State Hermitage Museum In Russia
Posted On November 20, 2009
Located at Saint Petersburg in Russia the State Hermitage museum is one of the oldest and largest museum in the world. Founded by Catherine the Great in the year 1764 is dedicated for the art and culture. The museum is kept open for the public to visit since 1852. The museum has a huge collection of items out of which a small part that includes 3 million items is kept for the permanent display. The display includes the largest painting collection in the world. The collection is made up of the six complex historic buildings coming together. The collection includes a Palace Embankment, the Menshikov Palace, winter palace which is a former place of Russian residents. Museum of Porcelain, the General Staff Building Storage Facility at Staraya Derevnya is few important parts of the museum. The museum has many exhibitions center. The State Hermitage Museum is the property of a federal state. The director of the museum, since 1990, has been Mikhail Piotrovsky.
Out of the total 6 buildings in the museums complex only 4 buildings are open for the public visit. Those four buildings are Winter Palace, Old Hermitage, New Hermitage and the Small Hermitage; the remaining buildings are the Reserve House and the Hermitage Theatre. The entrance ticket rate is much higher to a foreign tourist than that of the local visitors. The entrance is free everyday for the children and Students. First Thursday of every month gives you a chance to visit the museum with out any entry fees. On Monday the museum is kept closed. The entrance to the State Hermitage museum is from the winter palace or the courtyard.
In nearby 120 rooms located on the first as well as the second floor of the four buildings you will come across the collection of Western European Art which includes European paintings, applied art from the 13th to the 20th century, sculptures, prints and drawing which are kept for display in the temporary exhibitions.
The Egyptian collection which also includes the former Castiglione Collection, has occupied the whole large hall situated on the ground floor located in the eastern part of the Winter Palace is kept for public display since 1852.
The western wing of the Winter Palace’s ground floor you will find huge collection of the prehistoric artifacts. The 
culture and art of Caucasus is kept on display and is located in the second treasure gallery. Here you will come across the pre-historical artifacts that belong to the Iron Age and also the Paleolithic age which were found in various parts of Russia.
Western jewellery from the 4th millennium BC to the early 20th century AD is displayed in few rooms in the ground floors. Beside the jewllery is the exhibition of the Classical Antiquities on the same floor. The second treasure gallery, which is situated on the ground floor of the Winter Palace exhibits jewellery from the Pontic steppes, Asia and Caucasus. The jewellerys are particularly made up of Scythian and Sarmatian gold. You are supposed to have a guided visit if you are expecting to visit the treasure galleries.
You can witness the rich Russian culture on the first floor of winter palace. The northern, western and eastern sides of the winter place have richly decorated interiors. Russian arts from 11th to 19th century are displayed here moreover temporary exhibitions are organized in the Nicholas Hall.
