The State Hermitage Museum (Russia)
MuseumAbout
The State Hermitage Museum, located in St. Petersburg, Russia, is one of the largest and oldest museums globally. Founded in 1764 by Empress Catherine the Great, it initially served as a private gallery for the royal family. The museum's collection includes over three million items, featuring art from the Stone Age to the present, with a significant focus on Western European paintings and Russian art. The Hermitage complex spans five interconnected buildings, including the Winter Palace and the Small, Old, and New Hermitages. The museum houses masterpieces by artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, and Picasso. Its extensive collections also include Asian art, archaeological findings, and numismatic exhibits. The Hermitage became a public museum in 1852 and has since grown, with significant expansions during the Soviet era. Today, it remains a major cultural institution, attracting millions of visitors annually.
