Hermitage tour

Tour details

The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, is one of the largest and most renowned art museums in the world. It was founded in 1764 by Empress Catherine the Great as a private collection, with artworks that were primarily acquired through Catherine’s personal patronage. The museum’s collection grew significantly under subsequent Russian emperors. Under Nicholas I, who oversaw its major reconstruction between 1840 and 1852. In 1852, it was opened to the public, allowing access to the exclusive imperial art treasures.

After the October Revolution of 1917, the museum’s holdings were nationalized, and it became a public institution. During the 1920s, the Hermitage’s collection expanded through art requisitioned from private collections. However, in the early 1930s, the Soviet government sold a lot of masterpieces to fund industrial development.

Today, the Hermitage is housed in five interconnected buildings, including the Winter Palace, the Small Hermitage, the Old Hermitage, and the New Hermitage. The museum’s vast collection spans many centuries and includes works by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, and Michelangelo, among countless others, making it a central cultural institution in Russia and an important global heritage site.

The General Staff Building, the monumental neoclassical building in St. Petersburg, designed by the Italian architect Carlo Rossi. It is home to a significant collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art at the Hermitage Museum. After undergoing a major renovation in the early 21st century, the building was repurposed to display Western European art, including masterpieces by renowned French artists such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, and Vincent van Gogh.

Constructed between 1819 and 1829 in the Empire style, the building is a key example of Neoclassical architecture. It features two wings connected by a central, tripartite triumphal arch. The arch, inspired by Roman architectural forms, symbolically links the two wings and serves as a grand focal point. The design of the *General Staff Building* is known for its harmonious proportions and monumental scale, reflecting the power and grandeur of the Russian Empire during the early 19th century.

The building itself has been used for various government functions over the years, and today, it houses part of the Hermitage Museum’s extensive collection of artworks. Its prominent position along Palace Square, across from the Winter Palace, makes it an iconic architectural landmark in St. Petersburg.

The collection includes works from key movements like Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and early Modernism, offering a glimpse into the evolution of European art during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This collection complements the Hermitage’s broader holdings, which also feature pieces from the Renaissance, Baroque, and other periods. The integration of these modern works into the *General Staff Building* creates a dynamic blend of classical and modern art under one roof, further solidifying the Hermitage’s position as a leading institution for world-class art.