Potanin donates $5M to Kennedy Center

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington says it has accepted a $5 million donation from Russian philanthropist Vladimir Potanin.

The gift was given in recognition of the Kennedy Center's 40th anniversary and will support the center's programming and general operating expenses, the institution said.

The Kennedy Center Golden Circle Lounge, located on the Box Tier level of the Opera House, is to undergo an extensive renovation this summer, additionally funded by the Vladimir Potanin Foundation. It is to be renamed the Russian Lounge when it reopens next fall.

"We are very grateful for this generous gift from Vladimir Potanin," Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein said in a statement Thursday. "Russia's cultural heritage has enriched the Kennedy Center's programming on countless occasions, including multiple performances by the Mariinsky Ballet, Opera and Orchestra and the Bolshoi Ballet, as well as the 17-year tenure of Mstislav Rostropovich as music director of our National Symphony Orchestra. I applaud Vladimir Potanin's leadership and admirable philanthropy, which will help enable the Kennedy Center to continue its mission of presenting the best of national and international artistry to our audiences."

"This is such an honor for me to make this gift on the 40th anniversary of The John F. Kennedy Center," added Potanin. "I believe the Kennedy Center has been playing a very important role in building strong cultural relations between our countries by presenting the greatest Russian artists to the American people."