After a half-century of denials, Russia's government has admitted to possessing 300 drawings by Rembrandt and other masters that were looted from Germany at the end of World War II.


The Russian authorities, who plan to display the art at St. Petersburg's Hermitage, say they have no plans for the moment to return the masterpieces to Germany.


In an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda Oct. 3, Yevgeny Sidorov, Russia's Minister of Culture and Tourism, for the first time publicly acknowledged possession.


The collection - which includes works by Van Dyck, Van Gogh and Durer, as well as Rembrandt - was taken from the north German city of Bremen.


The drawings were hidden in the vaults of St. Petersburg's Hermitage Museum, The Pushkin gallery in Moscow and elsewhere, according to Komsomolskaya Pravda.


The Hermitage will display the art for the first time in November, the paper said. A German diplomat said that officials from Bremen had already seen some of the Hermitage drawings.


The Red Army looted vast quantities of art from Germany and Eastern Europe during the waning days of World War II, often claiming to offer "safe-keeping" for the masterpieces.


Sidorov told Komsomolskaya Pravda that no negotiations were underway to return the Bremen art to Germany.


"With the help of Western partners it is necessary to make a full inventory of our losses during the war", he said. "Only then can we begin negotiations on the return of valuables".


German officials said they expect Russia to return the art in accordance with a 1990 German-Soviet agreement. The Germans hope to receive the drawings without any payment, but - acknowledged that some financial agreement may be necessary to speed the return.