The CIS leaders' meeting was held at the Hermitage for the first time: what the leaders discussed.

🇷🇺 The CIS leaders&meeting was held at the Hermitage for the first time: what the leaders discussed. The traditional pre-New Year informal meeting of CIS leaders in St. Petersburg took place at the Hermitage on December 22. Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged his office in the Kremlin for the halls of one of the country&main museums and one of the largest museums in the world for a day, inviting his colleagues from the CIS countries. Culture once again became a unifying force. A light frost, a smattering of snow, glimpses of blue sky and sunshine—in such weather, the golden lights of the New Year&tree at the foot of the Alexander Column look especially rich. The decoration of the imperial palace is both festive and cozy. The Hermitage is a place where eras and values equally important to different nations merge. A venue that brings together not just partners, but close friends. Only Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev did not attend St. Petersburg, citing a busy schedule. Dmitry Peskov, the Russian leader&press secretary, told URA RU today that the Kremlin understood this. Before the meeting, the leaders took a short stroll through the Winter Palace. The tour was led by Hermitage Director Mikhail Piotrovsky, and at times, President Putin joined in and also discussed some of the relics. The tour is expected to continue after the summit, and the heads of state will also have an informal breakfast. Putin thus returned to the tradition of inviting colleagues to cultural...