The message reads, in part:
“From the first days of its existence, the museum, which evolved from the Ethnographic Department of the Russian Museum of Emperor Alexander III, began to actively build its collections and started involving famous scientists, researchers, archaeologists, explorers and travellers in this large-scale work. Over the years, it has accumulated unique collections, including clothing, handicrafts, commodities, archival documents and books narrating the history, culture and unique customs of Russia’s peoples, and it has laid the traditions of creative, constructive and selfless work.
I am happy to note that members of the museum’s current staff enthusiastically continue the cause of their predecessors. Your significant scientific and educational work, as well as the organisation of interesting and detailed lectures and exhibitions, deserve the highest acclaim. And, of course, it is important that you seek and find new forms of interaction with visitors, and that you prioritise advanced and modern trends in the development of museology and museum studies.”