The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Address, photo and reviews of tourists

The Hermitage is a museum in St. Petersburg, which is worth a visit to everyone at least once in a lifetime. Glory about him goes around the world. At any time of the year, the halls of the Hermitage are full of guests who came to North Palmira from different parts of the globe. Collections of the museum contain almost 3 million of the most interesting exhibits, and in order to see them all, the excursionist will have to walk along the numerous halls, corridors and staircases of the museum complex for a long 20 kilometers.

Which buildings are part of the museum complex "Hermitage"

When tourists arrive in the city on the Neva, they dream to visit many museums of St. Petersburg. The Hermitage is on this list, as a rule, in the first place. But many associate it only with the Winter Palace. And in fact, in the large museum complex of the Hermitage, in addition to the legendary creation of Rastrelli, there are also 5 beautiful and majestic buildings lined up along the Nevskaya Embankment in the center of St. Petersburg.

This is the Small Hermitage, erected under the guidance of the talented architect Vallin-Delamota; The Great Hermitage is the work of the architect Felten; The Hermitage Theater (architect Quarenghi) and the New Hermitage architect von Klenze. All these beautiful architectural structures were created by different masters and at different times, but now they are all one thing - the Hermitage, a museum and a cultural and historical center.

From the history of creation

About the Hermitage Museum of Artists say this: in order to inspect carefully all of its exhibits, you need at least 9 years, and someone believes that even this period will not be enough, so extensive collection of cultural treasures, stored in the Winter Palace and other palaces of the complex. And it all began in 1764. It was then that Catherine II ordered the purchase of all the most valuable works of art at foreign auctions in order to exhibit them in the premises of the Small Hermitage.

Subsequently, when the collection was greatly expanded, and places in the Small Palace became scarce, precious art objects began to be located in other buildings. So gradually the Hermitage was created - a museum that we all know. Everywhere, throughout the world, priceless paintings, sculptures, engravings, drawings, collections of old coins, medals, books, antique valuables and works of decorative and applied art were bought. After the death of Catherine II, Alexander I continued to collect interesting artifacts.

Until the middle of the XVIII century. The privilege to see the Hermitage exhibition was available only to selected nobles. And in the following years, the entrance to the halls of the museum was restricted for some estates. After the revolution of 1917, the Hermitage and its rich collections of artistic and historical values became available to ordinary people.

Museum halls and collections

Today, the Hermitage is a museum in which there are many halls dedicated to certain thematic collections. There is a West European department, Departments of the Ancient World and the East, primitive culture and numismatics, a large collection from ancient Egypt, the "Golden Pantry", as well as an extensive Department of the History of Russian Culture.

Everyone entering the museum falls first to the lobby, from which you can go to the second floor, climbing the magnificent Jordanian staircase. Then the visitor enters the largest hall of the Hermitage (1103 sq. M.). It stretches along the Neva embankment and consists of three rooms. Then followed by Concert, Field Marshal's, Petrovsky Halls. The large throne, or St. George's Hall, decorates the royal throne, 28 crystal chandeliers and 48 columns of marble. There are also Alexandrovsky, Malachite and White Halls, the Golden Room, etc.

The Hermitage collection

The artistic collection of the cultural and historical center of the Northern capital deserves special attention. Today, the former residence of Russian emperors is known throughout the world as the largest art museum in Europe. The Hermitage has an extensive collection of paintings by the most famous artists. Here you can see the canvases of such masters of painting as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyck, Poussin, Watteau, Tiepolo, Rodin, Renoir, Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse and other brilliant creators.

In the hall of Western European painting there are such priceless masterpieces as "Madonna with Child" ("Madonna of Litta") and "Madonna of Benoit" by da Vinci, a charming little oval painting of Raphael "Madonna of Connestabella". Under the picturesque canvases of Rubens there is a whole room where you can see the pictures "Venus and Adonis", "Portrait of the Infant Motherfather", "Union of Land and Water", Shepherd's Scene "," Bacchus "," Descent from the Cross ", as well as Other works of a brilliant Flemish.

There is also the Rembrandt Hall in the Hermitage. Here, along with his other canvases, is the famous "Danae", which is protected by armored glass to prevent a repeated act of vandalism. This picture was damaged in 1985 by one of the visitors, and its restoration and restoration had to work for many years. Visitors can also visit the halls of Michelangelo, Dutch painting, majolica and many others.

Information for tourists

The brief information stated in this article, of course, can not tell about all the exhibits. You have to visit the Hermitage on your own. The museum is open to all comers on any day of the week, except Monday. The main museum complex is located at: Dvortsovaya Ploshcha, 2. In summer, as well as on weekends, so as not to stand in long hours, it is best to arrive half an hour before the opening, which takes place at 10.30.

To get to the Hermitage is not difficult, because this museum complex is located in the center of the city. The nearest metro station is "Admiralteyskaya". It is worth to get out of there, as you need to immediately turn left and go literally a few meters to the street. The Little Marine. Then turn right and walk to Nevsky Prospekt. Now you can walk straight to Nevsky Prospekt to the Palace Square - the entrance to the Hermitage is right there.

In addition, we would recommend to visit the State Russian Museum, the Kunstkamera, the numerous suburban palaces of the city (Pavlovsk, Peterhof, etc.) - all these are well-known museums in Russia. The Hermitage among them, of course, remains the most important and beloved, not only for Russians, but also for foreign guests.