botar, would have been very impressed by the animals that watch over the museum. Indeed, the founder of the museum awarded them the status of guardians of art galleries. Their main “mission”? Keep rodents away from the premises. Nowadays, not only volunteers, but also museum staff take care of the cats. They also benefit from the services of a local veterinarian. If the amount of money left by the donor is unknown, the funds should be used to renovate the basement where the animals are located.
“A nice gesture”
Mikhail Piotrovksy, the director general of the museum, spoke of a “nice gesture from France” during a press conference. Stressing that the “sum was not very important”, he noted that discussions were still underway with lawyers in France. The French donor’s legacy was said to have been divided between his relatives, a French environmental organization and the cats of the Hermitage.
The Russian Museum is one of the three largest in the world with the Louvre in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Usually many visitors photograph themselves with the cats in the museum. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions imposed by the city of St. Petersburg, the facility was forced to close its doors again, said the Moscow Times.
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