Рассказ о б эрмитаже на английском

The State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg is one of the oldest and largest museums in the world, holding a collection of approximately 3 million items. It was founded in 1764 by Empress Catherine the Great as her private art collection and has been open to the public since 1852. The Architectural Ensemble The museum is housed in a massive complex of interconnected buildings along the Palace Embankment:

• The Winter Palace (1754–1762): Designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli in the Baroque style, it served as the official residence of the Russian Tsars for 150 years.
• The Small Hermitage (1764–1775): Built to house Catherine’s first acquisitions and featuring the famous Hanging Garden.
• The Old (Great) Hermitage (1771–1787): Constructed specifically to accommodate the rapidly expanding imperial collection.
• The New Hermitage (1842–1851): The first building in Russia designed specifically to function as a public museum.
• The Hermitage Theatre (1783–1787): A neoclassical masterpiece by Giacomo Quarenghi.

The Collections The Hermitage's vast holdings span from prehistoric times to the modern era:

• Western European Art: Features world-renowned masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci (the Benois Madonna and Madonna Litta), Michelangelo, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Titian.
• Modern Art: The General Staff Building houses an extensive collection of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works, including pieces by Monet, Renoir, Picasso, and Matisse.
• Antiquities and Archaeology: Includes a rich collection of Ancient Egyptian relics, Classical Greek and Roman sculptures, and the unique Gold of the Scythians.
• Numismatics: This department alone accounts for nearly one-third of the museum’s total items, with over 1 million coins and medals.

Key Facts for Visitors

• Scale: The museum contains 365 halls; it is estimated that spending one minute at each exhibit would take approximately 11 years to see everything.
• Hermitage Cats: A famous population of cats has lived in the museum’s cellars since the 18th century, originally tasked with protecting the collection from rodents.
• Founding Day: The museum celebrates its birthday every year on December 7, which is Saint Catherine's Day.

You can plan your visit or explore the digital collection through the official State Hermitage Museum website. Would you like more specific details about the General Staff Building or a list of the most famous paintings to see in the Winter Palace? Expand map Zoom in Zoom out