enjoyed—a reputation which has been growing from year to year. When attempts by reactionary currents in art to profit by such state of affairs were recently revealed, the problem connected with the Gallery became important. The initiative of the Collegium's membership met with the most enthusiastic reception from the People's Commissary, A. V. Lunacharsky, who submitted this problem for discussion to the Soviet of People's Commissaries, and on June 3rd, 1918, the latter body issued a decree on the nationalization of the Tretiakov Gallery, placing the Gallery under jurisdiction of the People's Commissariat of Education. Finally, on June 17th, 1918, in accordance with a proposal unanimously submitted by the Petrograd and Moscow sections of the Collegium in charge of museums, the well-known artist and museum expert, J. E. Grabar, was appointed director of the Tretiakov Gallery by the People's Commissary, A. Lunacharsky.
Similarly at the initiative of the Museums' Collegium a question was raised on the necessity to requisition a Botticelli (Tonto) painting belonging to the citizen, Mrs. E. P. Meschersky. It was reported that the painting was to be shipped abroad.
The matter was brought to the attention of the Soviet of People's Commissaries, which on May 30th, 1918, decreed to requisition this painting and declare it property of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic and place it in one of the national museums of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic. At present the Botticelli picture is exhibited at the Rumiantzev Museum.
The same instruction directs the People's Commissariat of Education to draw, within a period of three days, a plan of a decree prohibiting shipment from the territory of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic of pictures and generally of all great artistic treasures—this plan to be submitted for examination to the Soviet of People's Commissaries.
The Collegium has also obtained an appropriation of 250,000 rubles for the needs of the Rumiantzev Museum. This sum is to be spent for purchasing historically important art treasures which appear now in abundance on the market and which are irretrievably lost by being smuggled abroad.
Besides, the Section has commenced to execute (and partially has already executed) a number of commissions of artistic and53
