A broad abroad: THE HERMITAGE

The Hermitage. Actually this was the Winter Palace that you are looking at. The Hermitage was actually the buildings that were added on by Catherine the Great to store and show her art possessions to her friends and for her to enjoy. It was her living space. The "Hermitage in St. Petersburg consists of the Winter Palace, the buildings of the Small, Old (Great) and New Hermitage, The Hermitage Theatre and the Auxillary House.

The Imperial Staircase. Rather nice.

The double headed Eagle was adopted by the Russian Czars. One eagle head represents the East and the other the West. This symbol with modifications is used for the Russian Federation.

The throne room.

The floors throughout the palace are beautiful and I was told that many years ago people were required to put on "slippers" over their shoes. Today the floors are treated with bees wax and areas of the museum will shut down while floors are being treated.

This is the

Gallery of 1812.

The military museum. It is a picture of every general ,332, who were war heros of the Patriotic War of 1812. There are 13 empty frames in the room. Those generals had died before their portraits could be done.

Floor and

ceiling, mirrow each other.

A table top.

A mosaic floor. In the same room was an exact replica of it as a table top.

The figures of the peacock, cockerel and owl that are part of this elaborate timepiece are fitted with mechanisims that set them in motion. Although it does work because of it's delicate mechanism's it is displayed only.

This is a picture of it with the peacock tail opened.

"The movement of the birds in the Hermitage clock begins with the disturbing syncopated melody of the little bells on the cage of the owl (night), then the peacock opens out its "sun-tail" and turns around, showing the viewer for an instant the silvery back side of its tail. Then the bird turns around again; the silver of night disappears; the golden disk of the sun returns to the centre. Its rise is announced by the crowing of the cockerel. Thus the Peacock Clock is a symbol of the continuity of life, in contrast to the usual perception of any timepiece as a memento mori, a reminder of mortality."

Catherine the Great.

Peter the Great.

There were a number of exhibits in the Hermitage so there were some rooms we where we were unable to take pictures. Most of the exhibits were centered around clothes, and uniforms of the Czar and his family. One room had costumes that were worn at a ball. Rich fabrics, jewelled, gorgeous. The opulence was everywhere!

Of course when most people think of the Hermitage they think of the art that is displayed there. There are over 3 million works of art and artifacts. We saw many beautiful and famous pieces.

In one area " Called the Hidden Treasures", paintings which were hidden during WWII have recently been displayed. Dozen of masterpieces by Degas, Renoir, Monet, Sezanne Van Gogh and many more are exhibited.

We saw many painintings by Leonardo DeVinci, Rembrandt, etc.

Madonna and Child - Rembrandt

I could go on and on but you can see pictures in a book, It was just a thrill to see these in person.

As we were leaving I snapped this of Sharon in the Garden area of the Hermitage.

On our way to the van we walked through Palace Square. In this square many celebrations take place. The large column in the middle of the square is from the Architect who designed St, Issac's Cathedral. It is a monument to the Russian Military victory in the war with Napoleon. It is named after the Emperor Alexander I, who ruled Russia between 1801 and 1825.