Ermitazh
State Hermitage Museum

Home to one of the world's most fabulous art collections, with an astonishing collection (over 3,000,000) put together throughout two and a half centuries, the works demonstrate the development of the world culture and art from the Stone Age to the 20th century.

The Hermitage has an Arsenal collection consisting of over 16,000 pieces of Russian, Western European and Oriental arms and armour and gives us an idea of the development of arms and armour from the early Middle Ages to the early 20th century. The collection was based on Nicholas I's private collection, which mainly consisted of pieces of great artistic value, experimental and historically valuable examples. The collection consists of works by numerous celebrated armoury craftsmen from Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, Iran, India and other countries where production of arms and armour of damask steel was done to perfection.

Look out for the special exhibition of Scythian gold jewellery. It contains incredibly ornate items of gold filigree work made by Black Sea tribes, dating from the 7th century BC. Other exhibits include priceless jewellery encrusted with precious stones belonging to the Russian Imperial Court.

Catherine, the empress of Russia had a tremendous appetite for art. More than half the paintings at the museum belong to her collection. The main purpose for her acquiring works of art was to enhance Russia's prestige abroad and during her reign, art was held in high esteem. Peter Paul Rubens was the city's greatest painter. His works set the standard for Flemish 17th-century painting and had a profound impact on his fellow artists.

The Picture Gallery

Among the countless works of art look out for a wonderful collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works, especially the woman holding a Fruit by Paul Gauguin, adoration of the Magi and Kermis by Pieter Brueghel, the Lilac Bush and Cottages by Vincent Van Gogh, Charles I and Virgin with Partridges by Anthony Van Dyck, still Life with Curtain and The Smoker by Paul Cezanne, a lady in the Garden and Haystack at Giverny by Claude Monet, Feast at the House of Simon the Pharisee and Bacchus by Peter Paul Rubens, after the Bath by Edgar Degas, actress Jeanne Samary by Auguste Renoir, Madonna and Child and Madonna with a Flower by Leonardo da Vinci, Infant Heracles Killing Snakes, Danae, Abraham Sacrificing Isaac and The Return of the Prodigal Son, Portrait of a Lady in Blue, Tancred and Erminia and Landscape with Polyphemus.

The Hermitage traditionally holds annual exhibitions of children's drawings. This is a great event for the pupils of the Hermitage Drawing Class. There are over 100 children between 6 and 12 years old who consider this the most important event of the year, giving them the opportunity to display the best of their works in Russia's most famous museum.

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