Making Russia a Better Place to Live and Work

Baker & McKenzie’s Russian offices take pride in serving our local community and support social and cultural causes in our cities. We believe this is both our responsibility and a privilege that is firmly embedded in our core values. We are committed to using the experience, knowledge and resources of our Firm to help those in need.

Recently the St. Petersburg office donated money to the Hermitage's School Center program for children with learning difficulties, called Our Hermitage. The program aims to stimulate the children's development, encourage their creativity and improve their social skills through exposure to art. At the end of December, the sponsored children from three St. Petersburg secondary schools gave a magnificent New Year performance on the stage of the Hermitage museum.

As stated by the director of one of the schools, these annual performances organized over the past eight years with the help of Baker & McKenzie take place at one of the most beautiful museums in the world and provide some of the most exciting memories for the children graduating from these schools.

The St Petersburg office recently received children's drawings as a an expression of thanks for organizing the performance. Maxim Kalinin, Managing Partner of the St. Petersburg office said, "The St. Petersburg office serves as a Special Legal Adviser to the State Hermitage Museum but, as you can see, our commitment goes beyond providing legal services. This is our way of trying to make St. Petersburg a better place for all of us living and working in this beautiful city."