1. Part I

2.  Hermitage The Hermitage is one of the greatest museums in the world. It is the largest museum in Russia. 2,9 It contains more than 2,9 million works of art representing different ages, countries and nations.

3.  Hermitage The Hermitage collections include not only pictures, drawings, engravings, sculptures, but items of decorative and applied art as well.

4.  Leonardo da Vinci MichelangeloRaphaelTitian Rembrandts Rubens The Hermitage’s collections include works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian, a unique collection of Rembrandts and Rubens, many French Impressionist RenoirCezanneMonet Pissarro GoghMatisseGaugin Rodin works by Renoir, Cezanne, Monet and Pissarro, numerous canvasses by Van Gogh, Matisse, Gaugin and several sculptures by Rodin

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6.  The experts say that if you were to spend a minute looking at each exhibit on display in the Hermitage, you would need 11 years before you’d seen them all.

7.  All in all there are six departments at the Hermitage: 1.West European Art 2.Oriental Culture 3.Antique Culture 4.Russian culture 5.Prehistoric Culture 6.Numismatics

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11.  The Hermitage museum comprises 5 buildings, they are: The Winter palace The Small Hermitage The Old Hermitage The New Hermitage The Hermitage Theatre

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13.  Winter Palace The Winter Palace was official residence of Russian emperors. Magnificently located on the bank of the Neva River, this Baroque-style palace is perhaps St. Petersburg’s most impressive attraction.

14.  The green-and-white three-storey palace is a marvel of Baroque architecture ( is known as the Elizabethan Baroque ) style and boasts 1,786 doors, 1,945 windows and 1,500 elegantly and lavishly decorated halls and rooms, many of which are open to the public. The principal façade is 250 m long and 30 m high.

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16.  1754 1762 Catherine the Great The Winter Palace was built between 1754 and 1762 for Empress Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great. Unfortunately, Elizabeth died before the palace’s completion and only Catherine the Great and her successors were able to enjoy the interiors of Elizabeth’s home.

17.  1837 Many of the palace’s impressive interiors have been remodeled since then, particularly after 1837, when a huge fire destroyed most of the building.

18.  Bartolomeo Rastrelli The Winter Palace was built by architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli.

19.  Bartolomeo Bartolomeo went to Russia in 1715 with his father, Italian sculptor Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli. His ambition was to combine the latest Italian architectural fashion with traditions of the Muscovite baroque style. He was appointed to the post of senior court architect in 1730. His works found favour with female monarchs of his time.

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