General Staff Building (Hermitage Impressionists)
The east wing of the General Staff Building is the part of the Hermitage opposite the Winter Palace, across Palace Square. Come here above all for the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists: many visitors look for Monet and Matisse in the Winter Palace and can’t find them — they were moved here long ago, into modern multi-level galleries.
Where the Impressionists are
The collection of French art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries occupies the upper floors (the main display is on the top floor). Its core is the gallery in memory of the collectors Sergei Shchukin and the Morozov brothers, whose private collections were nationalised after the revolution and later divided between the Hermitage and a Moscow museum. What to look for:
- Impressionists — Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro;
- Post-Impressionists — Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin (Tahitian works);
- Henri Matisse — including the monumental panels Dance and Music, and The Red Room (Harmony in Red);
- Pablo Picasso — a large group from his early periods.
What else to see
Besides the paintings, the General Staff Building shows the Fabergé memorial rooms, 19th -century ministry interiors, Empire-style art and contemporary-art projects. The building itself is the work of the architect Carlo Rossi (1819–1829); its sweep is broken by a triumphal arch crowned with the Chariot of Glory, dedicated to the victory in the war of 1812.
Getting in and tickets
- Address — Palace Square 6/8, entrance from the square.
- A ticket to the General Staff Building is separate from the Winter Palace (roughly 500 ₽, less with concessions). A combined ticket is sometimes better value — check the official site.
- It is open on the museum’s usual days (closed Monday); hours can differ from the Main Complex — see opening hours.
Plan your visit with the one-day itinerary and the floor plan.
FAQ
Where are the Impressionists in the Hermitage? Not in the Winter Palace, but in the General Staff Building opposite, on the upper floors (the Shchukin and Morozov galleries).
Do I need a separate ticket for the General Staff Building? Yes, it is paid separately from the Main Complex; a combined ticket is sometimes available.
Which famous paintings are there? Matisse’s Dance and Music, and works by Monet, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and Picasso.
This is an unofficial, informational website. Prices, displays and hours change — confirm them on the official museum website.