The Hermitage history of creation briefly. Hermitage: wiki: Facts about Russia

The largest art and cultural-historical museum in Russia and one of the largest in the world first appeared in 1764 as the private collection of Catherine II. The museum was opened to the public in 1852 in the New Hermitage building, specially built for this purpose. Today the main exposition part occupies five buildings located along the Neva embankment.

The beginning of the story

History of the collection State Hermitage officially begins with the reign of Catherine II. But her great predecessor Peter I also made his contribution. During his reign, many exhibits appeared in the private imperial collection, which are now in the Hermitage. For example, the famous “Scythian gold” - precious jewelry in the form of animals, stored in the Golden Pantry. They were bought by Prince Gagarin for Peter's Siberian collection.

Up until Catherine's era, there were almost no additions to the imperial collection, or they occurred by chance. A striking example serves as a collection of “Mughal gold”. In the middle of the 18th century, the Shah of Iran conquered the Mughal Empire, which was located in India. With the embassy, ​​he sent gold jewelry and other items to Tsarina Anna Ioannovna. jewelry, literally showered with diamonds, rubies, sapphires. They were transported to St. Petersburg on elephants. However, the gifts were already received by Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, who ascended the throne as a result of a palace coup. Elephants worried the residents of St. Petersburg for a long time, periodically escaping from their enclosures. And the gifts were accepted and safely forgotten; they were transferred to the Hermitage collection after the revolution. At the end of the 20th century, it became clear that there were almost no Mughal treasures left in Iran, and the most large collection jewelry of their era is in Russia.

The Hermitage in Tsarist times

One of the most important periods in the history of the museum, it is undoubtedly associated with the name of Catherine II, who is rightly called its founder. At her direction, an extension was made to the Winter Palace, which was called the Hermitage. Dinners were given here for a circle of close associates. The guests discussed politics and art. In this part of the palace there was a special set of rules, such as: “leave all ranks outside the doors”, “argue without heatedness”, etc. private collection paintings of Catherine II, it began with the acquisition of the collection of merchant I. E. Gotzkovsky, which included works by Dutch artists. During the reign of Catherine II, the collection was replenished with paintings by Titian, Rubens, Raphael and other great masters, and the only sculpture in Russia by Michelangelo, “Crouching Boy,” was purchased. All over Europe, the empress's emissaries purchased tens and even hundreds of paintings for her, often simply buying up already established collections. In addition to many paintings, more than 10,000 coins and medals, more than 10,000 drawings, countless engravings, stones and books appeared in the Hermitage.

Paul I, alien to the views of his mother and having a strong dislike for her, nevertheless continued to collect art, mainly Italian. However, he ordered the letter “P” to be placed on all paintings in the collection. Thus, scientists were able to establish exactly which paintings arrived at the Hermitage before early XIX century.

The reform carried out by Count Dmitry Buturlin is associated with the reign of Alexander I. The collection was divided into several parts, and each of them had a custodian. During the era of Alexander I, the Hermitage collection was replenished with Spanish and English painting. But the most valuable acquisitions are associated with the central episode of his reign - the War of 1812. Like many members of the French nobility, the Countess of Beauharnais, the former wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, was concerned about maintaining privileges after the victory of the Russian army. She decided to give a gift to Alexander I, who refused to accept it for a long time, but Josephine insisted. Thus, the famous “Cameo Gonzaga” ended up in the Hermitage collection.

Nicholas I, passionate about military affairs, left behind 600 paintings depicting battle scenes. During his reign, in 1826, the famous Military Gallery of 1812 was created. The emperor himself was fond of painting and often allowed himself to include images of soldiers on the canvases of masters of battle painting. During his tenure, some exhibits from the collection were given away or destroyed. However, thanks to him there appeared New Hermitage, the ensemble of existing buildings was reconstructed.

And in 1852 the museum first opened to visitors under the name “Imperial Hermitage”. Over the next half century, his collection was replenished with varying degrees of intensity. One of the famous acquisitions of that time was the “Benois Madonna” by Leonardo da Vinci, purchased in 1914.

The Hermitage in the 20th century

The history of the Hermitage in the 20th century is more reminiscent of an action-packed detective story, among the heroes of which are museum employees, Soviet authorities And Russian army. During the revolutionary period, the Hermitage collection amazingly was not injured. Serious leaks from it began in the first years of Soviet power.

First, in the 1920s, the collections of the museums of the Union republics were replenished at the expense of the royal collection. The Hermitage partially compensated for these losses with proceeds from nationalized private collections. But in general, the pre-war years of its history will pass under the auspices of maneuvering between the strict demands of the authorities to open the storerooms in order to sell exhibits to the West, and the sincere desire of the employees to preserve the most valuable things. Titian's "Venus before a Mirror", "Saint George" and "Madonna Alba" by Raphael, "Cleopatra's Feast" by Tiepolo and many other masterpieces of French and Italian painting were still sold abroad. The confrontation between the Soviet agency Antikvariat, which was engaged in the sale of valuables, and the Hermitage employees is clearly illustrated by the episode with the Oriental department, which was headed by Joseph Orbeli. A commission from the Antiques agency came to the Hermitage to pick up Sasanian silver for sale. Its representatives were never able to get inside. They say that Orbeli threatened to swallow the key and bury the collection of the Oriental Department for a long time behind the heavy doors of the museum. A scandal broke out. Director of the Hermitage Boris Legrand and Joseph Orbeli took a gamble. They wrote a letter to Stalin, who eventually supported them. The letter from the leader became the defense of the museum. All attempts by “Antiques” to confiscate an item, even one that did not belong to the Oriental department, led to nothing. Any exhibit that was planned to be confiscated unexpectedly ended up in storage in the Oriental department.

Thanks to the Hermitage staff, during the periods of the largest “sales” from the Hermitage collection, it lost a minimum amount of the most valuable exhibits. But the price for this turned out to be very high. IN different years more than fifty museum employees were repressed.

During the Great Patriotic War the collection was evacuated to the Urals, but the museum buildings were significantly damaged. The damage that was caused to it is evidenced by the list of building materials needed for restoration. It included 100 tons of cement, more than 60 tons of gypsum, 30 kilometers of fabrics, etc.

After the end of the war, work at the Hermitage began with redoubled force. The museum had to accept trophy works of art, in huge quantities exported from Germany. As you know, Hitler was going to open a museum, collecting all the best that he managed to capture in Europe. At the time of the capture of Berlin by Soviet troops, the museum was preparing to open. Quite by accident, its future director was captured and told about the location of the storerooms. Works of art were exported from Germany by train.

Pearls of the European collection

Diptych by Robert Campin, “Benois Madonna” by Leonardo da Vinci, “Judith” by Giorgione, “ Female portrait» Correggio, «St. Sebastian by Titian”, “The Lute Player” by Caravaggio, “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Rembrandt, “The Lady in Blue” by Gainsborough.

Over the following years, some returned to European collections. But much remains on Russian territory to this day. Today the Hermitage exhibits include trophy paintings by Manet, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec and others. However, it is likely that the contents of some of the repositories are still unknown to either the general public or the scientific community. Disputes surrounding the trophy works are still ongoing.

Today the Hermitage is also a major research center.

Complex of buildings of the Hermitage Museum

Winter Palace

The residence of the Russian emperors, built according to the design of Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Work on its construction began during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna and was completed under Peter III in 1762.

Small Hermitage

Castle. Built under Catherine II by Yu. M. Felten and J. B. Wallen-Delamot.

Great Hermitage

The palace, built by Yu. M. Felten in 1787 to store the expanded collection of Catherine II.

Hermitage Theater

Built by order of Catherine II by the architect Giacomo Quarneghi to display performances and hold masquerades.

New Hermitage

The building was built under Nicholas I by the architect Leo von Klenz specifically to display exhibits of the imperial collection.

In recent years, special museums have appeared in famous museums around the world. exhibition halls related to the Hermitage. Its new branches were opened: the Porcelain Museum and the Guard Museum in the General Staff building.

Retelling the entire history of the Hermitage is the same as recounting the history of Russia, so important phenomenon in the life of the country is this museum. Being directly associated with many events national history, The Hermitage has always remained a home. No matter what happened, someone always lived here. And everyone left something of their own behind.

More than 3 million works of art, from the Stone Age to our century. 350 halls - the entire route will take no less than 20 kilometers. And 8 years of life - this is exactly how much time it will take to view each exhibit or painting presented (at the rate of 1 minute per exhibit). Of course, we are talking about the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg, which has been recognized for several years in a row the best museum Europe and Russia.

You can treat Catherine II in any way you like, but it is she, “German by birth, but Russian at heart,” who stands at the origins of the most important museum of a huge country, and this fact forgives her absolutely everything!

We can say that the history of the Hermitage began quite by accident - in 1764, when the Empress, in payment of a debt to the Russian treasury, acquired a collection of 225 paintings, collected personally for an ardent collector - the Prussian king Frederick II. To the last topic This caused an unprecedented blow to pride. Having not recovered from the defeat in the Seven Years' War, the Prussian monarch found himself “insolvent” and the entire collection went to Russia.

This year has gone down in the history of the Hermitage as the year of its foundation, and the museum celebrates its birthday on December 7 - St. Catherine's Day.

Subsequently, with the fanaticism and greed for enlightenment characteristic of Catherine II, she bought best works art from all over the world, collecting a collection in a small palace outbuilding - the Small Hermitage. Decades later, the expanded collection finds its new house— Imperial Hermitage.

Today we will try to take a virtual walk through the most beautiful and luxurious halls of the Hermitage. We are unable to show the interiors of all 350 halls, but we will try to lay out routes to the most interesting ones in this article.

So, walks through the halls of the Hermitage

Hall Ancient Egypt

The hall was created in 1940 according to the design of the chief architect of the State Hermitage A.V. Sivkov on the site of the Main Buffet of the Winter Palace.

The exhibition, dedicated to the culture and art of Ancient Egypt, covers the period from the 4th millennium BC. before the turn of AD Presented here monumental sculpture And small plastic, reliefs, sarcophagi, household items, works artistic craft. The museum's masterpieces include a statue of Amenemhet III (19th century BC), a wooden figurine of a priest (late 15th - early 14th century BC), a bronze figurine of an Ethiopian king (8th century BC) , Ipi stele (first half of the 14th century BC).

Neolithic hall and early bronze

This is the former Gothic living room in the apartments of the daughters of Nicholas I (architect A.P. Bryullov, 1838-1839). The exhibition presents archaeological monuments of the 6th-2nd millennium BC. e., found on the territory of Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Central Asia. A slab with petroglyphs separated from a rock near former village Demon Nose in Karelia, - outstanding monument visual arts Neolithic Present big interest the pommel of a staff in the form of a moose's head from the Shigir peat bog in Sverdlovsk region, an idol from the pile settlement of Usvyaty IV (Pskov region), female figurines found during excavations of the Altyn-Depe settlement in Turkmenistan.

Hall of culture and art of nomadic tribes of Altai VI-V centuries. BC.

The hall displays objects found during excavations of burial mounds of the 6th-5th centuries. BC, located on the banks of the Karakoli Ursul rivers in Central Altai. These are many overlays, wooden figurines and bas-reliefs with images of elk, deer, tigers and griffins, which served as decorations for horse harnesses. Particularly noteworthy is a large round wooden carved plaque, in which two figures of “circling” griffins are inscribed, which served as a forehead decoration for a horse’s harness and was found during excavations of one of the largest mounds in Altai near the village of Tuekta in the valley of the Ursul River. Perfect composition and high craftsmanship executions place this plaque among the masterpieces of ancient art.

Southern Siberia and Transbaikalia in the Iron Age and early Middle Ages

The hall displays monuments of the Tagar and Tashtyk cultures - objects from the Minusinsk Basin (the territory of modern Khakassia and the south Krasnoyarsk Territory). These are daggers, coins, arrowheads, works applied arts, made in animal style, carved miniatures. Tashtyk funeral masks are of particular interest. They were placed on a leather mannequin, into which the ashes of the deceased were placed, or used directly as funeral urns. The painting of women's and men's masks is different: women's masks are white, with red spirals and curls, men's masks are red, with black transverse stripes.

Moshchevaya Balka is an archaeological site in the North Caucasus silk road

The gallery exhibits unique finds from a burial ground of the 8th–9th centuries, located on high mountain terraces in the Moshchevaya Balka gorge ( North Caucasus). These are fabrics and items of clothing, wood and leather products, rare for archaeological materials in preservation. The abundance of precious silks among the local Alan-Adyghe tribes: Chinese, Sogdian, Mediterranean, Byzantine is evidence of the passage of one of the branches of the Silk Road here.

Hall of Culture and Art of the Golden Horde

The hall displays the treasures of Volga Bulgaria: jewelry made of precious metals, items made of silver and gold, weapons and horse harnesses, as well as works related to shamanic cults and written culture. Of particular interest are the “Dish with the Falconer” and the tile with Persian verses.

Portrait gallery of the House of Romanov

The gallery, which received its current decoration in the 1880s, contains portraits of representatives of the Romanov dynasty - from the founder Russian Empire Peter I (1672-1725) to the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II (1868-1918). Since the reign of Elizaveta Petrovna (1709-1761), who ordered the construction of the Winter Palace, the life of the imperial family has been inextricably linked with the history of the buildings of the modern State Hermitage. Under Catherine II (1729-1796), mistress of the Winter Palace from 1762, the Small and Large Hermitages and the Hermitage Theater were erected. Her grandson Nicholas I (1796-1855) ordered the construction of an imperial museum - the New Hermitage.

Library of Nicholas II

The library, which belonged to the personal chambers of the last Russian emperor, was created in 1894 - 1895 by the architect A.F. Krasovsky. English Gothic motifs are widely used in the decoration of the library. The coffered walnut ceiling is decorated with four-bladed rosettes. Bookcases are located along the walls and in the choirs, where the stairs lead. The interior, decorated with panels of embossed gilded leather, with a monumental fireplace and high windows with openwork frames, introduces the visitor to the atmosphere of the Middle Ages. On the table is a sculptural porcelain portrait of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II.

Small dining room

The small dining room of the Winter Palace was decorated in 1894-1895. designed by architect A.F. Krasovsky. The dining room was part of the apartment of the family of Emperor Nicholas II. The interior decor is inspired by the Rococo style. In stucco frames with rocaille motifs there are tapestries woven in the 18th century. at the St. Petersburg Trellis Manufactory. On the mantelpiece - Memorial plaque, which reports that on the night of October 25-26, 1917, the ministers of the Provisional Government were arrested in this room. The decoration of the hall includes decorative and applied items art XVIII-XIX centuries: English chandelier, French clock, Russian glass.

The Malachite Hall (A.P. Bryullov, 1839) served as the state living room of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas I. The unique malachite decor of the hall, as well as furnishings, were created using the “Russian mosaic” technique. Large malachite vase and furniture made according to drawings by O.R. de Montferrand, were part of the decoration of the Jasper reception room, which was destroyed in a fire in 1837. The wall of the hall is decorated with an allegorical image of Night, Day and Poetry (A. Vigi). From June to October 1917, meetings of the Provisional Government were held in the living room. The exhibition presents products of decorative and applied art of the 19th century.

Concert hall, closing the Neva enfilade of the Winter Palace, was created by the architect V. P. Stasov after the fire of 1837. The classical architectural composition of the hall, made in a strict white color scheme, is subordinated to the divisions and rhythms of the neighboring one - Nikolaevsky, the very large hall palace Columns arranged in pairs with Corinthian capitals support a cornice, above which are placed statues of ancient muses and the goddess Flora. The silver tomb of St. Alexander Nevsky was created by order of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in St. Petersburg. In 1922 it was transferred to the State Hermitage from the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Field Marshal's Hall

The hall opens the Great Front Enfilade of the Winter Palace. The interior was restored after the fire of 1837 by V. P. Stasov close to the original design of O. R. de Montferrand (1833-1834). The entrances to the hall are accented by portals. The decor of the chandeliers made of gilded bronze and the grisaille paintings of the hall use images of trophies and laurel wreaths. In the spaces between the pilasters there are ceremonial portraits of Russian field marshals, which explains the name of the hall. The hall displays works of Western European and Russian sculpture, as well as products from the Imperial Porcelain Factory of the first half of the 19th century V.

Petrovsky (Small Throne) Hall

Petrovsky (Small Throne) Hall was created in 1833 by O. Montferrand and restored after the fire of 1837 by V.P. Stasov. The hall is dedicated to the memory of Peter I - the interior decoration includes the emperor’s monogram (two Latin letters “P”), double-headed eagles and crowns. In a niche designed as Triumphal Arch, there is a painting “Peter I with the allegorical figure of Glory”. At the top of the walls there are paintings representing Peter the Great in the battles of the Northern War (P. Scotti and B. Medici). The throne was made in St. Petersburg at the end of the 18th century. The hall is decorated with silver-embroidered panels made of Lyon velvet and silverware made in St. Petersburg.

Military gallery of 1812

The Military Gallery of the Winter Palace was created according to the design of K. I. Rossi in 1826 in honor of Russia's victory over Napoleonic France. On its walls are 332 portraits of generals who took part in the War of 1812 and foreign campaigns of 1813-1814. The paintings were created by an English artist George Dow with the participation of A. V. Polyakov and V. A. Golike. A place of honor is occupied by ceremonial portraits of the allied sovereigns: Russian Emperor Alexander I and King of Prussia Frederick William III (artist F. Kruger) and Emperor of Austria Franz I (P. Kraft). Portraits of four field marshals are located on the sides of the doors leading to the St. George and Armorial Halls.

The St. George (Great Throne) Hall of the Winter Palace was created in the early 1840s. V. P. Stasov, who saved compositional solution his predecessor G. Quarenghi. Double-light column hall decorated with Carrara marble and gilded bronze. Above the Throne Place there is a bas-relief “St. George slaying the dragon with a spear.” The large imperial throne was commissioned by Empress Anna Ioannovna in London (N. Clausen, 1731-1732). Magnificent inlaid parquet, created from 16 types of wood. The ceremonial decoration of the hall corresponds to its purpose: official ceremonies and receptions took place here.

Art Hall France XVIII century

This hall was part of a suite of five Halls of military paintings created by A. Bryullov after the fire of 1837, glorifying the victories of Russian troops in the period before the Patriotic War of 1812. The exhibition is dedicated to the art of France of the 1730-1760s. and represents the work of outstanding masters of the Rococo era. These are the canvases of himself bright artist Rococo F. Boucher: “Rest on the Flight to Egypt”, “Shepherd Scene”, “Landscape in the Beauvais Suburb”, as well as paintings by N. Lancret, C. Vanloo, J.-B. Patera. The sculpture is represented by works by E. M. Falconet, including the famous “Cupid”, and works by G. Coustu the Elder, J.-B. Pigalya, O. Pazhu.

UK Art Hall

In the former Small Office of the First Spare Half (architect A.P. Bryullov, 1840s), an exhibition of British art continues. Here are paintings by one of the leading masters of the 18th century. Joshua Reynolds' "Infant Hercules Strangling the Serpents," "The Temperance of Scipio Africanus" and "Cupid Unties the Girdle of Venus." Author's copies of portraits of members royal family England (artists Nathaniel Dance and Benjamin West) were intended for the interiors of the Chesme Palace. For the same complex, Catherine II ordered the unique “Service with a Green Frog” (Wedgwood company). The display cases display Wedgwood products made from basalt and jasper masses.

Alexander Hall

The Alexander Hall of the Winter Palace was created by A.P. Bryullov after the fire of 1837. Architectural design of the hall, dedicated to memory Emperor Alexander I and the Patriotic War of 1812, is built on a combination of stylistic variations of Gothic and classicism. Located in the frieze, 24 medallions with allegorical images of the most significant events of the Patriotic War of 1812 and foreign campaigns of 1813-1814 reproduce in enlarged form the medals of the sculptor F.P. Tolstoy. In the lunette of the end wall there is a medallion with a bas-relief image of Alexander I in the image of the ancient Slavic deity Rodomysl. The hall houses an exhibition of European artistic silver from the 16th – 19th centuries. Products from Germany, France, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, and Lithuania are presented.

Golden living room. Apartments of Empress Maria Alexandrovna

The interior of the state drawing room in the apartment of Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Alexander II, was created by the architect A. P. Bryullov in 1838-1841. The ceiling of the hall is decorated with gilded stucco ornaments. Initially, the walls, lined with white stucco, were decorated with a gilded floral pattern. In the 1840s. The appearance of the interior was updated according to the drawings of A. I. Stackenschneider. The interior decoration is complemented by a marble fireplace with jasper columns, decorated with bas-relief and mosaic painting(E. Modern), gilded doors and magnificent parquet floors.

Raspberry office. Apartments of Empress Maria Alexandrovna

The interior of the Raspberry Study in the apartments of Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Alexander II, was created by the architect A.I. Stackenschneider. The walls are covered with crimson damask. The interior decoration includes medallions with notes and musical instruments, attributes of the arts in stucco and paintings. The hall displays objects of applied art, Meissen porcelain, dishes and figurines based on the model of I.I. Candler. The Raspberry Cabinet contains a carved gilded piano of the 19th century with paintings by E.K. Lipgart.

Pavilion Hall

The pavilion hall of the Small Hermitage was created in mid-19th V. A.I. Stackenschneider. The architect combined architectural motifs of antiquity, the Renaissance and the East in the interior design. The combination of light marble with gilded stucco decoration and the elegant shine of crystal chandeliers give the interior a special effect. The hall is decorated with four marble fountains - variations of the “Fountain of Tears” of the Bakhchisarai Palace in Crimea. In the southern part of the hall, a mosaic is built into the floor - a copy of the floor found during excavations of ancient Roman baths. Exhibited in the hall Peacock watch(J. Cox, 1770s), acquired by Catherine II, and a collection of mosaic works.

Foyer of the Hermitage Theater

IN auditorium A transitional gallery leads from the Great Hermitage, the decoration of which was made by the architect L. Benois in 1903 in the French Rococo style. Lush floral garlands, scrolls and gilded rocailles frame paintings, doorways and wall panels. There are picturesque inserts on the ceiling - copies from paintings Italian master XVII century Luca Giordano: Judgment of Paris, Triumph of Galatea and Rape of Europa, above the door - Landscape with ruins French artist XVIII century Hubert Robert, on the walls there is a portrait painting XVIII-XIX centuries The high window openings offer unique views of the Neva and the Winter Canal.

Hall of Jupiter. Art of Rome I - IV centuries.

Leo von Klenze intended to place a sculpture of modern times in this hall. Therefore, its decor includes medallions with profiles of outstanding sculptors: Michelangelo, Canova, Martos, etc.

The modern name of the hall was given by a huge statue of Jupiter (late 1st century), which comes from the country villa of the Roman emperor Domitian. In the art exhibition Ancient Rome I-IV centuries deserve special attention sculptural portraits and marble sarcophagi. The masterpieces of the collection are the “Portrait of a Roman Woman” (the so-called “Syrian Woman”), as well as portraits of the emperors Lucius Verus, Balbinus and Philip the Arab.

Loggias of Raphael

The prototype of the Loggias, built by order of Empress Catherine II in the 1780s. The architect G. Quarenghi designed the famous gallery of the Vatican Palace in Rome, painted according to the sketches of Raphael. Copies of the frescoes were made using tempera technique by a group of artists led by K. Unterberger. On the vaults of the gallery there is a cycle of paintings on biblical subjects - the so-called “Raphael's Bible”. The walls are decorated with grotesque ornaments, the motifs of which arose in Raphael’s paintings under the influence of paintings in the “grottoes” - the ruins of the “Golden House” (the palace of the ancient Roman emperor Nero, 1st century).

History Gallery ancient painting. Exposition: European sculpture XIX V.

The interior, conceived by Leo von Klenze as a vestibule art gallery Imperial Museum, designed to recall history ancient art. The walls are decorated with 80 paintings based on scenes from ancient greek myths and literary sources. The artist G. Hiltensperger made them with wax paints on brass boards in imitation of the ancient encaustic technique. Bas-relief portraits are placed on the vaults famous masters European art, among whom is the author of the New Hermitage project - Leo von Klenze. The gallery exhibits works by the outstanding classical sculptor Antonio Canova (1757-1822) and his followers.

Knight's Hall

This is one of the large ceremonial interiors imperial museum New Hermitage. Initially, the hall, decorated with paintings in the historicist style, was intended for an exhibition of coins. The hall contains part of the Hermitage’s richest weapons collection, numbering about 15 thousand items. Exposition of Western European artistic weapons of the 15th-17th centuries. presents a wide range of items for tournament, ceremonial and hunting weapons, as well as knightly armor, bladed and firearms. Among them are products of famous craftsmen who worked in the best weapons workshops in Europe.

As was said at the very beginning, the Hermitage has 350 halls. Each of them is unique in its own way, and not a single article or book will convey even a fraction of what can be seen with your own eyes. The road to the main museum of the country is open to everyone, regardless of age or nationality. The Hermitage is waiting for you!

> The cost of visiting and the conditions for purchasing tickets can be found on the official website

> We express special gratitude to O. Yu. Lapteva and S. B. Adaksina for the opportunity to publish the Museum’s materials.

© State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg.

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State Hermitage Museum is one of the most famous museums located in St. Petersburg, a city rightly called the cultural capital of Russia.

The museum began its existence as individual collections of works of art of Empress Catherine II, which grew over time. In 1852, it was decided to open the Imperial Hermitage to the public, which eventually became the well-known State Museum of Art, Culture and History.

The modern Hermitage consists of five buildings united into a complex museum complex, the center of which is considered to be the Winter Palace.

The Winter Palace is part of museum complex, which houses more than 3 million works of art available to local residents and visiting guests. Among the exhibits are such masterpieces as “Haman Discovers His Fate” by Rembrandt, “Judith” by Giorgione, “Sappho and Phaon” Jacques-Louis David, “The Red Room” by Henri Matisse, “The Penitent Magdalene” by Titian Vecellio, “Benois Madonna” by Leonardo da Vinci, as well as many others no less famous paintings, antique sculptures, examples applied creativity, graphics and painting.

The Hermitage building itself can be considered a work of art; the construction of the future museum was carried out by such famous people as Rastrelli (Winter Palace), Felten, Wallen-Delamot, Leo von Klenze and Stasov (Small and Large Hermitages, including the Hanging Garden).

The building of the Winter Palace is rightfully considered the heart of the State Hermitage. Built in 1762 by the architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli by order of Catherine II, the palace remains to this day a monument of great art both inside and out. The four facades of the building are designed in Baroque style and decorated with many stucco details, statues on the roofs, columns, and vases. The windows are framed with unique cornices and other memorable details. Thanks to its collection of exhibits, the State Hermitage Museum is considered "".

For 150 years, the Hermitage was the imperial residence: the interior of the buildings is distinguished by its pristine splendor and richness. Even a year is not enough to examine each individual exhibit of the museum in detail. The tour route through the halls of the Hermitage is more than twenty kilometers, starting with the Jordan Staircase, which leads to a huge hall along the facade of the building, the windows of which overlook the Neva.

Portraits of Russian field marshals can be seen in the niches of the hall of the same name.

The legendary silver throne of the Russian tsars is located in the Peter the Great's Hall, and magnificent chandeliers decorated with coats of arms former provinces, you can admire in the Armorial Hall. The Hermitage also has a Military Gallery dedicated to the great military leaders of the Russian Empire. Twenty-eight chandeliers and about fifty columns decorate the Great Throne Room, while bas-reliefs in honor of the victory of 1812 and a large portrait of Alexander I adorn the Alexander Hall.

Participated in the design of the palace premises greatest artists and the architects of those times, in particular the Malachite Hall, the columns of which are decorated with malachite coating. This particular room was the state hall of the imperial family.

The most famous museums Russia In many ways inferior to the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, this museum occupies an honorable place not only among museums in Russia, but also among museums in Europe.

The State Museum in St. Petersburg is one of the largest art and cultural-historical museums in the world, the exhibition of which is located in more than 350 halls of five interconnected buildings on Palace Embankment Neva: Winter Palace (1754-1762, architect F.B. Rastrelli), Small Hermitage (1764-1767, architect J.-B. Vallin-Delamot), Great Hermitage (1771-1787, architect Yu.M. Felten), New Hermitage (1839-1852, architect L. von Klenze), Hermitage Theater (1783-1787, architect G. Quarenghi). The State Hermitage also includes the Menshikov Palace (1710-1720, architect J.-M. Fontana, I.-G. Shedel), the eastern wing of the General Staff building (architect K.I. Rossi) and the Repository. The Hermitage collection includes about 3 million exhibits: 16,783 works of painting, 621,274 graphic works, 12,556 sculptures, 298,775 works of applied art, 734,400 archaeological sites, 1,125,323 numismatic monuments, 144,185 other exhibits.

Story

The foundation date of the museum is 1764, when Empress Catherine II acquired a collection of 225 paintings from the Berlin merchant I.E. Gotzkowski, originally collected for the Prussian king Frederick II. The Seven Years' War (1756-1763), which brought defeat to Prussia, forced the monarch to abandon this expensive purchase. Therefore, Gotzkovsky, who had financial obligations to the Russian government, offered Catherine II to purchase the paintings to pay off his debt. The Empress agreed, appreciating the opportunity to strike a blow to the pride of the Prussian king. A collection that included paintings by Flemish, Dutch and Italian artists XVII and laid the foundation for the future Imperial Hermitage.

In 1765 - 1766, at the request of Empress Catherine II, the architect Felten erected a two-story building next to the Winter Palace, and in 1767 - 1769 on the banks of the Neva a pavilion for secluded relaxation with a state hall, several living rooms and a greenhouse was built (architect J.-B. Wallen-Delamot). These two buildings (North and South), connected by a hanging garden located on the second floor level, were called the Small Hermitage (from the French ermitage - a place of solitude). Large private collections were purchased abroad for the palace: G. Bruhl (1769), A. Crozat (1770), R. Walpole (1771), the libraries of Voltaire and Diderot.

In 1771 - 1787, by order of Empress Catherine II, the building of the Greater Hermitage was built next to the Small Hermitage (architect Yu.M. Felten). In 1792, Giacomo Quarenghi added a building to the Great Hermitage that housed Raphael's Loggias - a repetition close to the original famous gallery papal palace in the Vatican. A transition gallery connected the new building with the Northern Pavilion of the Small Hermitage, and an arch across the Winter Canal connected the theater.

In the 19th century, the Hermitage continued to acquire exhibits and collections: from the Malmaison Palace in Paris, the Barbarigo Palace in Venice, etc. In 1825, an exhibition of Russian artists was opened. In 1852 the Hermitage was opened to visitors. After the October Revolution, already on October 30, 1917, People's Commissar of Education in the Soviet government A.V. Lunacharsky announced the Winter Palace and the Hermitage state museums. During this period, the museum's collection both increased - due to nationalized private collections - and decreased - some masterpieces were sold abroad in the 1920s - 1930s. During the Great Patriotic War, a significant part of the collection was taken to Sverdlovsk and returned to Leningrad in 1945.

Hermitage today

The Hermitage employs 8 scientific departments: (West, East, history of Russian culture, ancient art, etc.), archive, science Library, restoration workshops, scientific and technical expertise, etc.). The Hermitage conducts art exhibitions, organizes scientific conferences, publishes catalogues, albums, guidebooks, organizes archaeological expeditions, etc. In 1999, an electronic guide to the museum's halls was opened. More than 2.5 million people visit the museum every year.