The Art Newspaper

Russia’s Summer Garden funding slashed in half

By John Varoli. Published online: 08 April 2009

ST PETERSBURG. Russia’s culture ministry has cut funding for the reconstruction of the Summer Garden in downtown St Petersburg by half. Around 4.5bn rubles ($134m) was originally earmarked, but after the cuts only 2.2bn rubles ($65m) will be allotted. The garden, designed in the Dutch baroque style by order of Peter the Great in the early 18th century, occupies a separate island and is one of St Petersburg’s most popular sites, with long tree-lined alleys adorned by around 80 statues made by 18th-century Venetian sculptors. In 2003, ownership of the garden was transferred to the State Russian Museum, the world’s largest repository of Russian art.

The spending for 2009 and 2010 will remain the same, but the major adjustment is set to take place in 2011, when only 987m rubles ($29m) will be spent instead of the planned 3.1bn rubles ($92m). Russia is heavily dependent on the price of oil, which has plummeted by around 60% over the past eight months—hence the government is cutting its expenditures.