
The State Hermitage — 3 Million Masterpieces Inside the Winter Palace
At a Glance
The State Hermitage Museum on Palace Square in St. Petersburg is one of the world's largest art museums. Five connected buildings—anchored by the Winter Palace—hold around three million items spanning prehistoric artefacts to 20th-century masterpieces. It is routinely grouped with the Louvre and the British Museum among the "big three."
From a Private Collection to a State Museum
The collection began in 1764 when Catherine the Great purchased 225 Flemish and Dutch paintings from Berlin merchant Johann Gotzkowsky. She called the private gallery her "hermitage" after the French word for a secluded retreat. In 1852 Nicholas I opened the galleries to the public, and after the 1917 Revolution the palaces and their holdings were nationalised. Bartolomeo Rastrelli's 1754–62 Winter Palace, a Rococo landmark in its own right, is worth the trip even without the art inside.
Must-See Works
- Leonardo da Vinci — Benois Madonna & Madonna Litta — two of the fifteen or so surviving Leonardos, hung in one room.
- Raphael — Conestabile Madonna — a tondo from Raphael's early Urbino years.
- Rembrandt — The Return of the Prodigal Son — his late masterpiece on light and forgiveness.
- Caravaggio — The Lute Player — the textbook example of tenebrism.
- Matisse — Dance & Music — the monumental Shchukin commissions that re-wired 20th-century color.
- Impressionist & Post-Impressionist halls in the General Staff Building across the square — Monet, Cézanne, Gauguin, Picasso.
Visiting Tips
Over 400 galleries make a complete tour impossible in a day. Plan around three anchors—Leonardo, Rembrandt, Matisse—then add Ancient Egypt, Greece, and the Scythian Gold rooms. The Jordan Staircase, Malachite Room, and Peacock Clock are as much a draw as the art. Cross over to the General Staff Building with the same ticket for the Impressionists—it's on the other side of Palace Square and often quieter.
Visitor Info
| Admission | 700루블 (~$8). 온라인 예매 추천 |
| Hours | Tue,Thu,Sat,Sun 10:30-18:00, Wed,Fri 10:30-21:00 (Closed Mon) |
| Location | Palace Square, 2, St Petersburg 190000 |
| Getting There | 메트로 AdmiralteyskayaStn walk 5min |
| Estimated Visit | 하이라이트 3hr. 전체 1Sun 필요 |
| Tips | Wed/Fri 야간(21시까지) 활용. 조르당(2층)과 다빈치 방, 렘브란트 방 필Wed. |
Featured Works
Leonardo da Vinci
Madonna Litta
레오나르도 다 빈치(및 제자)의 작품으로, 아기 예수에게 젖을 물리는 성모 마리아를 묘사했습니다. 어머니의 자애로운 시선과 아기의 순수함이 완벽한 조화를 이루며, 르네상스 성모자상의 전형을 보여줍니다. 에르미타주 미술관이 소장한 두 점의 레오나르도 작품 중 하나로, 러시아 미술 컬렉션의 보물입니다.
Rembrandt
Return of the Prodigal Son
렘브란트의 말년 걸작으로, 성경 속 탕자의 귀환 이야기를 깊은 감동으로 표현했습니다. 누더기를 입고 무릎 꿇은 아들과 그를 포용하는 아버지의 손은 용서와 사랑의 보편적 상징이 되었습니다. 렘브란트 특유의 빛과 어둠의 드라마틱한 대비가 정점에 이른 작품으로, 에르미타주 미술관의 가장 감동적인 소장품입니다.