Since 2018, the Technological Department of the State Russian Museum, led by Sergey Sirro, was working in collaboration with prof. Michel Menu, head of the research department of the largest restoration center of France – C2RMF (Louvre Palace). As a result of this collaboration, the project of Russian mobile laboratory for scientific research of cultural heritage was prepared. The project was developed with the support of Permanent Secretary of the French Academy of Sciences and a member of the Trianon Dialogue Coordination Council Catherine Brechignac.
In December 2018 The State Russian Museum signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the following scientific and cultural organizations: St. Petersburg State University, Center for Research and Restoration of France Museums (C2RMF - Centre de recherché et de restauration des musées de France), Scientific Laboratory of Historical Monuments (LRMH - Laboratoire de recherche des monuments historiques), Foundation of Science and Cultural Heritage (La Fondation des Sciences du Patrimoine). In 2019, the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences joined the Memorandum.
In 2018 – 2019 three scientific practical conferences with the participation of French professionals were held in St. Petersburg. In addition, the staff of the State Russian Museum took part in 8 conferences and seminars organized by the French colleagues, including the SNAIA-2019, 2020 conferences (Smart Nanomaterials. Advances, Innovation and Application), E-RiHS (European Research Consortium in Safety Science Cultural heritage) and practice of Sergey Sirro in the Center for Research and Restoration of Museums of France (C2RMF).
In October 2019, to support the mobile laboratory project a 10-day workshop on "Advanced science technologies for artworks and cultural heritage objects investigations in the field” was held. The workshop was based on the State Russian Museum and the Novgorod United Museum-Reserve and was prepared by Sergey Sirro and Olga Smolyanskaya (ITMO University). This event also included the arrival of the French mobile laboratory (French MOLAB) under the leadership of Michel Menu and Vincent Detalle to conduct the research and trainings in Russia.
The 2019 autumn was also the start of O. Smolyanskaya, S. Sirro and M. Menu joint work on the usage of terahertz radiation to study the objects of cultural heritage. In December 2019, O. Smolyanskaya, S. Sirro together with colleagues from France organized and conducted the International Symposium "THz Optoelectronics and Photonics Symposium" in Paris. One of its topics was the usage of terahertz radiation to preserve art objects. Moreover, S.V. Sirro made a report on the joint research and development work of the State Russian Museum, the ITMO University and foreign partners, C2RMF and LRMH.
In 2020, within the 8th Russian Government Megagrants Competition, the joint Russian French project of the Mobile Laboratory was among the winners. Thus, in 2021, the implementation of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education financial support started. The leading scientist of the project is Michel Menu, the responsible executor from the ITMO University is O. A. Smolyanskaya, from the State Russian Museum - S. V. Sirro.