I read your piece about the introduction of new $100 bills into Russia.
So, Russians need not worry that their old $100 bills will not be rendered worthless overnight by government decree, but I, as an US citizen, am not so sure.
Case in point: about a year ago I went to the US Consulate here in St Petersburg to get a document notarized.
When I went to pay $10 in US currency at the cash desk, it was rejected since the notes were deemed "too old, faded."
I caused an uproar, but the consulate explained that it was "too difficult" for them to give their poor-quality US bills to Russian banks.
They cited a decree authorizing them to reject old, faded US notes signed by Secretary of State Warren Christopher.
Consulate officials were uninterested when I showed them the phrase "This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private" printed on my faded bills.
Yours faithfully,
Arden Simoni, address withheld
Dear Sir,
The management of the State Hermitage wishes to express its extreme bewilderment regarding the article "Hermitage says it will keep `Unseen Treasures' paintings" (SPP No 153, April 2-8, 1996).
It is surprising that despite the fact that the exhibition was on for a year (March 30, 1995, to March 31, 1996) and there were three press conferences dedicated to it (two regarding the opening and one regarding the results) at which journalists had the opportunity to receive all necessary information, your newspaper called the exhibition "Unseen Treasures" instead of "Hidden Treasures Revealed."
We are also distressed by the general scornful tone of the article and by the distorted information regarding the character and contents of the March 28, 1996, press conference.
We would especially like to stress that the paintings from the German private collections will stay at the Hermitage, but will not be added to our permanent collection of French paintings of the 19th and 20th centuries, since the question of their fate has not been decided at the highest level.
The museum will not create a precedent, but it will continue to disperse the veil of the unknown around works of art, which found itself with us as a result of World War II.
We hope that the distortions of this newspaper of our position came about because of a misunderstanding, and not because of malicious intentions.
Mikhail Piotrovsky,
Director of the State Hermitage Museum