PARIS (AP) — One of the richest oligarchs in Russia, Vladimir Potanin, is donating more than 250 works of Russian and Soviet art to France's national modern art museum, the Pompidou Center, to promote cultural understanding.

An exhibit of the vibrant works, representing Russia in the '70s and the "Sots Art" movement of Boris Orlov and Leonid Sokov, will be shown from Sept. 14 to March 27.

Potanin — who canceled his appearance at the opening — previously described the collection as "a symbolic act that aims to encourage Russian art in living culture."

In the introduction to the exhibition catalogue, he said he was "convinced art and culture are the best means of telling the story of Russia to the rest of the world."