The Knights' Hall at the Hermitage

The Knights’ Hall is one of the most spectacular rooms of the Hermitage and a favourite with children. It is Room 243 in the eastern part of the New Hermitage, devoted to European arms and armour. This is where the museum’s arsenal collection is displayed.

What is inside

The hall’s great set-piece is the group of four mounted knights in full plate: riders in battle harness sit on horses that are themselves armoured, as if frozen before a tournament. Around them is a rich collection of weapons and armour of the 15th–17th centuries:

• plate and tournament armour, helmets, pauldrons and gauntlets;
• swords, halberds, spears, crossbows and early firearms;
• examples of parade arms, richly decorated.

In all, about two hundred objects trace the development of the armourer’s craft over three centuries. This is the showpiece of the museum’s wider arms and armour collection. Alongside the European arms is Eastern weaponry (Turkish, Persian, Caucasian) — another strong part of the Hermitage arsenal.

Especially fine are the parade armours of 16th-century German and Italian masters: worn less in battle than at tournaments and festivities, these are richly engraved and gilded pieces — real jewellery in metal. Beside them are tournament armours with reinforced protection and special horse chamfrons. The hall is a particular favourite with children: the mounted group makes a powerful impression and brings the age of chivalry vividly to life.

History of the collection

The core of the collection was the Tsarskoye Selo Arsenal — the personal arms collection of the Russian emperors. In 1885 Alexander III ordered it transferred to the Imperial Hermitage, where it was joined with the acquired collection of the noted collector Alexander Basilewsky. So one of the country’s finest arms collections took shape.

The room itself

The hall is part of the New Hermitage, built in the mid-19th century as a public museum. Its high vaults and restrained decoration set off the exhibits without competing with them. Nearby are the Raphael Loggias (Room 227).

What to look for

• The mounted group — walk around it to study the detail of the armour and harness.
• Tournament armour — heavier than battle armour, with reinforced left-side protection: the tournament was a sport with real risk.
• Engraving and gilding on the parade armour — essentially fine jewellery in steel.
• Edged and pole weapons — swords, halberds, spears, crossbows — showing how arms changed from the Middle Ages into the modern era.

The hall is small but densely “populated”: a whole age of European chivalry on a modest floor, so it holds the interest of adults and children alike. The armour here is not replica but the real thing, worn by real people — which is all the more striking when you stand beside the mounted group.

How to find it

Room 243 is on the first floor of the New Hermitage. It fits easily into the one-day itinerary; find your bearings with the floor plan.

FAQ

Which room number is the Knights’ Hall? Room 243, on the first floor of the New Hermitage.

What is on display in the Knights’ Hall? Knightly armour and weapons of the 15th–17th centuries, including four mounted knights in full plate.

Where did the collection come from? Mostly from the Tsarskoye Selo Arsenal, transferred to the Hermitage in 1885, and the collection of Alexander Basilewsky.

Is the hall good for children? Yes — the mounted armoured knights are usually a child’s favourite in the museum.

This is an unofficial, informational website. Rooms are sometimes closed for restoration — confirm availability on the official museum website.