How to get to the Hermitage and what to see there first. State Hermitage Hermitage where are the ticket offices?

23.06.2020

The State Hermitage Museum, located in St. Petersburg near the Neva River, is, without exaggeration, known throughout the world. This is a museum that is rich in a huge number of exhibits that help to study the development of the world artistic culture and history. It should be noted that the Hermitage as a museum plays a huge role and is not inferior to other museums located abroad.

The uniqueness of the Hermitage

The rich history of this museum began during the reign of Catherine II. As the story goes, the empress first accepted some paintings from a German merchant, who gave the paintings to pay off his debt. The paintings fascinated Catherine, and she created her own collection, which gradually became larger and larger. The Empress specifically hired people who traveled to Europe to purchase new paintings. When the collection became very large, it was decided to open a public museum, for which a separate building was built.

How many rooms and floors are there in the Hermitage

The Winter Palace is a three-story building with 1084 rooms. Among the most famous are:

Pay attention! In total, the museum has about 365 rooms. Among them are the Small Dining Room, the Malachite Living Room, and Maria Alexandrovna’s chambers. A diagram of the Hermitage halls with names will help a tourist navigate all these rooms.

Hermitage: floor plan

The Hermitage is a whole complex, which includes 5 buildings built in different years.

Winter Palace

This is the central building built famous architect B.F. Rastrelli in the second half of the 18th century in the Baroque style. We must also pay tribute to those craftsmen who restored the building after the fires.

Just a note. Now inside the Winter Palace, which previously served as the imperial palace, the main exhibition of the Hermitage is located. The building is built in the shape of a quadrangle, inside of which there is a courtyard.

Small Hermitage

It was built a little later than the Winter Palace. Its architects: Y. M. Felten and J. B. Wallen-Delamot. It was so named because Catherine II spent entertaining evenings here, which were called small hermitages. The building includes 2 pavilions - Northern, which housed winter garden, and Yuzhny. Another component of the Small Hermitage is the hanging garden with picturesque compositions.

Great Hermitage

It was built after the Small Hermitage, and since it was larger than it, it received this name. Although this building is made in more strict forms, it fits perfectly into the ensemble and, moreover, complements it. The interiors are decorated with expensive wood, gilding and stucco. Architect – Yuri Felten.

On the second floor Great Hermitage there are halls of Italian painting where you can see works outstanding artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Titian or Raphael. Copies of the latter artist’s frescoes decorate the so-called Raphael Loggias, a gallery located in the Great Hermitage.

Pay attention! The many arches of the gallery divide it into several compartments. The walls are decorated with copies of frescoes. The Apostolic Palace in the Vatican was taken as the basis.

New Hermitage

The main façade of this building is known for its porch. This is a portico that previously served as an entrance. It differs in that there are granite statues of Atlanteans holding a balcony on it. Work on them took 2 whole years. Everything else is made of limestone. The sculptures amaze with their fine workmanship and elegance of execution, giving the building a sublime and noble appearance. The building itself was built in neo-Greek style.

Hermitage Theater

Architect - G. Quarenghi, style - classicism. The theater is connected to the rest of the buildings of the complex by an arch-transition, where a gallery was opened. Many talented artists performed on this stage, and balls were often held here. It should be noted that the theater played a big role in the development cultural life. The foyer has preserved ceilings from the 18th century. Inspiration for theater hall became the Italian Teatro Olimpico.

Where can I get the Hermitage guidebook?

To avoid getting lost in the huge halls of the Hermitage, a map of the Hermitage is offered free of charge next to the ticket office at the main entrance. It shows a diagram of the Hermitage with all the halls available for visiting, their names and numbers.

Hermitage map

Museum exhibits

How many exhibits are there in the Hermitage? Their number exceeds 3 million! This is certainly a huge number. What is there in the Hermitage? Among the most unique exhibits from interesting story the following can be distinguished:

Peacock watch in the Hermitage. They were brought by order of Potemkin. The master is D. Cox from England. To deliver the watch safely, it had to be disassembled. But subsequent assembly turned out to be quite difficult due to lost or broken parts. And only towards the end of the 18th century the clock started working again, thanks to the efforts of a skilled Russian master. This exhibit amazes with its beauty and luxury: the cage with the owl rotates, and the peacock even spreads its tail;
Feodosia earrings. The technique that was used to make them is graining. These are small gold or silver balls that are soldered onto jewelry. These earrings depict a composition showing competitions in Athens. Although many jewelers tried to repeat this masterpiece, they failed, since the method of creating Feodosian earrings is unknown;
figure of Peter 1, made of wax. Foreign masters were invited to create it. A figure in red robes sits majestically on a throne.

As a separate exhibit, for which it is also worth visiting this museum, one can name its interiors. Inside the Hermitage you can see quite majestic, sometimes sophisticated, decorated with the most different elements halls. It's a pleasure to walk through them.

Peacock watch

How many paintings are there in the Hermitage?

In total, the Hermitage contains about 15 thousand different paintings from the pens of artists of the 13th-20th centuries. Now such paintings are of great interest and cultural value.

The Hermitage collection began with 225 paintings given by a German dealer. In the second half of the 18th century, paintings collected by Count Bruhl were brought from Germany, and paintings from the collection of the French Baron Crozat were purchased. Thus, works by such artists as Rembrandt, Raphael, Van Dyck and others appeared in the museum.

1774 – memorable date, when the first museum catalog was published. It already contained more than 2 thousand paintings. A little later, the collection was replenished with 198 works from the collection of R. Walpole and 119 paintings from Count Baudouin.

Just a note. We should not forget that at that time the museum stored not only paintings, but also many memorable items, such as figurines, stone items, and coins.

The turning point was the fire of 1837, as a result of which the interiors of the Winter Palace did not survive. However, thanks to the quick work of the craftsmen, the building was restored within a year. They managed to remove the paintings, thanks to which the masterpieces of world art were not damaged.

Those who want to visit the Hermitage should definitely see the following paintings:

Leonardo da Vinci "Madonna Litta"(a work of the Renaissance). There are 19 paintings of this in the world famous artist, of which 2 are kept in the Hermitage. This canvas was brought from Italy in the 19th century. The second painting by this artist is “ Madonna Benoit", written in oil paints;
Rembrandt "Return of the Prodigal Son". The canvas is based on the Gospel of Luke. In the center is the returned son, kneeling before his father, who mercifully receives him. This masterpiece was acquired back in the 18th century;
V. V. Kandinsky “Composition 6”. The canvas of this famous avant-garde artist occupies a place of honor in the museum. There is even a space reserved for his work. separate room. This picture amazes viewers with a riot of colors;
T. Gainsborough "The Lady in Blue". It is believed to be a portrait of Countess Elizabeth Beaufort. Her image is very light and natural. Refinement and airiness are achieved with the help of light strokes, a dark background and light colors to depict a girl;
Caravaggio "The Lute Player". The details in this picture are worked out to the smallest detail. Both the crack on the lute and the notes are depicted. In the middle of the canvas is a young man playing. His face expresses many complex emotions, which the author was able to skillfully portray.

Paintings from the Hermitage collection

More detailed information with a description of what is in the Hermitage can be found on its official website.

The Hermitage can be called one of the most important cultural centers, which is of great importance for the whole world, because it contains masterpieces of the most different artists very different times. This is one of the richest and most important collections in the world.

More than 3 million works of art, from the Stone Age to our century. 350 halls - the entire route will take no less than 20 kilometers. And 8 years of life - this is exactly how much time it will take to view each exhibit or painting presented (at the rate of 1 minute per exhibit). Of course, we are talking about the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg, which has been recognized as the best museum in Europe and Russia for several years in a row.

You can treat Catherine II in any way you like, but it is she, “German by birth, but Russian at heart,” who stands at the origins of the most important museum of a huge country, and this fact forgives her absolutely everything!

We can say that the history of the Hermitage began quite by accident - in 1764, when the Empress, in payment of a debt to the Russian treasury, acquired a collection of 225 paintings, collected personally for an ardent collector - the Prussian king Frederick II. To the last topic This caused an unprecedented blow to pride. Having not recovered from the defeat in the Seven Years' War, the Prussian monarch found himself “insolvent” and the entire collection went to Russia.

This year has gone down in the history of the Hermitage as the year of its foundation, and the museum celebrates its birthday on December 7 - St. Catherine's Day.

Subsequently, with the fanaticism and greed for enlightenment characteristic of Catherine II, she bought best works art from all over the world, collecting a collection in a small palace outbuilding - the Small Hermitage. Decades later, the expanded collection finds its new home — Imperial Hermitage.

Today we will try to take a virtual walk through the most beautiful and luxurious halls of the Hermitage. We are unable to show the interiors of all 350 halls, but we will try to lay out routes to the most interesting ones in this article.

So, walks through the halls of the Hermitage

Hall Ancient Egypt

The hall was created in 1940 according to the design of the chief architect of the State Hermitage A.V. Sivkov on the site of the Main Buffet of the Winter Palace.

The exhibition, dedicated to the culture and art of Ancient Egypt, covers the period from the 4th millennium BC. before the turn of AD Here you can see monumental sculpture and small sculptures, reliefs, sarcophagi, household items, and works of artistic craft. The museum’s masterpieces include a statue of Amenemhet III (19th century BC), a wooden figurine of a priest (late 15th - early 14th century BC), a bronze figurine of an Ethiopian king (8th century BC) , Ipi stele (first half of the 14th century BC).

Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Hall

This is the former Gothic living room in the apartments of the daughters of Nicholas I (architect A.P. Bryullov, 1838-1839). The exhibition presents archaeological monuments of the 6th-2nd millennium BC. e., found on the territory of Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Central Asia. A slab with petroglyphs separated from a rock near former village Demon Nose in Karelia is an outstanding monument of Neolithic fine art. Of great interest are the head of a staff in the form of a moose’s head from the Shigir peat bog in the Sverdlovsk region, an idol from the pile settlement of Usvyati IV (Pskov region), and female figurines found during excavations of the Altyn-Depe settlement in Turkmenistan.

Hall of culture and art of nomadic tribes of Altai VI-V centuries. BC

The hall displays objects found during excavations of burial mounds of the 6th-5th centuries. BC, located on the banks of the Karakoli Ursul rivers in Central Altai. These are many overlays, wooden figurines and bas-reliefs with images of elk, deer, tigers and griffins, which served as decorations for horse harnesses. Of particular note is a large round wooden carved plaque, in which two figures of “circling” griffins are inscribed, which served as a forehead decoration for a horse harness and was found during excavations of one of the largest mounds in Altai near the village of Tuekta in the valley of the Ursul River. The perfect composition and high craftsmanship place this plaque among the masterpieces of ancient art.

Southern Siberia and Transbaikalia in the Iron Age and the Early Middle Ages

The hall displays monuments of the Tagar and Tashtyk cultures - objects from the Minusinsk Basin (the territory of modern Khakassia and the south of the Krasnoyarsk Territory). These are daggers, coins, arrowheads, works applied arts, made in animal style, carved miniatures. Tashtyk funeral masks are of particular interest. They were placed on a leather mannequin, into which the ashes of the deceased were placed, or used directly as funeral urns. Painting of women's and men's masks different: women's masks are white, with red spirals and curls, men's masks are red, with black transverse stripes.

Moshchevaya Beam - an archaeological site on the North Caucasus Silk Road

The gallery exhibits unique finds from a burial ground of the 8th–9th centuries, located on high-mountain terraces in the Moshchevaya Balka gorge (North Caucasus). These are fabrics and items of clothing, wood and leather products, rare for archaeological materials in preservation. The abundance of precious silks among the local Alan-Adyghe tribes: Chinese, Sogdian, Mediterranean, Byzantine is evidence of the passage of one of the branches of the Silk Road here.

Hall of Culture and Art of the Golden Horde

The hall displays the treasures of Volga Bulgaria: jewelry made of precious metals, items made of silver and gold, weapons and horse harnesses, as well as works related to shamanic cults and written culture. Of particular interest are the “Dish with the Falconer” and the tile with Persian verses.

Portrait gallery of the House of Romanov

The gallery, which received its current decoration in the 1880s, contains portraits of representatives of the Romanov dynasty - from the founder Russian Empire Peter I (1672-1725) to the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II (1868-1918). Since the reign of Elizaveta Petrovna (1709-1761), who ordered the construction of the Winter Palace, the life of the imperial family has been inextricably linked with the history of the buildings of the modern State Hermitage. Under Catherine II (1729-1796), mistress of the Winter Palace from 1762, the Small and Large Hermitages and the Hermitage Theater were erected. Her grandson Nicholas I (1796-1855) ordered the construction of an imperial museum - the New Hermitage.

Library of Nicholas II

The library, which belonged to the personal chambers of the last Russian emperor, was created in 1894 - 1895 by the architect A.F. Krasovsky. English Gothic motifs are widely used in the decoration of the library. The coffered walnut ceiling is decorated with four-bladed rosettes. Bookcases are located along the walls and in the choirs, where the stairs lead. The interior is decorated with panels of embossed gilded leather, with a monumental fireplace and high windows in openwork bindings, introduces the visitor to the atmosphere of the Middle Ages. On the table is a sculptural porcelain portrait of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II.

Small dining room

The small dining room of the Winter Palace was decorated in 1894-1895. designed by architect A.F. Krasovsky. The dining room was part of the apartment of the family of Emperor Nicholas II. The interior decor is inspired by the Rococo style. In stucco frames with rocaille motifs there are tapestries woven in the 18th century. at the St. Petersburg Trellis Manufactory. On the mantelpiece - memorial plaque, which reports that on the night of October 25-26, 1917, the ministers of the Provisional Government were arrested in this room. The decoration of the hall includes decorative and applied items art XVIII-XIX centuries: English chandelier, French clock, Russian glass.

The Malachite Hall (A.P. Bryullov, 1839) served as the state living room of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas I. The unique malachite decor of the hall, as well as furnishings, were created using the “Russian mosaic” technique. Large malachite vase and furniture made according to drawings by O.R. de Montferrand, were part of the decoration of the Jasper reception room, which was destroyed in a fire in 1837. The wall of the hall is decorated with an allegorical image of Night, Day and Poetry (A. Vigi). From June to October 1917, meetings of the Provisional Government were held in the living room. The exhibition presents products of decorative and applied art of the 19th century.

The concert hall, which closes the Neva Enfilade of the Winter Palace, was created by the architect V. P. Stasov after the fire of 1837. Classical architectural composition hall, designed in a strict white color scheme, is subordinated to the divisions and rhythms of the neighboring one - Nikolaevsky, the very large hall palace Columns arranged in pairs with Corinthian capitals support a cornice, above which are placed statues of ancient muses and the goddess Flora. The silver tomb of St. Alexander Nevsky was created by order of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in St. Petersburg. In 1922, it was transferred to the State Hermitage from the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Field Marshal's Hall

The hall opens the Great Front Enfilade of the Winter Palace. The interior was restored after the fire of 1837 by V. P. Stasov close to the original design of O. R. de Montferrand (1833-1834). The entrances to the hall are accented by portals. The decor of the chandeliers made of gilded bronze and the grisaille paintings of the hall use images of trophies and laurel wreaths. In the spaces between the pilasters there are ceremonial portraits of Russian field marshals, which explains the name of the hall. The hall displays works of Western European and Russian sculpture, as well as products from the Imperial Porcelain Factory of the first half of the 19th century V.

Petrovsky (Small Throne) Hall

Petrovsky (Small Throne) Hall was created in 1833 by O. Montferrand and restored after the fire of 1837 by V.P. Stasov. The hall is dedicated to the memory of Peter I - the interior decoration includes the emperor’s monogram (two Latin letters “P”), double-headed eagles and crowns. In a niche designed as triumphal arch, there is a painting “Peter I with the allegorical figure of Glory”. At the top of the walls there are paintings representing Peter the Great in battle Northern War(P. Scotti and B. Medici). The throne was made in St. Petersburg at the end of the 18th century. The hall is decorated with silver-embroidered panels made of Lyon velvet and silverware made in St. Petersburg.

Military gallery of 1812

The Military Gallery of the Winter Palace was created according to the design of K. I. Rossi in 1826 in honor of Russia's victory over Napoleonic France. On its walls there are 332 portraits of generals who took part in the War of 1812 and foreign trips 1813-1814 The paintings were created by the English artist George Dow with the participation of A. V. Polyakov and V. A. Golike. A place of honor is occupied by ceremonial portraits of the allied sovereigns: Russian Emperor Alexander I and King of Prussia Frederick William III (artist F. Kruger) and Emperor of Austria Franz I (P. Kraft). Portraits of four field marshals are located on the sides of the doors leading to the St. George and Armorial Halls.

The St. George (Great Throne) Hall of the Winter Palace was created in the early 1840s. V.P. Stasov, who preserved the compositional solution of his predecessor G. Quarenghi. The double-height columned hall is decorated with Carrara marble and gilded bronze. Above the Throne Place there is a bas-relief “St. George slaying the dragon with a spear.” The large imperial throne was commissioned by Empress Anna Ioannovna in London (N. Clausen, 1731-1732). Magnificent inlaid parquet, created from 16 types of wood. The ceremonial decoration of the hall corresponds to its purpose: official ceremonies and receptions took place here.

Art Hall France XVIII century

This hall was part of a suite of five Halls of military paintings created by A. Bryullov after the fire of 1837, glorifying the victories of Russian troops in the period before Patriotic War 1812 The exhibition is dedicated to the art of France from the 1730s to the 1760s. and represents creativity outstanding masters Rococo era. These are the canvases of himself bright artist Rococo F. Boucher: “Rest on the Flight to Egypt”, “Shepherd Scene”, “Landscape in the Beauvais Suburb”, as well as paintings by N. Lancret, C. Vanloo, J.-B. Patera. The sculpture is represented by works by E. M. Falconet, including the famous “Cupid”, and works by G. Coustu the Elder, J.-B. Pigalya, O. Pazhu.

UK Art Hall

In the former Small Office of the First Spare Half (architect A.P. Bryullov, 1840s), an exhibition of British art continues. Here are paintings by one of the leading masters of the 18th century. Joshua Reynolds' "Infant Hercules Strangling the Serpents," "The Temperance of Scipio Africanus" and "Cupid Unties the Girdle of Venus." Author's copies of portraits of members of the royal family of England (artists Nathaniel Dance and Benjamin West) were intended for the interiors of the Chesme Palace. For the same complex, Catherine II ordered the unique “Service with a Green Frog” (Wedgwood company). The display cases display Wedgwood products made from basalt and jasper masses.

Alexander Hall

The Alexander Hall of the Winter Palace was created by A.P. Bryullov after the fire of 1837. Architectural design of the hall, dedicated to memory Emperor Alexander I and the Patriotic War of 1812, is built on a combination of stylistic variations of Gothic and classicism. Located in the frieze, 24 medallions with allegorical images of the most significant events of the Patriotic War of 1812 and foreign campaigns of 1813-1814 reproduce in enlarged form the medals of the sculptor F.P. Tolstoy. In the lunette of the end wall there is a medallion with a bas-relief image of Alexander I in the image of the ancient Slavic deity Rodomysl. The hall houses an exhibition of European artistic silver from the 16th – 19th centuries. Products from Germany, France, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, and Lithuania are presented.

Golden living room. Apartments of Empress Maria Alexandrovna

The interior of the state drawing room in the apartment of Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Alexander II, was created by the architect A. P. Bryullov in 1838-1841. The ceiling of the hall is decorated with gilded stucco ornaments. Initially, the walls, lined with white stucco, were decorated with a gilded floral pattern. In the 1840s. The appearance of the interior was updated according to the drawings of A. I. Stackenschneider. The interior decoration is complemented by a marble fireplace with jasper columns, decorated with bas-relief and mosaic painting (E. Moderni), gilded doors and magnificent parquet flooring.

Raspberry office. Apartments of Empress Maria Alexandrovna

The interior of the Raspberry Study in the apartments of Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Alexander II, was created by the architect A.I. Stackenschneider. The walls are covered with crimson damask. The interior decoration includes medallions with notes and musical instruments, attributes of the arts in stucco and paintings. The hall displays objects of applied art, Meissen porcelain, dishes and figurines based on the model of I.I. Candler. The Raspberry Cabinet contains a carved gilded piano of the 19th century with paintings by E.K. Lipgart.

Pavilion Hall

The pavilion hall of the Small Hermitage was created in mid-19th V. A.I. Stackenschneider. The architect combined architectural motifs of antiquity, the Renaissance and the East in the interior design. The combination of light marble with gilded stucco decoration and the elegant shine of crystal chandeliers give the interior a special effect. The hall is decorated with four marble fountains - variations of the “Fountain of Tears” of the Bakhchisarai Palace in Crimea. In the southern part of the hall, a mosaic is built into the floor - a copy of the floor found during excavations of ancient Roman baths. Exhibited in the hall Peacock watch(J. Cox, 1770s), acquired by Catherine II, and a collection of mosaic works.

Foyer of the Hermitage Theater

A transition gallery leads to the auditorium from the Great Hermitage, decorated by the architect L. Benois in 1903 in the French Rococo style. Lush floral garlands, scrolls and gilded rocailles frame paintings, doorways and wall panels. There are picturesque inserts on the ceiling - copies from paintings Italian master XVII century Luca Giordano: Judgment of Paris, Triumph of Galatea and Rape of Europa, above the door - Landscape with ruins French artist XVIII century Hubert Robert, on the walls - portraiture XVIII-XIX centuries The high window openings offer unique views of the Neva and the Winter Canal.

Hall of Jupiter. Art of Rome I - IV centuries.

Leo von Klenze intended to place a sculpture of modern times in this hall. Therefore, its decor includes medallions with profiles of outstanding sculptors: Michelangelo, Canova, Martos, etc.

The modern name of the hall was given by a huge statue of Jupiter (late 1st century), which comes from the country villa of the Roman emperor Domitian. In the art exhibition Ancient Rome I-IV centuries deserve special attention sculptural portraits and marble sarcophagi. The masterpieces of the collection are the “Portrait of a Roman Woman” (the so-called “Syrian Woman”), as well as portraits of the emperors Lucius Verus, Balbinus and Philip the Arab.

Loggias of Raphael

The prototype of the Loggias, built by order of Empress Catherine II in the 1780s. The architect G. Quarenghi designed the famous gallery of the Vatican Palace in Rome, painted according to the sketches of Raphael. Copies of the frescoes were made using tempera technique by a group of artists led by K. Unterberger. On the vaults of the gallery there is a cycle of paintings on biblical stories- the so-called “Raphael's Bible”. The walls are decorated with grotesque ornaments, the motifs of which arose in Raphael’s paintings under the influence of paintings in the “grottoes” - the ruins of the “Golden House” (the palace of the ancient Roman emperor Nero, 1st century).

History Gallery ancient painting. Exhibition: European sculpture of the 19th century.

The interior, conceived by Leo von Klenze as the entrance to the art gallery of the Imperial Museum, is intended to recall the history of ancient art. The walls are decorated with 80 paintings on scenes from ancient Greek myths and literary sources. The artist G. Hiltensperger made them with wax paints on brass boards in imitation of the ancient encaustic technique. Bas-relief portraits of famous masters are placed on the vaults European art, among whom is the author of the New Hermitage project - Leo von Klenze. The gallery exhibits works outstanding sculptor era of classicism Antonio Canova (1757-1822) and his followers.

Knight's Hall

This is one of the large ceremonial interiors of the New Hermitage Imperial Museum. Initially, the hall, decorated with paintings in the historicist style, was intended for an exhibition of coins. The hall contains part of the Hermitage’s richest weapons collection, numbering about 15 thousand items. Exposition of Western European artistic weapons of the 15th-17th centuries. presents a wide range of items for tournament, ceremonial and hunting weapons, as well as knightly armor, edged weapons and firearms. Among them are products of famous craftsmen who worked in the best weapons workshops in Europe.

As was said at the very beginning, the Hermitage has 350 halls. Each of them is unique in its own way, and not a single article or book will convey even a fraction of what can be seen with your own eyes. The road to the main museum of the country is open to everyone, regardless of age or nationality. The Hermitage is waiting for you!

> The cost of visiting and the conditions for purchasing tickets can be found on the official website

> We express special gratitude to O. Yu. Lapteva and S. B. Adaksina for the opportunity to publish the Museum’s materials.

© State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg.

The founding date of the Hermitage is considered to be 1764, when Catherine the Great acquired a collection of paintings from the Berlin merchant Gotzkowsky.

Today state museum The Hermitage has a collection of about 3 million works of art and monuments of world culture. It includes painting, graphics, sculpture and objects of applied art, archaeological finds.

In a whole day, you can explore all the museum’s exhibitions only at a very quick pace. We recommend dividing your visit to the Hermitage into 2 days, and if you come to St. Petersburg for several days, then continue exploring the museum on your next visit.

We share useful information to make your visit to the Hermitage as simple and interesting as possible.

Don't miss:

Operating mode

The museum is open for visitors:

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: 10.30 – 18.00 (ticket office open until 17.00)
Wednesday, Friday: 10.30 – 21.00 (ticket office open UNTIL 20.00)

When is admission to the Hermitage free?

Free visit for all categories of visitors: third Thursday of each month, March 8, May 18 and December 7.

There is always a queue to enter the Hermitage. People are allowed into the museum in batches. IN ordinary days The queue is about an hour and a half long. But in the days free visit the queue to enter may start from the Alexander Column in the center Palace Square. If you want to save on your ticket, come early and be prepared to stand for 2-3 hours.

Ticket prices

The ticket entitles you to a single visit to the museum on one day. You cannot leave the museum, walk around the city and come back.

There are several types of tickets, familiarize yourself with them so as not to get confused at the ticket office.

400 rubles– complex entrance ticket for citizens Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.

Chances are, unless you are a foreigner, you need this ticket. Includes a visit to the Main Museum Complex, as well as the General Staff and the Winter Palace of Peter I. But once again we would like to warn you that it is unrealistic to see everything in one day. Few people go to the exhibitions in the General Staff Building and our editors do not know anyone who was in three places at once on the same day.

300 rubles– entrance ticket to one of the separate objects of the Hermitage: General Staff, Winter Palace of Peter I, Menshikov Palace, Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory.

This is the case when in the Main museum complex have already visited and want to go to the General Headquarters.

When purchasing tickets you must present your passport. This is mandatory because for citizens of other countries, ticket prices are already higher.

700 rubles– comprehensive entrance ticket for everyone, except for citizens of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.
Free tickets- pensioners ( only Russian citizens), preschool children and school age(regardless of citizenship), students (regardless of citizenship), graduate students, cadets, disabled people I and II gr.

To enter the museum for free, you still need to stand in line to enter and then in line at the ticket office. At the box office, upon presentation of a document entitling you to the benefit, you will be given a free ticket.

Where to buy tickets to the Hermitage

Tickets to the Hermitage can be purchased: at the box office, at an electronic kiosk, or online.

Tickets at the Hermitage box office

After standing in line and entering the museum building, you immediately find yourself in front of another line - at the ticket office. Don't be afraid, it moves very quickly. Spend 10-30 minutes, no more. Cards and cash are accepted for payment.

Tickets at an electronic kiosk

In the courtyard of the Hermitage, where there are queues, there are several kiosks where you can buy a ticket yourself, but only for the full price. Therefore, only a couple of foreigners buy there, who then still stand in line at the museum.

Electronic tickets and skip-the-line entry

You can buy only on the official website of the Hermitage e-ticket without commission, which gives the right to skip-the-line entrance to the Museum! In other places they will sell you the same ticket, but with a commission. For example, here, where there are vouchers for the Hermitage.

As you understand, you have to pay to enter without a queue. Therefore, an electronic ticket is more expensive than a regular ticket and the Hermitage has 2 offers:

730 rubles - free entry to the Hermitage for 1 day,
1020 rubles - explore the Hermitage for 2 days.

Benefits for pensioners and children remain. The purchased ticket (voucher) is valid for 180 days from the date of purchase, so you can purchase it in advance.

Where is the entrance to the Hermitage

If you bought electronic ticket, which gives you the right to enter without a queue, then you will have a separate entrance - through Shuvalovsky Proezd (from Millionnaya Street or from Palace Embankment - between the buildings of the Small Hermitage and the New Hermitage).

For everyone else: Opposite the Alexander Column there is a gate through which we enter the Great Courtyard of the Winter Palace. There are two queues. You can go where you like best.

For those who want to view the exhibitions located in the General Staff Building, you need to leave the Great Courtyard and walk in the opposite direction. If you stand facing the arch of the General Staff building, then 100 meters on the left there will be an almost inconspicuous entrance to the museum.

How to see the Hermitage

After purchasing a ticket, you can leave your personal items in the cloakroom. Outerwear is required. Believe it or not, there will most likely be a queue there too. There are automatic lockers, there are few of them and they are always busy. After this, ticket control. Liquids are not allowed.

After control, you can take an audio guide and a map of the Hermitage. The scheme is free, and the audio guide costs 350 rubles in Russian and 500 in a foreign language. Deposit 2000 rubles or document (except passport!).

Be sure to take the diagram! Otherwise it will not be clear where to go. Each hall has its own caretakers. They keep order and help you navigate the museum. These are not guides or tour guides. The caretakers can only tell you how to get into the hall with the Flemings or where the Peacock clock is located.

You can download the official audio guide for your smartphone from the Hermitage. True, only a few tours of the halls are free, the rest must be purchased.

The best option for the first time is in the company of an art expert.

You can walk around the Hermitage for a very long time. To view all the exhibits in the Hermitage collection, devoting no more than 1 minute to each, it will take 8 years. But you can count on 3-5 hours. And it’s hard to walk all day. Take short breaks - there is a cafe on the ground floor, not far from the Jordan Stairs.

The main Hermitage Museum is a collection of five buildings built in different times by different architects for different purposes, and connected in series with each other.

The Hermitage has 305 halls, but their number may vary depending on temporary exhibitions. If you have limited time, here are the most beautiful halls and pearls of the Hermitage:

1. Jordan Stairs.

This is where your acquaintance with the Hermitage will begin.

2. Loggias of Raphael.

The loggias are a separate gallery consisting of 13 buildings. The inspiration for this place came from Vatican paintings, from which the frescoes were copied. Every corner of the loggia, including columns and ceilings, is painted with paintings with biblical motifs. The entire composition includes 52 canvases dedicated to the Old Testament and 4 to the New.

3. Armorial Hall of the Winter Palace.

One of the most luxurious halls.

4. Alexander Hall.

A spacious hall combining elements of Gothic and neoclassicism.

5. Malachite living room.

Due to the interior decoration with precious stones, this is the most valuable room in the building.

6. Golden living room of Maria Alexandrovna.

State room of Empress Maria Alexandrovna. The atmosphere fully corresponds to the name - everything shines.

7. Concert hall.

8. White Hall.

9. Halls of Ancient Egypt.

Sculptures, sarcophagi, mummies, texts from the Book of the Dead, ancient amulets, a statue of Amenemhet the Third, a sculpture of the goddess Sekhmet. You can't miss it.

10. Halls of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece.

The culture of antiquity in a huge number premises.

11. Pavilion hall.

The most precious exhibit in this room is the Peacock mechanical watch.

12. Hall of Leonardo Da Vinci.

13. Dutch painting.

14. Rembrandt Hall.

You will not be able to pass by this hall. Near the painting " Prodigal son“There is always a huge crowd, no less than in front of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre.

By the way, the Hermitage has a second collection of paintings by Rembrandt. Only the Rembrandt Museum in Amsterdam competes with it.

It is difficult to get lost in the St. Petersburg center. :)The Hermitage is located in the historical city center, on Palace Square.

The closest is the Admiralteyskaya metro station (270 m). When you get out, immediately turn left, and after a couple of steps you will find yourself on Malaya Morskaya Street. There, turn right, and after a few meters you will exit onto Nevsky Prospekt. Then follow it to the left - walk to Palace Square, where you will see the entrance to the museum. For visitors with Internet tickets there is a separate entrance: from the street. Millionnaya, in the Small Hermitage.

If the weather is good, you can walk along Nevsky to the Hermitage Museum and longer: from the Gostiny Dvor metro station (transition to Nevsky Prospekt station) - about 600 m.

How to buy a ticket to the Hermitage of St. Petersburg?

Which ticket do you prefer: electronic or regular? The most convenient way is to buy an electronic ticket. We sincerely recommend doing this: you will protect yourself from queuing at the cash register. The Hermitage Museum is known for long queues, especially during tourist seasons and school holidays. But at other times, unfortunately, they are not uncommon. It’s very disappointing if you have to stand for a couple of hours, and then the wardrobe runs out of space for clothes, and they announce that receiving visitors is temporarily closed. This applies more to the autumn-winter time, when the dressing room quickly becomes overcrowded. We didn’t find ourselves in such a situation, but people often complain on forums.

How much does a ticket to the Hermitage cost?

They vary depending on the season, but not much. (Please note: this does not apply to e-tickets, prices are constant throughout the year). You can buy electronic tickets optional - valid for one or two days. The difference in price is not very big: 680 and 1020 rubles. If you have time, we recommend choosing a two-day tour. It includes a larger number of buildings - objects of the museum complex.

Where are the Hermitage ticket offices?

An important point: in addition to the main ticket windows, there are also Hermitage ticket offices located in the General Staff building (across the square from the Winter Palace). The queues there are usually much shorter.

Hermitage free visit

Remember the days when all individual visitors can enter for free: these are the 1st Thursday of each month plus December 7th. But it’s best to avoid visiting on these days if you don’t want to jostle in the crowd. If possible, do not go to the Hermitage on Tuesday, especially in the first half of the day. Every Monday is a day off, after which it is logical that there will be a crowd of people.

Free admission daily for the following groups of citizens: Children, students, pensioners of the Russian Federation, as well as visitors of some other categories. Full list look on the official website.

How to get to the Hermitage without queuing?

What time of year is there the least likelihood of queues? In March, we stood on the street for no more than 15 minutes. Friends waited for the same amount in November. I recommend checking out the reviews on the forums on this topic. Avoid concessionary visiting days and summer months if possible

Summer, white nights, school holidays - a time of incredible queues at the State Hermitage. If you are not ready to overpay for a ticket in the terminal or on the Internet, then you are guaranteed a long wait among those wishing to get into one of the main museums in Russia.

When, after all, is it better to visit the State Hermitage on Palace Square, so as not to waste your precious time in queues?

July 2016

— Not during the high tourist season (from May to September), summer holidays and holidays.

— Don’t try to get into the Hermitage on Tuesday morning. Monday is a day off, and many tourists come for 2-3 days with the desire to visit “everything”. A missed Monday will show itself in a large queue on Tuesday morning.

— On the day when you can enter the museum for free. The queues can stretch across the entire Palace Square. Your time and nerves are not worth this test.

— On Wednesday the museum is open until 21:00. If you come at 17-18 hours, when the bulk of tourists have already subsided, there is hope to get into the museum without waiting in line and quietly look at the works of art. Please note that most wardrobes are open until 6pm on Wednesday.

— Come in the morning, about half an hour before the museum opens. At 10.30 4 cash registers will open, two on the left and two on the right. You will be able to get into the Hermitage in the first rows.

— You can buy a ticket at any travel agency. Travel agencies purchase tickets for groups. And if they tell you that the excursion is at 11 o’clock, then at 11.00 you and the group will enter the museum. In just one hour, everything will be quickly shown and told. You may not even see or hear everything, but you are already in the museum. And you can spend your “free” time after the excursion on a thorough tour of the exhibitions.

— Main secret. The best day to visit the Hermitage is December 31st. There are no queues and the halls are almost empty!

You can also visit the Hermitage, bypassing the huge queues, for more expensive tickets:

— By purchasing an electronic voucher on the website www.hermitageshop.ru/tickets (ticket price 580 rubles). The e-voucher is valid for 6 months from the date of order. The voucher is exchanged at a special ticket office, under the arch behind the Main Gate of the Winter Palace (entrance from Palace Square).

— In the terminals installed in the Great Courtyard of the Winter Palace (ticket price 600 rubles). After purchasing tickets, you can immediately enter the exhibition. Please note that discount tickets cannot be purchased through the terminal.

But during the high tourist season, there may also be queues at the terminals and special ticket offices for exchanging an electronic voucher.

If you go to a museum and need to return things, but there are no places in the wardrobe, be prepared for this. Bring a large bag with you and put your things in it. There are no spaces in the wardrobe, but there are free metal cells where you can put your things.

In the wardrobe, go to the very end, there may still be space there. There are almost always “NO PLACES” signs at the beginning. Sometimes cloakroom attendants leave a few places for foreigners, who can give them tea and sugar.

Opening hours of the Hermitage on Palace Square:

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 10-30 to 18-00 (the ticket office is open from 10-30 to 17-30).

Wednesday from 10-30 to 21-00 (ticket office open from 10-30 to 20-30).

Every first Thursday of the month is a free day.