Amsterdam Hermitage museum breaks ties with famed Hermitage in St. Petersburg

Ukrainian believers gather at the front of the Saint Sophia’s Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine December 15, 2018. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo

The Amsterdam Hermitage, a museum of Russian art in Amsterdam that assembled its collection in cooperation with the famed State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, said on Thursday it was “severing ties” with Russia.

“Due to our carefully built relationship … we had access to one of the world’s most famous art collections that we could use to complement our exhibitions,” the Dutch museum said in a statement.

It said it had tried to remain politically neutral but “the recent attack by Russia on Ukraine means that neutrality is no longer tenable”.

The museum said it management and supervisory boards had made the decision to end the 30 year cooperation between the two museums but hoped ties may one day be restored if there are “changes in Russia”.

(Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Alison Williams)