Elgin Marbles Statue Lent To Russia

One of the Elgin Marbles has been loaned by the British Museum for the first time to go on display in Russia.

The river god Ilissos, found in the Parthenon in Athens Greece nearly 2,500 years ago, has been lent to the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg until mid-January.

In a blog on the British Museum's website, Neil MacGregor said: The British Museum is a museum of the world, for the world and nothing demonstrates this more than the loan of a Parthenon sculpture to the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg to celebrate its 250th anniversary.''

The headless marble statue is one of a number of similar items that once decorated the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis and were removed more than two centuries ago by Lord Elgin, a Scottish nobleman, and are displayed in London's British Museum.

But Greece maintains they were removed illegally during the country's Turkish occupation and should be returned for display in a new Athens museum - which the British Museum and the Government reject.

Mr MacGregor said: The trustees have always believed that such loans must continue between museums in spite of political disagreements between governments.

So, when our colleagues at the Hermitage asked if we might also make an important loan to celebrate their 250th anniversary, the trustees immediately answered Yes. And no loan could more fittingly mark the long friendship of our two houses, or the period of their founding, than a sculpture from the Parthenon.''

The reclining statue will go on public display tomorrow in the world-renowned museum, founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great as part of the European Enlightenment.

Sir Richard Lambert, chairman of the trustees of the British Museum, said: The trustees of the British Museum hold its collection in trust and believe that the great things of the world should be shared and enjoyed by the people of the world.

The duty of the trustees is to allow citizens in as many countries as possible to share in their common inheritance. The trustees are delighted that this beautiful object will be enjoyed by the people of Russia.''

It is the latest example of a long working relationship between heritage and arts bodies in the two countries, which have included British Museum exhibitions on Ice Age art and the Vikings which featured Russian loans.

It is the first time one of the British Museum's Parthenon sculptures, which represents about a third of the original decoration of the temple, has been requested for loan and which have never left the museum except during wartime.

The sculptures were presented to the trustees by Parliament in 1816 and were a major event in the Museum's early development as a museum of world civilisations.

But in October a team of London lawyers, including Amal Clooney, were involved in talks with the Greek government about a potential legal bid for the works.

And her husband, actor George Clooney, has also been outspoken on the issue before - saying it was probably a good idea'' for them to be returned when answering an inadvertent question during a press conference to promote The Monuments Men earlier this year.