The Hermitage Museum

Our next visit was to the Hermitage Museum. When the Head Curator was asked if it was the greatest art gallery in the world he responded ..I don't know but it is certainly not the second!

It is of course stunning. We intended toleave at about 6.00pm. Six hours should be enough! We stayed till the 9.00pm closing.

It covers most facets of art and we certainly didn't see it all. We did see some two or three times and did get lost a few times as we walked around the huge complex, We will include a few hastily selected photos.

Gail outside.We did queue for some time but not too bad at all.

The building is as interesting as the art. Looking down on one of the grand rooms.

I think that this is the same room looking up. Just one of the many!

                                                              Another grand area.

                                                 The Czar in waiting. Dreams of grandeur!

                                 Pictures displayed in halls. They call this St Petersburg style.

We then had a timed entry to the Diamond room. No photos. The tour was in Russian and we nearly got thrown out for not staying with our group! It was packed with treasures that are priceless.

Outside are some items that did not make the cut to be displayed inside the room. Just a bit of gold.

Greek columns. There are treasures so small that a  magnifying glass is provided and others that fill a room.
It is the paintings that most come to see so just a few more.

                                                      Da Vinci's Benois Madonna.

                                                        Gail, Pygmalion and Galatea.

At times it got rather crowded as tour groups came by. They didn't stay long.

Just wait a few minutes and you look at the painting by youself..

                           Possibly Rembrandt's most famous work " The return of the prodigal son".

                                                                  The peacock clock.

We also had a short visit to Peter I Winter Palace. Very modest in comparison with Catherine's palace.

This is a wax model of PeterI made three days after his death and dressed in his own clothes.

We moved on to The General Staff  Building.
There is an amazing collection including the Impressionists. There is at least one room dedicated to each of the major artists. Just a few!

                                                       A pastel by Toulouse Lautrec.

                                                           Monet's Poppy Fields.

                                                       Gail's favourite painter  Sisley.

                                                                         Gaugin

                                                          Renoir's Young woman with fan

                                                                      Van Gogh.

                                                               And not least Picasso.

There are so many paintings but we were surprised that we stayed so long and could have stayed after 9.00 PM if the museum had not shut!
We had planned a big dinner but settled for champagne cheese and a few delicacies.