Hermitage Museum

Interesting Facts Today, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg occupies five buildings on the embankment of the Neva River. The main one is the Winter Palace. Next are the East wing of the General Staff Building, the Menshikov Palace, and the storage facilities. By the way, not only modern security and video surveillance systems are watching over works of art here. For almost 300 years, cats have been living in the Winter Palace. The first cats in St. Petersburg ordered to settle Catherine the Second. At that time, hordes of mice and rats occupied the palace, and only the most formidable rat-catchers could cope with them. And these days, they literally work in the Hermitage, protecting its exhibits from rats, of which there are still many. Today, about 50 cats live in the walls of the Winter Palace. What to see The State Hermitage collection includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, archaeological sites, and objects of applied art. If you only have one day to visit, you should know that you physically will not have time to see all the halls of the museum. Therefore, it is better to decide in advance what to see. We recommend starting with the gallery of portraits of the imperial Romanov dynasty. Include in your program a hall with the famous golden peacock watch, which Catherine received as a gift from Prince Potemkin. Separate room for fans of Da Vinci and Picasso. The Egyptian Hall and the famous Jordanian Staircase in the northwestern part of the Winter Palace are interesting.