“First” US-USSR (Russian) Cultural Business Joint Venture Agreement between The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia and The National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.

In 1989, while serving as Museum Director for The National Geographic Society, Jeffrey A. Dering negotiated the “First” US-USSR Cultural Business Joint Venture between The National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C. and The State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia.

This historic Cultural Business Joint Venture paved the way for Russian museums to independently establish financial ventures with Western corporations and museums; and, establish funding opportunities for conservation of art and artifacts, such as the Golden State Carriage of Czar Catherine II with funding contributed by Federal Express.

The US-USSR Cultural Business Joint Venture provided opportunity for Dering to develop international blockbuster exhibitions, including the highly acclaimed tours of Catherine The Great and Nicholas II and Alexandra: Last Czars of Russia.

Mr. Dering was honored in 1989 as “First” American Museum Director to serve upon an active committee (Marketing Committee) of a Board of Governors of a Russian museum (then Soviet), The State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia.