2016 - Greece in Russia and Russia in Greece

The aim of the celebratory year is to lay the groundwork for building useful partnerships of mutual benefit with substantial economic results, to extend Greek accessibility to wider strata of Russian society and in particular, in the Russian region, open up new areas of scientific, academic and business synergies, and to seek new markets for tourism, Greek products and Greek innovative production.
To mark the official launch of the celebratory Year, the two countries have chosen to engage in exchanges of unique art objects as precursor exhibits in view of their large flagship events. Thus, the Acropolis Museum sent an archaic Kore belonging to its permanent exhibition to the Hermitage. At the same time, in the Acropolis Museum in Athens three gold artifacts of Scythian origin of the 4th century BC from the collection of the Hermitage Museum are being exhibited.
The ancient and Byzantine culture and contemporary artistic creation at the heart of the Greek program occupies the third list of actions. "It was logical to emphasize the cultural creation as the Greek culture is recognizable in Russia and particularly appeals to an audience with culture and interest, as is general the Russian public is," said the Coordinator of the Year 2016 "Greece to Russia" , Honorary Ambassador Elias Klis, on the official website of the Year www.elru2016.gr.