OREANDA-NEWS. March 03, 2010. The exhibition opening marked the official beginning of the Year of Russia in France and the Year of France in Russia.

Before the opening ceremony, the Presidents and their spouses – Carla Bruni and Svetlana Medvedeva – talked with people on the square in front of the Louvre.

After viewing the exhibition, the Presidents left notes in the Louvre guest book. “The Holy Russia exhibition is a very important element in the Year of Russia in France,” wrote Dmitry Medvedev.

The exhibition includes artefacts encompassing over 1,000 years of Russian history. It includes 438 unique items from the collections of four libraries, one archive and 17 Russian museums, including the Kremlin, the State Historical Museum, the Tretyakov Gallery, and museums in the ancient Russian cities of Vladimir, Suzdal, and Novgorod.