The State Hermitage Museum

About the museum

The State Hermitage in Saint Petersburg is one of the largest and oldest museums in the world. It was founded in 1764 by Empress Catherine the Great, who began with a collection of around 225 paintings; today the holdings number over three million items — from Ancient Egypt and classical antiquity to Leonardo, Rembrandt and the Impressionists.

The museum occupies a complex of several buildings along Palace Embankment, centred on the grand Winter Palace, the former residence of the Russian emperors. A visit is not only about paintings and sculpture but about the interiors themselves — throne rooms, the Malachite Room, gilded staircases.

This is an independent guide for visitors: verified practical information and answers to the questions people actually ask — what to see, how to buy a ticket, and how not to get lost. For how the museum began and who founded it, see the history of the Hermitage and who founded the Hermitage.

The scale is legendary: pause a minute at each exhibit and seeing the whole collection would take years. So it pays to plan ahead — decide what matters most to you and follow a route, rather than trying to “see everything”.

Must-see masterpieces

Where to start on a first visit. The Rembrandt room (Room 254) holds two world masterpieces at once: the Return of the Prodigal Son, the artist’s painted testament, and Danaë, which survived a 1985 acid attack. Room 214 has Leonardo’s two Madonnas — the Madonna Litta and the Benois Madonna. The golden Peacock Clock in the Pavilion Hall (204) is still wound on schedule, and sculpture lovers should reach the Crouching Boy — the only Michelangelo in Russia.

State rooms and interiors

At the Hermitage the rooms themselves are works of art. Most visits begin at the ceremonial Jordan Staircase, then follow the Great Enfilade: the 1812 War Gallery with its portraits of generals, the solemn St George (Throne) Hall, and the Malachite Room clad in Ural stone. The floor plan with room numbers helps you find them all.

Collections

Here are the main pointers if you’re after something specific. The Impressionists and Post-Impressionists (Monet, Matisse, Van Gogh, Gauguin) are not in the Winter Palace but in the General Staff Building across Palace Square. The Rembrandt collection — one of the largest outside the Netherlands — is in Room 254; the Italian Renaissance is in Room 214 and beyond. On the ground floor are Ancient Egypt with its mummy and classical antiquity. The Gold Rooms of Scythian treasure are visited by guided session only.

Planning your visit

Before you go, see tickets and prices, opening hours and free admission days. It helps to check how to get there (nearest metro Admiralteyskaya) and the best time to visit to avoid the crowds. The highlights in a single visit are laid out in the one-day itinerary.

Did you know

The Hermitage is also a place of stories. Cats have guarded its cellars since the 18th century. During the Siege of Leningrad staff left empty frames hanging on the walls so the paintings could be returned to their exact places after the war. And on the Peacock Clock the seconds are counted by a tiny dragonfly on a mushroom cap.

This is an unofficial, informational website. Prices and opening hours change — confirm them on the museum’s official website, hermitagemuseum.org, before your visit. Last updated: 6 June 2026.