The Hermitage was commissioned by Catherine the Great with the aid or her distinguished Russian and foreign advisors. In the Empress's quest to be recognized as an enlightened monarch and to strengthen the international prestige of the Russian court, she became an avid patron of the arts. In 1764 she bought a magnificent collection from Berlin merchant J. E. Gotzkowski for her new royal residence, the Winter Palace. It consisted of 225 canvases by Dutch and Flemish masters and provided the nucleus of a collection of priceless treasures that grew into one of the greatest museums in the world. During Catherine the Great's reign, three more palatial buildings were erected to house the ever-growing Imperial collection.
In December 1837 a fire destroyed the entire Winter Palace, which was rebuilt within two years. German architect Leo von Klenze was commissioned to design the new building, separate from the palace and for specific use as a public museum. It came to be known as the New Hermitage and was opened in 1852. The first director, S. Gedeonov, was appointed in 1853.
Today the State Hermitage Museum houses a collection of almost three million exhibits representing the cultures and civilizations or many nations and peoples, ranging from the Stone Age to the present day. The all encompassing collection resects some of man's greatest achievements... the monuments of Ancient Egypt, civilizations of Central Asia, Persia, China and the nomadic tribes of the Russian steppes, the masterpieces of Ancient Greece and Rome, of Byzantine as well as Russian culture, or French Impressionism and Post-lmpressionism. This puts the Hermitage on a footing with other great museums of the world such as the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum.
Great masterworks of art are exhibited in the Hermitage's 353 rooms 50 rooms are taken up with the collection of French masters alone; another 37 rooms house ltalian paintings. The collection includes superb paintings by Michelangelo, DaVinci, Raphael, Rembrandt, Titian, El Greco, Velazquez, Van Dyck, Watteau, Delacroix, Durer, Cranach, Giorgione, Rubens, Tiepolo and Cezanne -- Scythian gold and Sassanian silver, porcelain and glass, coins and medals, icons and armor -- the ancient arts and statuary or Russia, China, Persia, Greece' and Rome. Also represented are some of the finest creations of Russian interior decoration.
Well-attended and of particular interest during thepast year has been the "Hidden Treasures Revealed" exhibition of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings by Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, van Gogh, Cezanne, Degas, Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec, and otters. These paintings were taken to Russia from Germany after the end of World War II. Dr. Piotrovski, Director of the Museum, has stated that the "future of these works of art is for lawyers, politicians, and diplomats to decide. The role or the museum is to show to the people or the world and or our country what was hidden from them for many years."
The Hermitage has survived dramatic and turbulent times. When Napoleon's army entered Moscow in 1812, the Hermitage received orders to pack all the valuables and take them to a secret hiding place immediately. The museum was evacuated again in August 1917 and several hundred crates of art treasures were sent to Moscow. Dificult conditions and the blockade of Soviet trade imposed a heavy burden on the country's economy. This obliged the Soviet government to sell some of its museum's treasures. Masterpieces were bought by Calouste Gulbenkian, the oil king, and Andrew Mellon, the American Secretary of the Treasury.
When Hitler attacked the Soviet Union on June 21, 1941, large parts or the Hermitage collections were evacuated once again, this time to far-a-way Sverdlovsk (Ekaterinburg). During the 900 day siege of the city the museum staff continued to work stoically, guarding the remaining artworks while they carried on education work and research. After war's end, the repair of halls damaged by shelling and the restoration and enlargement of the separate expositions required great effort and dedication by the state. Nonetheless, the Hermitage was restored in a very short time, re-opening its picture gallery to thepublic on November 5, 1945.
Today, centuries-old buildings that house the Hermitage urgently require repair and restoration. There is also a dire need for more exhihition space. Due to the recent reduction in government funding in general, and to the cultural sector in particular, some of the museum's activities as well as some of its specialized projects have either been seriously reduced or canceled altogether. Given the current outlook, it is not anticipated that this situation will improve and there are some indications that it could worsen.
In fiscal year 1995, the Heritage Museum suffered a severe federal budget allocation deficit of 36 percent. The museum has and continues to augment its federal budget allocation through the identification and procurement of external funding sources for specialized projects. This is accomplished through the museum's Office for Development. During 1995, the museum generated additional income through contributions made by corporations, individuals, non-governmental organizations, and foreign governments. It represents the Hermitage Museum's commitment to address the current economic situation through assertive and proactive measures which will guarantee the museum's long-term integrity.
Prepared by Press Office
State Hermitage Museum
St. Petersburg, Russia
