The Courtauld Institute of Art has formed an alliance with The State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg after a grant from the Edmond J Safra Philanthropic Foundation.

The grant will support teaching and research at the Courtauld and also fund Edmond J Safra Visiting Curators from the State Hermitage Museum to the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

The grant also facilitates the Courtauld Institute of Art assuming responsibility for the Hermitage Rooms, currently administered by the Hermitage Development Trust and its exhibition programme at Somerset House.

Opened by HRH the Prince of Wales in November 2000, the Hermitage Rooms offer an introduction to Russia's leading museum through a series of exhibitions drawn from the Hermitage's world-renowned collections.

Professor James Cuno, director of the Courtauld Institute said: 'We are excited by the prospects of joint research, exhibition, publication and conservation programmes with the Hermitage and are pleased to be able to announce the establishment of Edmond J Safra Visiting Curators. These will be drawn from the Hermitage's expert curatorial staff and will provide us with the opportunity to develop projects together.'

Three exhibitions will be staged during the first exhibition season under the new Courtauld-Hermitage alliance. The first St Petersburg: A 300th Birthday Tribute, People and Palaces in Photographs around 1900, opens at the end of May to mark the founding of the city on 27 May 1703 by Peter the Great. Details: +44 (0)20 7872 0220