The Peacock Clock at the Hermitage

The Peacock Clock is an 18th-century gilded automaton and one of the Hermitage’s most spectacular exhibits. At the right moment the bronze birds come to life: an owl turns its head amid the ringing of bells, a peacock spreads and turns its shining tail, and a rooster crows. The mechanism has worked for more than two centuries — it is the largest automaton of its kind to survive in working order.

When the Peacock Clock works

The clock is set in motion on a schedule, not continuously, to protect the rare mechanism. On the 2026 schedule the Peacock Clock is wound on Fridays at 19:00: a curator turns the handle and the figures move. The performance lasts a few minutes and draws a crowd — arrive early and stand where you can see the peacock, the owl and the rooster.

The winding schedule changes from time to time. Confirm the day and time on the official museum website before your visit.

How the mechanism works

The automaton has four mechanisms: one for the clock and three to animate the figures. The action unfolds around a gilded oak with leaves and acorns, among which squirrels sit, snails crawl and dragonflies hover. The sequence mirrors the passing of the day:

1. the owl wakes first — a symbol of night — and the bells on its cage ring;
2. then the peacock spreads its tail and turns — day and the sun;
3. finally the rooster crows — morning has come.

The dial itself is hidden in the cap of a mushroom at the rooster’s feet, and the seconds are counted by a dragonfly on that same cap — a detail many visitors miss.

History

The clock was made in London in the 1770s in the workshop of the English mechanic James Cox (the master Friedrich Jury also took part). Prince Grigory Potemkin learned of Cox’s mechanisms around 1777 and bought the Peacock Clock as a gift for Catherine the Great. It reached Saint Petersburg in 1781, dismantled and damaged; the brilliant self-taught Russian mechanic Ivan Kulibin reassembled and started it (around 1791). It has run ever since.

Why it matters

The Peacock Clock is far more than a timepiece: it is a rare surviving 18th-century automaton on a grand scale, and almost uniquely it still works with its original mechanism, never replaced. In Catherine the Great’s day such “philosophical toys” combined cutting-edge engineering with luxury and the Enlightenment fascination with mechanical life — and few have come down to us intact, let alone running. That it still performs, more than two centuries on, is what makes it one of the museum’s signature treasures and a favourite with visitors of every age.

What to look for

• The dragonfly on the mushroom cap — it marks the seconds; most visitors walk past it.
• The owl–peacock–rooster sequence — night, day and morning, told in moving bronze.
• The squirrels, snails and acorns on the gilded oak — tiny details rewarding a close look.
• The Pavilion Hall itself — bright white columns and “teardrop” chandeliers, worth seeing in its own right even when the clock is still.

Which room it’s in

The clock stands in the Pavilion Hall (Room 204) of the Small Hermitage — a bright, elegant hall overlooking the Hanging Garden, with white columns, a mosaic floor and “teardrop” fountains. Even when still, the Peacock Clock is striking. Use the floor plan to find it.

Nearby

The Pavilion Hall is a must-stop on the one-day itinerary. From here it’s easy to reach Leonardo da Vinci (Room 214) and the Rembrandt room (Room 254).

FAQ

When is the Peacock Clock wound in 2026? On the schedule, Fridays at 19:00. Times can change — confirm on the official website.

Which room is the Peacock Clock in? The Pavilion Hall (Room 204) of the Small Hermitage, first floor.

Does the clock really work? Yes. The mechanism is intact and is wound by hand on a schedule; the rest of the time the automaton is still, to preserve it.

Who made it? The London workshop of James Cox (1770s); it came to Russia for Catherine the Great and was reassembled by Ivan Kulibin.