History and culture: Exhibition, timed to the 200th anniversary of the Duke Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg, in Saint-Petersburg

October 2, 2012 in the hall of Korf of the main building of the National Library of Russia (St. Petersburg) in the framework of city's jubilee celebrations was held the opening ceremony of the exhibition "The enlightened philanthropist Duke Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg", one of the outstanding statesmen of the XIX century of the Russian Empire.

The fate of Duke Peter Georgievich was closely associated with the Russian imperial house. According to his father, he belonged to the younger branch of Holstein-Gottorp Duke of Oldenburg line, and his mother - Grand Princess Catherine - was the daughter of Emperor Paul I. Three generations of the dynasty of Oldenburg served the Russian state.

The exhibition features unique exhibits of the XIX-XXI centuries from the funds of the NLR, telling about the state activity of Peter as head of Board of Trustees, on the basis of the Imperial School of Jurisprudence and custody of more than 500 institutions. A special section is dedicated to the poetic and musical works created by the Duke. Peter Georgievich devoted much time and money to numerous orphanages, schools and hospitals for the poor, some of them have been preserved up to our days.

Materials for the exhibition are provided by such departments of the NLR as Russian book collection, department of manuscripts, archives department, the department of prints, cartography department, the department of printed music, as well as the Society of Friends House of Oldenburg.

In 2001, in Oldenburg (Germany) it was founded an International Society "Oldenburg – Saint-Petersburg", the head of which was the Duke of Gounod von Oldenburg, a direct descendant of Duke Peter of Oldenburg, who continued his care and maintenance activities and he also was the founder of the St. Petersburg Society of Friends of Oldenburg. The Company aims to strengthen ties between the two cities, and promoting the St. Petersburg organizations in their development.