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The Largest Museum in the World: The Hermitage State Museum of St. Petersburg
Published by Anna Shevchenko, Writer
Country: Russian Federation 
The Experience
The Hermitage State Museum of St. Petersburg in Russia holds the title of the largest museum in the world, and is located in the famous Dvortsovaya Ploschad (Palace Square), where a number of significant events from the history of the Russian Empire took place.
The Hermitage State Museum is made of a series of different buildings. These are the Winter Palace, former residence of the Russian emperors; the buildings of the Small, Old (Great) and New Hermitages; the Hermitage Theatre; and the Auxiliary House. The Menshikov Palace, the Eastern Wing of the Staff building, the Staraya Derevnya Restoration, the Storage Centre, and the Imperial Porcelain Factory Museum, are also a part of the Hermitage Museum complex.
The Hermitage holds more than 3 million works of art from all over the world, and is the UNESCO World Heritage site recognized for its collections that have “both volume and quality.” Art lovers of any type can find something to their taste at Hermitage. The collections are as large as they are diverse, and the museum holds Ancient Greek pottery, Chinese porcelain, Persian and European tapestries, clothing, furniture, coins and medals. The arsenal collection of arms and armour includes items from Russia, Western Europe, and the Orient. The Hermitage is also famous for many paintings by da Vinci, Titian, Raphael, Van Dyck, Monet, Renoir Gauguin, Matisse, Van Gogh, Picasso, and others.
One of the must-see places at the Hermitage is the Treasure Gallery, named during the reign of the 18th-century Russian Empress Catherine the Great. The Treasure Gallery holds two collections. The Gold Rooms holds about 1,500 works made from gold that originated from Eurasia, the Black Sea, and the Orient between 7 B.C. and the 19th century. The second collection, called the Diamond Rooms, displays works of jewellery from ruby-adorned daggers of the East, to diamond-decorated hairpins worn by the aristocratic women of 18th century in St. Petersburg.
The Winter Palace was the official residence of the Russian Emperors from 1732 until 1917, when the Palace was seized during the famous raid of the October Revolution. The Palace is a monumental structure built to reflect the glory of Imperial Russia. As a part of the Hermitage Museum, the Winter Palace displays an elaborate interior of private chambers that used to belong to the royal family. An attraction to see is the Throne Room of Peter the Great and the Imperial carriage made of gold.
Housing some of the world’s famous masterpieces of painting and sculpture, the buildings of Hermitage are a work of art themselves. For instance, the General Stuff Building is magnificent from outside with its long façade and a signature triumphal arch adorned with the statue of the Chariot of Glory.
The Hermitage State Museum is made of a series of different buildings. These are the Winter Palace, former residence of the Russian emperors; the buildings of the Small, Old (Great) and New Hermitages; the Hermitage Theatre; and the Auxiliary House. The Menshikov Palace, the Eastern Wing of the Staff building, the Staraya Derevnya Restoration, the Storage Centre, and the Imperial Porcelain Factory Museum, are also a part of the Hermitage Museum complex.
The Hermitage holds more than 3 million works of art from all over the world, and is the UNESCO World Heritage site recognized for its collections that have “both volume and quality.” Art lovers of any type can find something to their taste at Hermitage. The collections are as large as they are diverse, and the museum holds Ancient Greek pottery, Chinese porcelain, Persian and European tapestries, clothing, furniture, coins and medals. The arsenal collection of arms and armour includes items from Russia, Western Europe, and the Orient. The Hermitage is also famous for many paintings by da Vinci, Titian, Raphael, Van Dyck, Monet, Renoir Gauguin, Matisse, Van Gogh, Picasso, and others.
One of the must-see places at the Hermitage is the Treasure Gallery, named during the reign of the 18th-century Russian Empress Catherine the Great. The Treasure Gallery holds two collections. The Gold Rooms holds about 1,500 works made from gold that originated from Eurasia, the Black Sea, and the Orient between 7 B.C. and the 19th century. The second collection, called the Diamond Rooms, displays works of jewellery from ruby-adorned daggers of the East, to diamond-decorated hairpins worn by the aristocratic women of 18th century in St. Petersburg.
The Winter Palace was the official residence of the Russian Emperors from 1732 until 1917, when the Palace was seized during the famous raid of the October Revolution. The Palace is a monumental structure built to reflect the glory of Imperial Russia. As a part of the Hermitage Museum, the Winter Palace displays an elaborate interior of private chambers that used to belong to the royal family. An attraction to see is the Throne Room of Peter the Great and the Imperial carriage made of gold.
Housing some of the world’s famous masterpieces of painting and sculpture, the buildings of Hermitage are a work of art themselves. For instance, the General Stuff Building is magnificent from outside with its long façade and a signature triumphal arch adorned with the statue of the Chariot of Glory.
When to Go to Hermitage Museum Petersburg
The best time of the year to visit the Hermitage is in the early summer when you can experience white nights in St. Petersburg. The sun does not set until 10 p.m., and the twilight lasts through the night. Early summer is also the best time of the year to enjoy a stroll along Neva River or the numerous canals of the city, as well as explore St. Petersburg's many parks and gardens.
Odds n' Ends
The Hermitage State Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 18:00 p.m., and on Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 17:00 a.m. It is closed on Mondays.
Tickets to the museum cost US $17.95, and can be purchased online, although it may take up to three days to receive your ticket voucher, and it still has to be exchanged for an actual ticket with the museum administration. There is also a processing service fee of US $3.95 for this service.
The Hermitage boasts one of the best museum websites in the world. Their virtual tour offers the opportunity to thoroughly plan your visit ahead of time from anywhere in the world.
Tickets to the museum cost US $17.95, and can be purchased online, although it may take up to three days to receive your ticket voucher, and it still has to be exchanged for an actual ticket with the museum administration. There is also a processing service fee of US $3.95 for this service.
The Hermitage boasts one of the best museum websites in the world. Their virtual tour offers the opportunity to thoroughly plan your visit ahead of time from anywhere in the world.
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- 36 Hours in St. Petersburg, Russia (newspaper)
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