The message reads, in part:
"You deserve your place among the finest Russian intellectuals - broadly educated, creatively endowed and spiritually generous - true enthusiasts and enlighteners. It is hard to list all of your activities - the director of one the world's best known art collections, a leading Eastern Studies scholar and public figure, an authoritative instructor and tutor. Your significant personal contribution to the preservation and expansion of the fine traditions of Russian science and culture and to the fostering of talented youth deserves the highest praise and recognition."