In the framework of improvement of cultural ties between Sri Lanka and Russia, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Moscow continues to expand its relations with the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, commonly known as Kunstkamera Museum.

In the course of the visit of H. E. the Ambassador, Prof. M. D. Lamawansa, to Saint Petersburg in August 2020, the Embassy delegation held a meeting with Prof. Andrei Golovnev, Director of the Museum, and the two sides agreed to establish museum cooperation.
Kunstkamera, which has recently celebrated its 300 years anniversary, gives home to numerous collections of rarities and artefacts brought from every corner of the world, including Sri Lanka. Therefore, the Department of National Museums of Sri Lanka, which maintains the National Museums of Sri Lanka, including the Colombo National Museum, was selected as the best possible counterpart of Kunstkamera.
With this regard, on 02 March 2021, the Embassy organized and conducted an online meeting between the Department of National Museums of Sri Lanka, represented by Ms. Sanuja Kasthuriarachchi, Director General, and her team and Prof. Andrei Golovnev and the Kunstkamera representatives.
H. E. the Ambassador, Prof. M. D. Lamawansa expressed his gratitude to the Government of the Russian Federation for its explicit interest in developing museum cooperation and underlined the importance of sharing knowledge and experience for mutual benefit of two countries. Prof. Andrei Golovnev, in his turn, underlined his dedication to relink the Kunstkamera with the Sri Lankan museums and invited the Department of National Museums to conduct join programmes, develop and sign the MoU. Ms. Sanuja Kasthuriarchchi expressed the willingness of the Department of National Museums to exchange knowledge through workshops, seminars and cooperate on research.
The meeting was held in a friendly atmosphere and the sides decided to undertake the necessary actions to implement the outlined steps.