Danish Prime Minister took part in the opening of the patio of the Winter Palace

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who arrived in St Petersburg to take part in the Russia - European Union summit and in the festivities dedicated to the jubilee of the Northern capital, has opened the patio of the Winter Palace (Hermitage) in Petersburg.

As the RIA Novosti correspondent reports, at the opening ceremony the Prime Minister said that the restoration of the Hermitage patio "is a worthy and splendid present to Petersburg from Denmark, the present which at the same time symbolises cooperation between our two nations." Anders Fogh Rasmussen underscored that this present revived history and made its contribution to the Winter Palace becoming even more beautiful. The restoration of the Hermitage patio has become possible due to the joint work of the specialists of the two countries under the guidance of Danish architect Ingvar Andersson and chief architect of the Hermitage Valery Lukin, noted the Prime Minister.

In his turn, Director of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky reminded the audience that for the first time the garden in the patio of the Winter Palace was laid at the command of Empress Maria Fyodorovna who was a Danish Princess. As Piotrovsky put it, the patio has been restored "in memory of that remarkable woman who connects our two countries." The restoration of the Hermitage patio is an official present of Denmark to the inhabitants of St Petersburg. The project has been carried out by the State Hermitage, jointly with the Danish firm NIRAS and with the participation of the Danish Ministry of the Environment and Energy.