 |
The largest museum collection in the world (over three million items put together throughout two centuries and a half) presents the development of the world culture and art from the Stone Age to the 20th century.
It is spread throughout different buildings: the Winter Palace, the Little Hermitage followed by the Old Hermitage and the New Hermitage. An arched gallery spans the Winter Canal and leads to the Hermitage Theatre.
The story of the Hermitage collection begins with Catherine the Great. Soon after assuming the throne, Catherine decided that in the tradition of cultured, enlightened empresses she would gather an art collection. In 1764 she made her first acquisition: 225 Dutch and Flemish paintings bought from a Berlin merchant who needed to pay off some debts. This deal marked the beginning of Catherine's acquisition fever. Russian ambassadors to Europe were given the task of attending art auctions and buying as much as possible. Catherine also received assistance from some of her famous correspondents, including Diderot and Voltaire.
After Catherine's death, later emperors continued to enlarge the collection, though not at her insane pace. In 1814 Alexander I, fresh from his victory over Napoleon, bought the private collection of Napoleon's wife, Josephine, at a tremendous discount.
After the 1917 Revolution the collection swelled when the collections of the city's wealthiest families - the Yusupov, Stroganov, Sheremetev, and Shuvalov - were "annexed" along with the finest items from the Imperial palaces at Peterhof and Gatchina.