Ladies and Gentleman,

On behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Mr Sergey Lavrov, I have the privilege of presenting the University of Glasgow on this excellent occasion, the Centenary of the Russian studies with this unique gift,  the Illustrated Chronicles of Ivan the Terrible.

Please accept my official assurances that there is nothing terrible in those wooden chests, only the ancient history of mankind with all its devastating wars, natural and man made disasters.

These Chronicles were created by Decree of Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century. The most enlightened minds of the time worked to compile them for the purpose of educating future Tsars, the successors of Rurik’s line. However, no matter how enlightened these creators, they could foresee the future. As we know the fate of the last Russian Tsar and his family was tragic.

Perhaps the reason for the Chronicles surviving through the “Time of Troubles” and through the ages beyond was because they were appropriated by Russian nobles and stored in scores of private libraries across Russia.

These three exquisite wooden chests contain a Collector's Edition of the most extensive account of history ever to be produced in Medieval Russia, encompassing the history of the ancient world as well as providing insight into one the most obscure chapters in Russian history. They allow us to share with the outside world the richness and outstanding substance of these Chronicles which were initially created in only a single hand made masterpiece exclusively for “Imperial eyes”.

I am well aware that the University of Glasgow has a very strong tradition of historical studies, and I know that today we are going to see the famous Slavonic collection of the University Library, and thus I am confident that the Illustrated Chronicles of Ivan the Terrible, a literary monument in their own right, will contribute to an enhanced understanding of the multifaceted cultural legacy of Russia and promote knowledge sharing between our people.

Thank you