What type of art collection does the museum hold?

The museum holds the largest collection of paintings in the world, featuring works of Dutch, Flemish, and Italian art.

Which buildings form the museum complex?

The complex includes the Winter Palace and the Small Hermitage, connected by enclosed galleries.

Where is the museum situated?

The museum complex is situated along the Neva embankment and faces Palace Square in Saint Petersburg.

Which artists have works on display in the museum?

The collection includes paintings by Rembrandt, Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, Frans Hals, Raphael, and Titian.

Has the museum served as a setting for feature films?

The historical feature Russian Ark was filmed entirely inside the museum, and the adaptation of War and Peace filmed scenes in the Winter Palace.

Who established the original museum collection?

Empress Catherine the Great founded the collection after acquiring paintings from the merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky.

Saint Petersburg · Russia

Hermitage Museum: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Scholars based around Palace Square trade residential quiet for immediate access to the imperial art collections. Residents use the Winter Palace as a regular study hall rather than a single marathon visit.

Hermitage Museum · CC BY-SA 4.0

Map of places

Around here34

Exchange rate₽80.94per 1 $RUB — the local currencyas of Nov 2, 2026

About the place

The State Hermitage Museum houses an imperial art collection assembled across centuries inside the Winter Palace complex.

Catherine the Great founded the museum by acquiring the art collection that merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky assembled in Berlin. Yury Felten and Jean-Baptiste Vallin de la Mothe designed the Small Hermitage pavilions beside the Winter Palace to hold the works. The complex remained an exclusive court residence for imperial ceremonies before turning into a public gallery.

Read on

Sustained research here involves navigating vast holdings of Flemish and Dutch art, including masterworks by Rembrandt and Frans Hals. Denis Diderot helped secure key foreign collections from France, while later acquisitions expanded the halls across Palace Square. Modern visitors encounter an active filming site where Alexander Sokurov recorded the movie Russian Ark across the palace corridors.

Associations

Palace crowdsHeavy visitor traffic fills the main corridors during peak exhibition hours.
Winter PalaceImperial state rooms and art galleries fill the former royal residence.
Rembrandt collectionCanvases include masterworks like Danae and Descent from the Cross.
Russian ArkAlexander Sokurov filmed his continuous single-take feature inside the halls.

Facts

Catherine the Great established the art collection by purchasing paintings originally assembled for Frederick II of Prussia.
The museum celebrates its official founding anniversary on Saint Catherine's Day.
French philosopher Denis Diderot assisted Catherine the Great in acquiring Pierre Crozat's art collection in France.
Director Alexander Sokurov filmed the historical drama Russian Ark entirely within the Winter Palace complex.

Updated September 6, 2026Source: Wikipedia

Hermitage Museum: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

What is around34

The State Hermitage Museum houses an imperial art collection assembled across centuries inside the Winter Palace complex.

Getting there and staying

Google reviews

Similar nearby