During his visit to Saint Petersburg on February 19-20, 2009, Ambassador Beyrle opened a major American Art Exhibit at the Russian Museum and spoke to over 250 students and faculty at St. Petersburg State University’s Law Faculty.


U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Beyrle opened a major American art exhibit at the Russian Museum called "American Artists from the Russian Empire" on February 19. The exhibit - organized by the Foundation for International Arts & Education (FIAE) and funded by Morgan Stanley,
Severstal, and several others - focuses attention on U.S. artists, such as Mark Rothko and John Graham, who remain largely unknown in their original homeland.

On February 20, Ambassador Beyrle spoke to over 250 students and faculty at St. Petersburg State University's Law Faculty. The Ambassador touched on a number of major policy issues and emphasized how the U.S. and Russia work closely together in a number of different fields. In near-flawless Russian (perfected while a graduate student at the university's Philological Faculty), Ambassador Beyrle also described how the Obama administration wants to "hit the re-start button" and promote closer cooperation between the two nations. In a lively Q&A session, students and faculty asked a variety of questions ranging from U.S. relations with Georgia to the story of Ambassador Beyrle's father (perhaps the only U.S. paratrooper who ended up fighting with the Red Army during World War II.)