Hermitage

      Hermitage

   The collection of the State Hermitage includes more than three million works of art and artefacts of the world culture. Among them are paintings, graphic works, sculptures and works of applied art, archaeological finds and numismatic material.

    The main architectural ensemble of the Hermitage situated in the centre of St Petersburg consists of the Winter Palace, the former state residence of the Russian emperors, the buildings of the Small, Old (Great) and New Hermitages, the Hermitage Theatre and the Auxiliary House. The museum complex also includes the Menshikov Palace and the Eastern Wing of the General Staff building, the Staraya Derevnya Restoration and Storage Centre and the Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory.

Main Museum Complex The basic display areas of the State Hermitage occupy 365 rooms in the Main Museum Complex located in the historic centre of St Petersburg. This consists of six buildings constructed in the 18th and 19th centuries, among which the most important is the Winter Palace, the former imperial residence. The Winter Palace, the Small Hermitage, the Old Hermitage and the New Hermitage display the collections of monuments of culture and art of the ancient world, Western Europe, Russia and the countries of the Orient, as well as archeological and numismatic collections. The Hermitage Theatre and the Reserve House also form part of the Main Museum Complex. Visitor information The Staraya Derevnya Restoration and Storage Centre The Hermitage's modern restoration and storage centre is located in the Staraya Derevnya district of St Petersburg. At present it comprises three buildings for Administration, Storage and Engineering. In accordance with the museum's General Plan of Development, in 2012 the Storage Facility will be the largest complex of its kind in the world, consisting of eight specialized buildings. The unique feature of this museum project is the creation of conditions suitable for visits to the Hermitage Storage Facility by tour groups The tour itinerary familiarizes visitors with works of painting and sculpture from the museum's reserve holdings, with an extensive collection of furniture, with a collection of carriages and with other exhibit items which for a long time were inaccessible to the general public. More Visitor information Exhibition Complexes of the State Hermitage, St Petersburg Winter Palace of Peter the Great The Winter Palace of Peter the Great is a unique architectural monument dating from the first quarter of the 18th century (Georg Mattarnovi, Domenico Trezzini, architects). The official residence of Peter I between 1720 and 1725 was located on the territory now occupied by the Hermitage Theatre. In the part of the palace which has been preserved, there is a memorial exhibit dedicated to Peter the Great and his age. In his rooms - the study, dining room and turnery - the decor has been recreated using genuine articles that belonged to the Emperor. Here the so-called 'wax effigy,' a posthumous sculptural portrait of Peter I, has been put on display. More Visitor information Menshikov Palace The palace of St Petersburg's first Governor, Alexander Menshikov, was erected on Vasilyevsky Island in the 1710s-1720s according to architectural plans drawn up by Giovanni Fontana and Gottfried Shaedel. The Hermitage exhibition entitled "Russian Culture in the First Third of the 18th Century" is located in the Menshikov Palace. Works of fine as well as decorative and applied arts from the Hermitage collection recreate the original interior decoration of Peter the Great's time. More Visitor information The Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory The Museum of Porcelain was created in 1844 as part of the Imperial Porcelain Factory. Since 2001 it has been a department of the State Hermitage. The collection includes more than 30,000 objects made in the Imperial Porcelain Factory from the 18th to the 20th century, as well as porcelain by European and domestic manufacturers. More Visitor information General Staff building The General Staff building was designed by the architect Carlo Rossi and was erected during the years 1820-30. It is an outstanding architectural monument in the style of Russian Classicism. The Eastern Wing of the building, where civilian ministries of the Russian Empire once were housed, there are both permanent and temporary exhibitions of the Hermitage. The Museum of the Russian Guard Regiments is found in the General Staff building. More Visitor information Exhibition Centres of the State Hermitage The Hermitage-Vyborg Center The Hermitage-Vyborg Center is located in the historical part of Vyborg in a bulding built in 1930 according to the project of an architect Uno Verner Ulberg (1879-1944) for the Art Museum and the Art School. The decision on founding theHermitage-Vyborg Center marked the start of revival of the constructivism architecture sample and restoring of its original museum role. The Hermitage will arrange exhibitions for Vyborg citizens and guests twice a year. Public awareness campaign is another important kind of cultural cooperation. Both adults and children will be able to take part in exhibitions, lectures, educational programs prepared by the specialists of the State Hermitage. More The Hermitage-Kazan Exhibition Centre The Hermitage-Kazan Exhibition Centre was established with the patronage and support of President of the Republic of Tatarstan M. Sh. Shaimiev. It is a subdivision of the Kazan Kremlin State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve. The Centre is located on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin in the building of the former Junker School built at the start of the 19th century. It has exhibition and administrative rooms totalling about 1000 square metres. In addition to display areas, the Hermitage-Kazan Centre plans to have lecture halls, information rooms and computer classes. More The Hermitage-Amsterdam Exhibition Centre The Hermitage-Amsterdam Exhibition Centre presently occupies the Neerlandia building of the old Amstelhof complex built on the banks of the Amstel River in the 17th century. In 2007, following the complete reconstruction of the Amstelhof, the State Hermitage will receive more than 4,000 square metres of exhibition space in Amsterdam. At present six rooms are open to visitors, as well as an information centre, classes for children's studies and a lecture hall. The building has modern equipment making it possible to provide reliable air conditioning, security and fire prevention services. More