State Hermitage works. State Hermitage Museum

general information

The impression of visiting the State Hermitage is difficult to describe in words. From the very first steps along the solemn Jordanian stairs, you are stunned by the luxury and splendor reigning here. Time itself seems to have frozen in the majestic halls among huge malachite vases, Egyptian sarcophagi, Greek amphorae, paintings by the greatest European painters and sculptures the most famous masters. It houses such internationally recognized masterpieces as “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Rembrandt, “Madonna Litta” and “Benois Madonna” by Leonardo da Vinci, “Madonna Connestabile” and “The Holy Family” by Raphael, “The Lute Player” by Caravaggio, paintings by Titian, Murillo, El Greco and many others famous painters. The Hermitage in St. Petersburg has one of the best collections in the world French painting late XIX- beginning of the 20th century

History of the Hermitage

Construction of the complex began with the construction of mid-18th century century, commissioned by Elizabeth of the Winter Palace. Architect Francesco Rastrelli worked on the building from 1754 to 1762. The initial project was designed in a lush baroque style, but a significant part of the interiors was later changed in accordance with the requirements of classicism.

Catherine II, who came to power shortly after the completion of construction, not only sanctioned the appearance of the Large and Small Hermitages and the Hermitage Theater, but also laid the foundation for the collection of the future museum in 1764. The first exhibits were Flemish and Dutch paintings by contemporary masters of the titled buyer. At the same time, Yuri Felten built a two-story baroque-classical house for entertaining the empress. Five years later, a building designed by Jean-Baptiste-Michel Vallin-Delamot was added to it, with which it was connected by a gallery of hanging gardens. The ensemble was called the Small Hermitage.

In 1771-1787, on the banks of the Neva, according to Felten’s design, the Great Hermitage was also built, since the collections of books and paintings had grown and did not fit in the old premises. Five years later, Giacomo Quarenghi, the creator of the Hermitage Theater, completed an extension to it. Under Catherine, the museum’s collections received works by major Italian masters, Rembrandt, and the luxurious St. George’s Hall was decorated on the second floor of the Winter Palace.

The Hermitage in the 19th century

After the end of the war with the French, the Hermitage received the collection of Josephine Beauharnais, Napoleon's wife. The Patriotic War of 1812 left its mark on the appearance of the Hermitage: during the reign of Nicholas I, everything was done to perpetuate the memory of the heroes of the battles. Portraits of commanders and reliefs with patriotic symbols appeared in the halls of the complex.

During the Nicholas period interior decoration Alexander Bryullov, the brother of the famous painter, worked at the Hermitage. He designed the interiors of the Winter Palace and, together with Vasily Stasov, restored the Petrovsky and Field Marshal Halls after the devastating fire of 1837.

In 1852, a group of architects built the New Hermitage specifically for the painting collections, embodying the main details of the project of the German Leo von Klenze. Andrei Stackenschneider was working on the interiors of the Great Hermitage and the Winter Palace at that time. In the 60-80s, the museum’s collections were replenished with works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and examples of European decorative art. applied arts, a collection of weapons from the Tsarskoe Selo Arsenal was transferred here.

History of the complex in the 20th century

During World War I, a hospital was established in the Hermitage. After the February Revolution, the Provisional Government met here, which was arrested right in the palace during the Bolshevik coup. On November 12, 1917, the Hermitage became state museum. Before World War II, the collection grew significantly due to the nationalization of private collections and the merger of various museums; valuable exhibits came from the Union republics. During the war, the meeting was evacuated to Sverdlovsk; in November 1945, everything was returned to its place.

Since 1981, the Menshikov Palace began to welcome visitors to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg with an exhibition dedicated to the culture and life of Peter the Great’s time. The Winter Palace of Peter I opened at the Hermitage Theater in the 90s. Some of the exhibitions moved to the General Headquarters.

Current state

In the 21st century, the State Hermitage opens its representative offices abroad and in Russian regions: these are exhibition centers in London and Las Vegas, Amsterdam, Kazan, Ferrara, Vyborg. The Great Front Courtyard is being reconstructed and a new entrance to the Hermitage is opening. The collection of the Lomonosov Porcelain Factory Museum comes under the control of the complex.

Museum collections

It is physically impossible to explore the entire collection in one visit, so visitors are encouraged to independently develop routes in accordance with their interests. From an architectural point of view, the interiors of the Winter Palace are the most attractive; picturesque masterpieces are concentrated in the halls of the Large and New Hermitage.

Winter Palace

The main exhibition on the first floor of the Winter Palace is ancient art and archaeology, the second - painting of England and France of the 16th-18th centuries. and interiors different eras, third – classical art of Asian countries. The halls on the second floor deserve special mention: Throne, Alexander, Bolshoi, Concert, chamber rooms of Empress Maria Alexandrovna and the family of the last emperor.

Small Hermitage

The building is connected to the Winter Palace by the Sivkov passage with the site where ancient Roman mosaics, sarcophagi and reliefs are stored. The name of the hall immortalizes the name of Alexander Sivkov, the architect of the Hermitage during the Soviet period, who united all the buildings into a common museum space. Pavilion hall, the windows of which overlook the Neva, in mid-19th century was decorated by Stackenschneider, who did not spare gilding and crystal for the walls and ceiling. Four copies of the Bakhchisarai fountain, mosaics and the Peacock clock are on display here. The bronze automatic clock machine, made by English craftsmen of the 18th century, still functions - its “singing” can be heard every Wednesday at 19:00. In the Romanov Gallery, on the side of the Winter Palace, medieval exhibits decorated with enamels, wood carvings and Ivory, earthenware. The gallery leads visitors to the hall of Dutch and Flemish painting. In the opposite Romanovskaya, Petrovskaya gallery are stored German paintings and sculptures of the XV-XVIII centuries.

Old (Great) Hermitage

A Soviet staircase made of white and pink marble leads from the first floor of the Old Hermitage to the second, exhibition floor. It was erected according to the design of Stackenschneider in the middle of the 19th century on the site of the former Oval Hall, from which an uplifting ceiling with images of the goddess Minerva and Russian youth remains. The name, contrary to popular belief, has nothing to do with the USSR: the State Council was located in this building back in the 19th century.

The Great Hermitage is not at all large compared to the imposing Winter Palace and the New Hermitage. Modest volumes are compensated by the value of the collections - it is here, in the Neva Enfilade, that masterpieces are stored Italian Renaissance: frescoes by Fra Beato Angelico, reliefs by Antonio Rossellino, altarpiece by Sandro Botticelli, “Saint Sebastian” by Pietro Perugino, “Lamentation of Christ” by Veronese, “Saint George” by Tintoretto. In the Leonardo da Vinci room, French interiors of the 17th century are reproduced. The famous Leonardo Madonna Benois and Madonna Litta are exhibited here. In the Titian room you can see “Danae” and “Saint Sebastian”.

New Hermitage

Since there was no longer a suitable place left on the embankment of the Neva River, the main facade of the New Hermitage faces Millionnaya Street. It is decorated with the famous powerful granite figures of Atlanteans by the sculptor Terebenev. This is exactly what is sung about them in the famous song of Alexander Gorodnitsky:

When your heart is heavy
And it's cold in my chest,
To the steps of the Hermitage
Come at dusk
Where without drink and bread,
Forgotten for centuries
Atlanteans hold the sky
On hands of stone.

Leo von Klenze's project provided for complete harmony between the exhibits and the design of walls, ceilings, and parquet. That is why many halls are decorated with medallions, mosaics in the style of various historical eras. Samples are presented on the ground floor of the building ancient art. The main staircase made of white marble, surrounded by granite columns, leads to the exhibition halls. The most ancient finds located in the colorful Twelve Column Hall with mosaic floors, wall paintings imitating ancient Roman ones, and green granite columns.

In the center of the Great Vase Hall stands a 19-ton Kolyvan vase made of greenish-gray jasper, made in 1843. Along the perimeter of the room there are marble sculptures from the era of Emperor Trajan. In the vaulted hall of Jupiter, a huge statue of the Thunderer, taken from country house Emperor Domitian. In the antique courtyard with statues, the decoration of the houses of noble Romans and Greeks is reproduced. Marble figures also decorate the Hall of Dionysus. Copies of works are displayed in the Greek halls of classical times. famous sculptors: Phidias, Myron, Polyctetes, original vases.

The most valuable painting collections are stored on the second floor of the New Hermitage. The Rembrandt room contains 23 works by the Dutch master, including “The Return of the Prodigal Son” and “Danae,” protected after a vandal attack by especially strong glass. The Raphael Hall displays Italian ceramics, works by the famous painter’s students and his masterpieces “Madonna Conestabile” and “ Holy Family».

The center of the building is formed by a suite of three halls with overhead lighting, the so-called “clearances”. The small Italian skylight is decorated with colored stucco and the work of Russian stone carvers. Large-format paintings are stored in the Great Hall Italian artists, the original furniture, made according to the sketches of Montferrand and von Klenze, has been preserved. The Spanish Skylight exhibits works by Velazquez, Zurbaran, and Murillo.

The building was erected on the site of the former Winter Palace of Peter I. The architects managed to restore part of the ground and first floors in the rooms under the stage. You can view the office, the dining room and the front yard with the sleigh of Peter I from the Palace Embankment.

The interior of the theater foyer is designed in grayish-blue tones, emphasizing the splendor of heavy chandeliers, the sophistication of medallions, stucco moldings and ceiling paintings. IN auditorium, like in an ancient amphitheater, there are 6 semicircular rows of benches. Here, in acoustic conditions ideal for chamber opera, performances and concerts are held by the company’s own orchestra and those invited from Mariinsky Theater singers

Menshikov Palace

The Baroque building, the first capital structure in St. Petersburg made of stone, stands on Universitetskaya embankment. While Menshikov was in power, the main events took place in the palace, the center of a huge estate. entertainment activities royal court. Subsequently, the unclaimed building deteriorated to such an extent that in the 20th century, reconstruction lasted for several decades. Some premises have not yet been restored. After the building was transferred to the Hermitage in 1981, it was decided to recreate the interiors of the first third of the 18th century - the enfilade of state rooms, the Walnut Study.

General Staff Building

The museum's latest acquisition is two buildings united by a semicircular triumphal arch, the creation of the architect Carlo Rossi in honor of the victory of the Russian Empire in the War of 1812. The new branch of the museum is a strict three-story building with elongated facades, the monotony of which is broken only by snow-white Corinthian colonnades. Long years The main headquarters performed only an official function; now representatives of the military departments still meet in part of the building. IN currently the halls of the building are being reconstructed in accordance with the objectives of the museum - part of the collections will move here European painting from the Winter Palace.

For tourists

In the Hermitage

The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg is the oldest and largest treasury foreign art in Russia and one of the world's largest art and cultural-historical museums.

His name - Hermitage (ermitage) – translated from French means “a place of solitude, seclusion.” This is due to the fact that initially this place (a special palace wing - the Small Hermitage) was conceived by Catherine II as an intimate corner of the imperial palace, intended for relaxation and entertainment. The first 225 paintings by Dutch and Flemish artists, which she acquired in Berlin through agents from the commission agent I. Gotzkovsky. Thus, the private collection of Catherine II in 1764 was the beginning of the Hermitage.

Hermitage Museum. Great Throne Room

Catherine's CollectionsII

In the 18th century, thanks to Catherine II, interest in collecting arose in Russia. This hobby then reached an unprecedented scale; enormous wealth accumulated in Russia - outstanding works of Western European masters. Wanting to establish her reputation as an “enlightened empress”, a connoisseur of art, and to outshine the palaces of European rulers with the splendor of her court, she begins to collect works of art. Connoisseurs of painting, European scholars, among whom was the French philosopher-enlightenment Denis Diderot, collected and purchased collections of paintings for the Russian Empress. In 1769, in Dresden, a rich collection of the Saxon minister Count Bruhl was acquired for the Hermitage, numbering about 600 paintings, including Titian’s landscape “Flight into Egypt”, views of Dresden and Pirna by Bellotto, etc.

Titian "Flight into Egypt" (1508)

Titian "Flight into Egypt"

"Flight into Egypt" is Titian's first major work. It depicts the Mother of God with her son, they are fleeing to Egypt from King Herod, accompanied by Saint Joseph. An angel leads a donkey, on which Mary and Christ are sitting, and numerous animals walk on the grass...

The artist chose a large canvas of an elongated format (206 x 336 cm), which made it possible to include a wide panorama of the area through which the holy family is heading to Egypt. And although the main characters traditionally shown in the foreground, they are given less attention than the landscape, depicted with great care and poetry. The compositional arrangement of the figures - the group shifted to the left edge of the picture, the rhythmic placement of the characters one after another - creates the impression of a long and tedious journey.

Giorgione "Judith"

In 1772, Catherine II bought a collection of paintings by Baron Crozat in Paris, which was dominated by paintings by Italian, French, Flemish and Dutch masters XVI-XVIII centuries. Among them are “The Holy Family” by Raphael, “Judith” by Giorgione, “Danae” by Titian, paintings by Rembrandt, works by Rubens, Van Dyck, Poussin, landscapes by Claude Lorrain and works by Watteau.

Giorgione "Judith" (circa 1504)

Negotiations with Crozat's heirs on the sale of the painting took place on the initiative of the Russian envoy D. A. Golitsyn and with the participation of Diderot. "Judith" embodies the ideal of serene beauty. Despite the violence she inflicts, the Old Testament heroine is interpreted more as an ancient goddess than as an avenger on behalf of an oppressed people. The painting is based on an Old Testament story about the story of Judith and Holofernes. According to the book “Judith,” the general Holofernes, commander of Nebuchadnezzar’s army, fulfilling his command to “take... vengeance on the whole earth,” went to Mesopotamia, destroyed all its cities, burned all the crops and killed the men. Holofernes besieged the small city of Bethulia, where the young widow Judith lived. The woman snuck into the Assyrian camp and seduced Holofernes. When the commander fell asleep, Judith cut off his head. “Because her beauty captivated his soul, the sword passed through his neck!” The army, left without a leader, could not resist the inhabitants of Vetilui and was scattered. Judith received Holofernes's tent and all his utensils as a trophy and entered Bethulia as a triumphant.

Many artists turned to this subject, but Giorgione created a peaceful picture. Judith holding in right hand the sword rests on a low parapet. Her left leg rests on the head of Holofernes. A harmonious seascape unfolds behind Judith.

In 1779, the collection of paintings of the British Prime Minister Walpole was acquired, which included several masterpieces by Rembrandt (for example, “The Sacrifice of Abraham” and “The Disgrace of Haman”) and portraits by Van Dyck. And in 1781, the Hermitage acquired more than 5 thousand drawings from the Cobenzl collection in Brussels, which served to create a collection of graphics.

Another significant acquisition was the collection of the English banker Lyde-Brown, which included antique statues and busts, including Michelangelo’s sculpture “Crouching Boy.”

Michelangelo "Crouching Boy" (1530-1534)

"Crouching Boy"- the only sculpture by Michelangelo in Russia, it is on permanent exhibition in the State Hermitage. The sculpture is made of marble, height - 54 cm. According to one version, the sculpture was conceived for the project of the Medici Chapel in the Church of San Lorenzo. According to another version, it was made by Michelangelo during the Spanish attack on Florence in 1529-1530, when he took refuge in one of the monasteries. Some art historians believe that in this sculpture Michelangelo reflected the depressed state of the Florentines during this period. “The Crouching Boy” was purchased by Catherine II in 1785.

Michelangelo "Crouching Boy"

Then a collection of carved stones from the Duke of Orleans was purchased in Paris. In addition, Catherine ordered works from Chardin, Houdon, Roentgen and other masters. She also acquired the libraries of Voltaire and Diderot. The posthumous inventory of Catherine's property in 1796 lists 3,996 paintings.

Further development of the Hermitage

Emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I pay great attention to the further development of the museum: they purchase not only collections, but also individual works artists. In Rome, at the sale of the Giustiniani collection, Caravaggio’s The Lute Player and Botticelli’s Adoration of the Magi, which is now in Washington, were purchased. In 1819, a “Madonna in a Landscape”, presumably by Giorgione, was purchased. Josephine Beauharnais, Empress of France in 1804-1809, the first wife of Napoleon I, gave Alexander I the Gonzaga cameo, and after her death the entire gallery of the Malmaison Palace, which originated mainly from Kassel, was acquired. In 1814, a collection of Spanish paintings by Kuzvelt was acquired.

Caravaggio "The Lute Player" (circa 1595)

Caravaggio "The Lute Player"

This is one of early paintings Caravaggio. In the works of this cycle, the feeling of love is symbolically conveyed either through images of fruits (as if inviting the viewer to enjoy their taste), or musical instruments: Music is a symbol of fleeting sensual pleasure. The artist himself considered “The Lute Player” his most successful work of painting.

"Cameo Gonzaga" (3rd century BC)

"Cameo Gonzaga"

"Cameo Gonzaga"- famous cameo(jewelry or decoration made using bas-relief technique on precious or floor precious stones or at sea ​​shell) made of three-layer sardonyx, one of the best examples of antique glyptics(the art of carving colored and precious stones). According to generally accepted opinion, it is the most famous cameo of the Hermitage.

The cameo is a paired portrait of the Hellenistic spouses, the kings of Libya, Macedonia, Thrace and Bosporus of Cimmeria, Lysimachus I and Arsinoe II. Companion portrait Hellenistic spouses are directed to the West. The cameo was made in the 3rd century. BC e. by an unknown author in Alexandria of Egypt.

It was under Nicholas I that the idea of ​​transforming the Hermitage into a public museum was realized: in 1852 the Hermitage was opened to the public, although entry into it was still limited - you had to get a special pass from the court office. Nicholas I also made a significant contribution to the replenishment of the Hermitage art gallery, but Soviet power The most important of the paintings he purchased were sold in the USA. At the second sale of the Kusvelt collection, Raphael's masterpiece "Madonna Alba" and "Three Marys at the Crypt of Christ" by Annibale Carracci were purchased.

In 1845, according to the will Tatishcheva(diplomat and collector) Robert Campin’s diptych “Trinity” was added to the collection. Our Lady by the Fireplace,” Van Eyck’s early diptych “The Crucifixion. Last Judgment"and other works by old masters. Around the same time, Van Eyck's Annunciation, Sebastiano del Piombo's Pieta, and Gossaert's Descent from the Cross were purchased at an auction of the collection of King Willem II of the Netherlands. Works by masters were bought in Venice Italian Renaissance, including masterpieces by Titian (such as Carrying the Cross) and Palma Vecchio.

New Hermitage

The New Hermitage is the first building in Russia, specially built in 1852 for a public art museum. It is part of the museum complex of the State Hermitage. It is famous for its portico with ten giant statues Atlanteans. By this time, the museum already stored the richest collections of monuments of ancient Eastern, ancient Egyptian, ancient and medieval cultures, art of Western and Eastern Europe, archaeological and artistic monuments of Asia, Russian culture of the 8th-19th centuries. By 1880, the museum was visited by up to 50,000 people a year.

New Hermitage

In the 19th century, the Hermitage began to systematically receive works by Russian painters. But in 1895 they were transferred to the Russian Museum, which was founded by Emperor Nicholas I.

Donations and purchases from domestic collectors also became important sources of replenishment of funds in the second half of the 19th century. Materials from archaeological excavations are transferred to the museum. By the beginning of the 20th century, the museum already stored thousands of paintings, and then new works of art appeared in its collection.

The museum began to be significantly enriched by nationalized private collections and the collection of the Academy of Arts. Paintings by Botticelli, Andrea del Sarto, Correggio, van Dyck, Rembrandt, Canova, Ingres, and Delacroix arrived. From the main collection of the Winter Palace, the museum received many interior items, as well as Mughal treasures presented by Nadir Shah.

Canova "The Three Graces" (charites)

Canova "The Three Graces"

Charites- V ancient greek mythology beneficent goddesses who embody the good, joyful and eternally youthful beginning of life. The names of the Charites in Hesiod are: Aglaya (“shining”), Euphrosyne (“well-meaning”), Thalia (“blooming”).
The names of the harits and their number in the versions of the myths are different. There could be two Harit, sometimes four. The Charites are close to Apollo. In the Delian temple he holds three charites in his palm, and in the Pythian temple of Apollo (Pergamon) there was an image of them.
The Charites correspond to the Roman graces.
In art, grace-charites are usually depicted in such a way that the two outermost ones face the viewer, and the one in the middle stands with their back, with their head turned half-turn. This was their ancient pose, known and copied during the Renaissance. In different centuries, the graces were endowed with different allegorical meanings. Seneca describes them as radiant maidens, naked or dressed in loose clothes, they personified the threefold aspect of generosity: giving a benefit, receiving a benefit and paying for a benefit. Florentine humanist philosophers of the 15th century saw in them the personification of the three phases of love: beauty that excites desire, which leads to satisfaction. There is another interpretation: chastity, beauty and love.

In 1948, the Museum of New Western Art and its cultural heritage was redistributed between museums in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Parts of the Moscow collections of Sergei Shchukin and Ivan Morozov were merged into the Hermitage. Now the chronological scope of the collection has expanded significantly thanks to the works of the Impressionists, Cezanne, van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso and other artists of new movements.

Impressionism(fr. impressionnisme, from impression- impression) - a movement in the art of the last third of the 19th and early 20th centuries, which originated in France and then spread throughout the world, whose representatives sought to capture the most naturally real world in its mobility and variability, convey your fleeting impressions. Usually the term “impressionism” refers to a movement in painting, although its ideas have also found their embodiment in literature and music.

Paul Cezanne "Bank of the Marne"

Paul Cezanne "Bank of the Marne"

Cezanne's landscape is emphatically static: the almost horizontal line of the river bank is contrasted with the strict verticals of the house and trees on the bank. The stillness of the landscape is enhanced by the fact that it is reflected in the mirror-like, frozen water. The river seems frozen, like a mirror, the trees along the banks stand in motionless curtains.

If with the Impressionists the world sometimes dissolved in the sunshine, in a constantly changing light-air atmosphere, then with Cezanne it regains its weight: the landscape emphasizes the structure of the building and the volume of the mass of trees. The trees in the picture form a generalized mass, which is typical for the impressionists.

But along with acquisitions during this period of time, there were also heavy losses. The Diamond Room of the Winter Palace was transferred to the Moscow Kremlin, serving as the basis for the Diamond Fund. Part of the collection of paintings by old masters (including some works by Titian, Cranach, Veronese, Rubens, Rembrandt, Poussin) was transferred to the Moscow Museum of Fine Arts.

As a result of the sales of 1929-34, 48 masterpieces left Russia forever: the Hermitage lost the only work by Van Eyck, the best works of Raphael, Botticelli, Hals and a number of other old masters.

During the Great Patriotic War the bulk of the Hermitage collection (more than two million items) was evacuated to the Urals. The basements of the Hermitage buildings turned into bomb shelters, and it did not function as a museum. But the Hermitage staff continued to conduct scientific work and even organize lectures on art history. Even before the end of the war, restoration work began in the halls of the museum, and soon after the war all evacuees returned to Leningrad cultural values, and the Hermitage was reopened to visitors. Not a single exhibit was lost during the war, and only a small part of them needed to be restored.

After the end of the war, the Hermitage began to receive captured art from Berlin museums, including the Pergamon Altar and a number of exhibits Egyptian Museum. In 1954, a permanent exhibition of these receipts was organized, then the Soviet government, at the request of the GDR government, returned them to Berlin in 1958. At the beginning of 1957, the third floor of the Winter Palace was opened to visitors, where works from the Museum of New Western Art were exhibited.

Currently

Hermitage Museum Complex

Now the Hermitage museum complex consists of five buildings connected to each other on Palace Embankment:

• Winter Palace of the architect B. F. Rastrelli;
• Small Hermitage by architects J. B. Vallin-Delamot, Yu. M. Felten, V. P. Stasov. The Small Hermitage complex includes the Northern and Southern Pavilions, as well as the famous Hanging Garden;
• The Great Hermitage by architect Yu. M. Felten;
• The New Hermitage by architects Leo von Klenze, V. P. Stasov, N. E. Efimova;
• The Hermitage Theater by architect G. Quarenghi, which was erected above the partially preserved Winter Palace of Peter I;

Also included in the complex of buildings of the State Hermitage are service buildings:

• Spare house of the Winter Palace;
• The Hermitage garage of the architect N. I. Kramskoy.

Today the museum's collection includes about three million works of art and world cultural monuments, from the Stone Age to our century.

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The State Hermitage is the pride of Russia, the country's largest cultural and historical museum, occupying 6 historical buildings, the main one among which is the majestic Winter Palace. Today the Hermitage contains almost 3 million exhibits: works of painting, graphics, sculptures, objects of applied art, a collection of numismatics and archaeological monuments.

And the Hermitage began in 1764 as the private collection of Catherine the Great, who bought a collection of 220 paintings and placed them in remote apartments of the palace, called the “Hermitage,” which translated from French means “place of solitude.” The museum opened for visitors in 1852, and even then it had accumulated the richest collections of works of art. Today, guests of the Hermitage can admire such masterpieces as “Madonna and Child” (“Madonna Benois”) by Leonardo da Vinci, “Saint Sebastian” by Titian, “The Holy Family” by Raphael, “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Rembrandt, “Apostles Peter and Paul” by El Greco. A visit to the Hermitage is, of course, an obligatory item on a visit to St. Petersburg.

Main Ensemble of the Hermitage

Opening hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday - from 10:30 to 18:00, Wednesday, Friday - from 10:30 to 21:00, day off - Monday.

How to get there: by metro to the station. “Admiralteyskaya”, “Nevsky Prospekt”, “Gostiny Dvor”.

Ticket price for adults to the Main Complex and all other branches is 700 RUB, to one of the branches - 300 RUB. For children, students, and pensioners of the Russian Federation, admission is free. On December 7th and the first Thursday of every month, admission is free for everyone. Prices on the page are for October 2018.

In 1764, Catherine II acquired the collection assembled by the Berlin merchant I.E. Gotzkowski for the Prussian king Frederick II. Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky - a major figure in the trading world, the founder of the silk factory and the Berlin porcelain factory, was one of the commission agents of the Prussian king for the acquisition of works of art. Frederick II, who by this time had an excellent collection of modern French painting, instructed Gotzkowski to buy paintings by old masters for him. The merchant zealously took up the task entrusted to him and quickly compiled a large collection of paintings.

However Seven Years' War, which brought defeat to Prussia, forced the monarch to abandon the purchase. This put I.E. Gotzkovsky, who had financial obligations to the Russian state, found himself in a difficult situation. And then the enterprising merchant suggested that Russia, the winner of the war, purchase the paintings to pay off his debt. Catherine II appreciated the opportunity to strike a blow to the pride of Frederick II and present in a favorable light the state of the Russian treasury, whose losses in the war were no less than the Prussian ones. The collection was distinguished by its heterogeneous artistic level, since I.E. Gotzkovsky did not have serious knowledge of art. It consisted of 225 paintings, mostly by Flemish and Dutch masters, along with several works by Italian artists of the 17th century. Among the best in the collection is “Portrait young man with a glove in hand" by Frans Hals and "Revelers" by Jan Steen.

HISTORICAL REFERENCE

1754-1762 - construction of the Winter Palace.

1764 - Catherine II purchased the collection of I. E. Gotskovsky.

1764-1775 - construction of the Small Hermitage.

1771-1787 - construction of the Great Hermitage.

1783-1787 - construction of the Hermitage Theater.

1820-1827 - construction of the General Staff building.

1826 - creation of the “Gallery of 1812” in the Winter Palace.

1842-1851 - construction of the New Hermitage.

1914 - organization of a military hospital in the Winter Palace.

1917 - storming of the Winter Palace by the Bolsheviks, declaring the Hermitage a state museum.

1920-1930 - transfer of nationalized private collections to the Hermitage.

1941 - evacuation of Hermitage exhibits to the Urals.

1942 - organization of bomb shelters in the basements of the Hermitage.

1945 - the return of evacuated collections to the Hermitage and its opening to visitors.

1948 - the Hermitage acquired a collection of paintings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

1981 - opening of a branch of the State Hermitage in the Menshikov Palace.

STATE HERMITAGE

Art and cultural-historical museum, one of largest museums peace. Occupies five interconnected buildings on Palace Embankment: the Winter Palace (1754-62, architect V.V. Rastrelli), the Small Hermitage (1764-67, architect J.B.M. Vallin-Delamot), the Old Hermitage (1771- 87, architect Yu. M. Felten), New Hermitage (1839-52, architect L. von Klenze), Hermitage Theater (1783-87, architect G. Quarenghi). In the early 1980s. After the restoration, the Hermitage was given the large Menshikov palace to Vasilyevsky Island(XVIII century). The founding date of the Hermitage is considered to be 1764, when Catherine II purchased a collection of paintings from mainly the Dutch and Flemish schools in Berlin. A significant number of works were housed in the apartments of the Winter Palace, called the “Hermitage” (from the French ermitage - a place of solitude; later this name was changed to art gallery). Large private collections of paintings were purchased abroad for the palace: Bruhl (1769), Crozat (1772), Walpole (1779), etc. The catalog of paintings of the Winter Palace already in 1774 numbered 2080 works. Along with paintings, the collection included collections of engravings and drawings, ancient antiquities, works of Western European decorative and applied art, glyptics, coins and medals, as well as books (Voltaire’s library). In the 19th century The Hermitage began to receive materials from archaeological excavations, as well as random finds, which, in particular, formed the basis of the famous Scythian collection. The Hermitage played an important role in the development of Russian culture. In the first half of the 19th century. a special museum building (New Hermitage) was built for him. Visits to the Hermitage were limited, excursions until the end of the 19th century. were not allowed in the museum. The progressive Russian intelligentsia fought to expand access to the Hermitage. In 1917, a significant part of the Hermitage collection was evacuated to Moscow (returned to Petrograd in 1920). After October revolution 1917 The Hermitage collection increased significantly due to the nationalized collections of the Stroganovs, Yusupovs, Shuvalovs and others. All premises of the Winter Palace were gradually transferred to the museum. The entire activity of the Hermitage was reorganized, new departments were organized. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, a significant part of the Hermitage collection was evacuated, but museum work continued in the Hermitage even during the days of the siege. Now the Hermitage consists of eight departments: primitive culture, the ancient world, the culture of the peoples of the East, the history of Russian culture (includes palace interiors and the “Gallery of 1812” - portraits of heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812, as well as the former Menshikov Palace), numismatics, Western European art (painting Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Giorgione, D. Velazquez, B. E. Murillo, P. P. Rubens, A. Van Dyck, F. Hals, Rembrandt, J. Ruisdael, H. Holbein the Younger, L. Cranach the Elder , J. Reynolds, T. Gainsborough, the Lenain brothers, N. Poussin, A. Watteau, J. O. D. Ingres, E. Delacroix, C. Monet, O. Renoir, P. Cezanne, P. Picasso. Matisse, R. Guttuso and others, sculpture by Michelangelo, J. A. Houdon, O. Rodin and others; graphic collection, works of decorative and applied art).

Popular art encyclopedia. M., 1986

LEGENDS AND MYTHS OF THE HERMITAGE

There are many legends associated with the most famous museum in Russia. Some of these legends concern secret underground passages that supposedly connect the Hermitage buildings with other buildings in St. Petersburg. Among the buildings with which the Hermitage can be connected by underground passages, the ones most often mentioned are the General Staff, the Chapel and the mansion of M. Kshesinskaya, which today houses the Museum political history Russia. More more stories they talk about all sorts of secret doors and corridors inside the Hermitage buildings and about small safe deposit boxes in the walls.

The ghosts of the emperors and their entourage who lived in the Winter Palace have not been forgotten: according to some museum employees, from time to time, most often in the evening, when there are no longer visitors in the halls, they allegedly catch their eye, and at night they sometimes touch the alarm system.

Various stories are told legendary stories and about the exhibits of the Hermitage. Many rumors, for example, circulated about a wooden figure - the so-called "Wax Person", made by European and Russian masters after the death of the emperor. Many people who saw her said that the wooden Peter stood up before their eyes, bowed, and then pointed his finger at the door, sending the uninvited guest out. In the 20th century, restorers who took the figure apart discovered that it actually had hinges, thanks to which it could be stood or seated in a chair. However, there is no mechanism in “Wax Person” that would allow the figure to move independently. However, the myth that once upon a time the wooden king could stand up, and perhaps still does so, continues to exist: there are even people who claim that the Hermitage workers “out of old friendship” let them see how this happens .

Another story is connected with the infamous painting by K. Malevich “Black Square”. Since the Hermitage acquired this painting, visitors have not tired of talking about the “dark” or “negative” energy emanating from it. Some people feel bad in front of the picture, others, on the contrary, get very excited from it. The museum staff themselves are not at all bothered by the Black Square, and among members of student and school clubs it is considered particularly chic to approach the painting and, looking at it as if in a mirror, straighten your hair.

Hermitage Museum. 5 buildings. 20 km of corridors. 350 halls. 60,000 paintings. To view which you will need 40 days. If you stop at each painting for at least 1 minute.

The Hermitage has long ceased to live up to its name. Translated from French, this word means “secluded place, cell.” This is how it was until the mid-19th century. When only a select few could visit it. With special passes. In 1852, the museum was opened to everyone.

There are so many masterpieces in the collection that it is very difficult to map out a route through the museum. Here are just 7 brilliant paintings. Different eras and styles. Which everyone should see.

1. Leonardo da Vinci. Madonna Litta. 1490-1491

There are few works in the Hermitage. But among them there are already two works. This despite the fact that there are only 19 works by the master in the world! The museum acquired the masterpiece in the mid-19th century. From the Italian aristocratic Litta family.

The painting returned to Russia. Because she was already there. Half a century earlier, Giulio Litta, a representative of the family, brought it with him. After he became a subject of Russia. He married Potemkin's niece. However, his heiress, the daughter of his stepdaughter, returned the painting to her Italian relatives after his death.

The picture is small. 41 by 32 cm. But after a few seconds you stop noticing it. So in the small space of the picture something very majestic fits. Timeless.

The mother looks at the baby with great tenderness. He fell to his chest. He looks in our direction with slightly sad eyes. After all, five minutes before this, a small drama took place. The Virgin Mary decided to wean the child. The nursing openings were carefully sewn shut.

But she could not resist the requests and cries of the baby. One cutout was torn in a hurry. This is how Leonardo depicted the mercy and love of a mother for her child.

2. Raphael. Madonna Conestabile. 1504

Another masterpiece is kept in the Hermitage. “Madonna Conestabile” by Raphael. Alexander II bought it for his wife. The purchase was scandalous.

The public in Italy was outraged that their heritage was leaving the country. They scolded the owner, Count Conestabile. They persuaded me not to sell. They even collected money to buy the masterpiece and leave it in their homeland. But they didn’t collect it. The picture went to Russia.

It is stored in its “original” frame. Which was executed according to the drawings of Raphael.

Raphael created his masterpiece at a young age. He was barely twenty years old. But this is what makes this work valuable. It was created in the city of Perugia. In the teacher's workshop. Raphael had not yet seen Michelangelo's work. Which will greatly affect him.

His art is still very original. Fine lines. Delicate colors. Harmonious landscape. We see his genius in its original form. Thanks to “Madonna Conestabile”.

3. Caravaggio. Lute player. 1595-1596

“The Lute Player” by Caravaggio was purchased at the beginning of the 19th century. At the request of Alexander I. For a long time the painting hung in the Hermitage under the name “Lute Player”. The young man is so sensual. Only a flat chest indicates that this is not a girl.

Young Caravaggio noticed that paintings with such young men were popular with some representatives catholic church. Therefore, he willingly wrote them.

But he will soon abandon such stories. Increasingly portraying tragic bible stories. . Assumption of Mary. .

Caravaggio was often called a naturalist. For his unusual attention to detail. Spoiled fruits. Crack on the lute. Worn notes.

In “The Lute Player” Caravaggio uses his famous tenebroso for the first time. When figures and objects are snatched out of the pitch darkness by a dim ray.

This is how an almost tangible volume appears. And the character’s emotions take on a dramatic tone. This theatrical effect would become very popular in the Baroque era.

Read about the artist’s works in the article.

4. Rembrandt. Return of the Prodigal Son. 1669

Painting " Prodigal son” is one of the earliest acquisitions of the Hermitage. It was purchased from the French Duke by order of Catherine II back in 1766.

This last picture Rembrandt. She always has a crowd. Because she makes a strong impression on many.

Before us is a story from the Gospel of Luke. Younger son wandered around the world. Spent my father's inheritance. I squandered everything. Being a prisoner of your passions.

And now, in extreme need, he returned to the threshold of his father’s house. His clothes turned into rags. The slippers are worn out. The head is shaved because he has hard labor behind him. The father mercifully accepts his son. He leaned over him and gently placed his hands on his shoulders.

The picture is twilight. Only weak light sculpts the figures. The woman in the background is barely visible. Perhaps this is the mother of her returned son.

A picture about parental mercy. About forgiveness. That even a degraded person has hope of finding shelter. Taking away my pride. Kneeling down.

Also read about the painting in the article

5. Gainsborough. Lady in blue. 1778-1782

At the beginning of the 20th century, “The Lady in Blue” was transferred to the Hermitage according to the will of the nobleman Alexei Khitrovo. Free of charge.

Considered one of the best works Gainsborough. Although he did not like to paint portraits. He was forced to make them to order in order to feed his family. Thanks to portraits he became famous.

Gauguin was a very extraordinary person. A quarter Peruvian, he has always been drawn away from busy cities. And one day he reached Tahiti.

“Woman holding a fruit” was written there. Flatness of the image. Bright colors. Exotic details (there are “waves” of sand and grass on the road, like in Japanese paintings).

Pay attention to how thin the paint is applied. We see the texture of the canvas. Gauguin was extremely poor. The paint was expensive. I had to take care of her.

Such an unusual painting was poorly received by the public. Gauguin was a beggar. Only a few years before his death began to buy his paintings.

Read also about the artist in the article by Henri Matisse. Dance (II). 1909-1910 Hermitage, St. Petersburg

The painting “Dance” was commissioned by the Russian merchant and collector Sergei Shchukin. Before being sent to Russia, the panels were shown at an exhibition in Paris. The public criticized the work very much. Shchukin is used to being called a collector of all sorts of rubbish.

But this time he faltered. Refused the order. Then he changed his mind and apologized to the artist for his weakness. The painting, together with its companion work “Music,” safely reached Russia.

Now this “trash” is considered one of the main masterpieces of modernism. On it is an image of the golden age of humanity. Such was the era. People enjoyed progress and art. They believed that they were living in the most prosperous time. But this was just the calm before the storm. There are terrible trials ahead in the form of world wars.

The picture is painted with only three colors. Which further emphasizes the symbolism of the figures. They spin in a frantic dance. This is the essence of passionate, pure movement.

But this emotionality is not chaotic. It is balanced by movement in a circle, centrifugal force. And also the classic outlines of the left figure.

The Hermitage collection is grandiose. No wonder the museum ranks 13th in the world in terms of attendance. But it also has its own characteristics.

For a century, the collection was formed through the acquisition of private collections. The owners of which did not think about showing future generations all the milestones in the development of painting.

Therefore, the collection contains a lot of Baroque and Rococo works. Nymphs. Angels. Curvy beauties. Still lifes with an abundance of fruits and lobsters. Which looked so good in the dining rooms of noble people.

As a result, there are “white spots” in the collection. For example, the Hermitage has a significant collection of Dutch painters. But there is not a single job among them.

Alas, the Hermitage collection also experienced serious losses. After the 1917 revolution, the Soviet government sold 48 masterpieces!

“Venus at the Mirror” left Russia. “Madonna Alba” by Raphael. "Adoration of the Magi". This is also part of the history of the Hermitage. The sad part.

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