Our 2001 Sea Odyssey – Day 9 – The Hermitage Museum
Written: Jul 30 '04 (Updated Jul 30 '04)
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Pros: Spectacular art collections displayed in imperial splendor
Cons: Not easy for the mobility challenged - steep stairs and narrow corridors.
The Bottom Line: The Hermitage houses one of the world’s premiere art collections. The buildings themselves are works of art. A St. Petersburg “must see”. There are limited “for hire” wheelchairs available.
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| gungian's Full Review: The State Hermitage Museum |
Epinions regularly adds new categories. This review originally appeared in 2001. I am moving it to this new - and more appropriate category - and deleting it from its previous location.
Our odyssey continued as ms Noordam remained berthed in St. Petersburg, Russia. [This is the tenth in a series of postings on our Scandinavian holiday and sequentially follows my October 13th posting, “Our 2001 Sea Odyssey – Day 8 – Peterhof [Petrodvorets]”. That posting can be found at http://www.epinions.com/content_43131047556.
[NOTE: This posting will cover only our day trip to The Hermitage. A previous posting details our shipboard activities. I am hopeful that Epinions will soon add some new listings where I can post particulars of other aspects of Our 2001 Sea Odyssey.]
DAY 9 /Sunday/ 24 June
The Shore Excursion – The Hermitage
The Russian authorities advised visitors to stick with group tours and avoid individual travel. We heeded their suggestion and booked our second day tour in St. Petersburg directly through Holland America Lines. Our group tour was entitled The Hermitage Museum at the Winter Palace. It included a very knowledgeable guide and transport by comfortable motor coach. Mrs. G and I felt that it was certainly worth the $62.00 each that we paid for this add-on.
The Hermitage Museum sits smack in the middle of downtown St. Petersburg. It is comprised of five (5) buildings that date to the 18th and 19th centuries. Each is a wonderful example of the architects’ art and the builders’ skill. The Hermitage is located at 191065, Dvortsovaya Naberezhnaya 34. [While we arrived by chartered bus that dropped us off at the front entrance, the nearest metro is at Nevsky Prospekt/Gostiny Dvor.] Admission is 300 roubles for foreign individuals and 15 roubles for Russian citizens. There are additional charges for still photography (100 roubles) and videotaping (250 roubles). The exchange rate was approximately 29.47 roubles per U.S. dollar.
The original Winter Palace was commissioned by Empress Elizabeth. It was designed by Bartolomeo Franchesko (Varfolomei Varfolomeevich) Rastrelli between 1746 and 1752. Rastrelli, in fact, was responsible for a number of the magnificent St. Petersburg edifices. [Some interesting aspects of the renowned architect’s life can be found at http://eng.tzar.ru/history/architect/rastrelli.] The actual construction of the palace took place between 1754 and 1762.
This Winter Palace is the mainstay of the museum complex and a majestic site in its own right. The exterior walls are honeycombed with alcoves and bays. Many of which contain impressive statuary. This impressive baroque façade extends for 200 meters. [Stop to consider that this is about 656 feet or 218 yards – more than two football fields in length!]
The collections within The Hermitage are awe inspiring. Pieces on display can be directly attributed to Czar Peter the Great’s personal art collection. That artistic start was dramatically expanded by Catherine the Great and, as early as 1894, The Hermitage was considered to house Europe’s most expansive art collection.
There are more than 3 million items representing the time line from the Stone age to the present day. [Some claim that only the Louvre can equal The Hermitage collection in terms of quality and sheer volume.] Russian rulers were enamored of European culture. The Hermitage hosts a magnificent collection of French impressionists and Italian Renaissance paintings. There are extensive displays of works by Dutchman Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn, Frenchman Henri (Emile-Benoit) Matisse, and Spaniard Pablo Picasso. Mrs. G appreciates paintings and I was more drawn to the sculptures. There was a huge number of Greek and Roman statuary that captured my attention. [There were, however, a number of paintings that depicted a “nursing” Madonna. These most natural portrayals were like nothing we have seen in other museums. Truly beautiful!]
Mrs. G and I spent several hours in The Hermitage and never scratched the surface. Each building, each room, and each floor contained priceless works of art. New visual pleasures greeted us as we passed through each door. I could never begin to describe the grandeur that is The Hermitage. [For just a little taste, you can go and see for yourself at http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html.]
One could probably spend years exploring The Hermitage. I spoke with some locals who said that they come frequently and just try to take in one or two rooms at a whack. [Though with the present state of the Russian economy, even the modest 15-rouble admission fee for Russian citizens might be a barrier.]
[You can access more information on the The Hermitage museum at http://www.geographia.com/russia/peter02.htm. and also at http://www.hermitagemuseum.org.]
I hope that you join us for a future posting, as the ms Noordam stays overnight in St. Petersburg. Next stop – other sites within the city of St. Petersburg, Russia.
[END NOTE: While onboard ms Noordam and during our two days in St. Petersburg we wore jeans, sport shirts, and comfortable walking shoes. This was not a formal dining night but we changed to better casual clothes for dinner in the Amsterdam Dining Room. The weather for our second day in Russia was mild with high, scattered clouds. The daytime temperature hovered in the high 50s to low 60s. That night the temperature fell to the low 50s.]
© 2004
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Sep - Nov
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gungian
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Location: Falls Church, Virginia
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10/16/06 - Life is hectic - but good! Write On!
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