Museums of St. Petersburg. Museums. St. Petersburg. Saint Petersburg. Sights of Moscow. Excursions to St. Petersburg museums.
SIGHTS ST. PETERSBURG
MUSEUMS OF ST. PETERSBURG
Hermitage Museum
The State Hermitage (Gosudarstvenny Ermitazh) is the greatest art depository of
Russia. Its history as a museum collection is traditionally held to have begin
1764. Its contains above 3,000,000 exhibits paintings, sculptures, drawings, objects
of applied and decorative art, coins, armaments and other artifacts dating from
ancient times to the present day. Its collections in their scope and variety can
rival those of the Louvre and the British Museum.
Situated in the centre of Saint-Petersburg the State Hermitage Museum is
housed in five magnificent buildings created by celebrated architects of the
18th to 19th century. The Winter Palace, formerly the residence of Russian
Emperors which was constructed between 1754 and 1762 after a design of
Bartolomeo Rastrelli, occupies an important place amongst other constructions
of the whole Museum ensemble. The architect designed the palace as a part of
the city landscape - a huge closed space with an inner court and free facades
secluded from all other buildings.
Francesco Bartholomeo Rastrelli said about his creation, the Winter Palace,
that it was constructed "...for the glory of Russia solely" and was
to become the embodiment of greatness and power of Russia that in the mid 18th
century became one of the most significant countries. The Winter Palace
startles with grandeur scale, luxury and variety of ornamentation, integrity
and proportionality. This building presents all characteristic features of
Rastrelli's style, the Russian Baroque style: majestic gala forms, abundance
of decorative details, irrepressive brilliancy, luxury and buoyancy.
During the reign of Catherine II the grandeur palace ensemble became the
official residence and the storehouse of the art treasures, also private
appartments of the Russian Empress was erected. After the death of Catherine
II the Winter Palace became deserted.
On 7 February 1852 in the building of the New Hermitage the first Russian
public museum was open for the visitors. The tradition of collecting works of
art became a part of the state policy. 19th century brought changes into the
life of the royal residence. Interiors of the palace ensemble were changed
according to the new tastes. Official and private life of the members of the
royal family was connected with the walls of the palace, as well as the last
page of the reign of the Romanov’s dynasty.
By the end of the reign of Nicholas I the "public Museum of the New
Hermitage", that already possessed one of the world best collections of
the West-European art, built up new collections - of Antiquities and of
Oriental Art, the Gallery of Jewellery and the Gallery of Peter I, and became
famous in Europe.
Put together throughout two centuries and a half, the Hermitage collections of
works of art (over 3,000,000 items) present the development of the world
culture and art from the Stone Age to the 20th century.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT MUSEUM:
- 34, Palace Embankment (Dvortsovaya Naberezhnaya)
- Metro - Nevsky Prospekt.
- Open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10.30 am to 06.00 pm, until 04.00 pm on Sunday.
Closed on Mondays
PAGES OF THE PICTURE ALBUM
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