Around the World in 61 Days: Second Day in St. Petersburg (June 29): The Hermitage

The Hermitage

After a delicious hot breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, we walked the short distance to the Hermitage Museum to wait in a long line for tickets. About 1/2 hour later, we were in the doors. The place is so enormous that the crowds dispersed in all directions, and in most rooms it was not crowded at all. In fact, in some, on the ground floor, I was on my own. The Hermitage is housed in the Winter Palace and adjoining buildings. The three stories are distinct in style. The ground level or first floor has arched doorways and ceilings and lacks much ornamentation. This was obviously not where the Romanov family and friends spent their time. I assume it was used for some things as storage, cooking and workshops for craftsmen. Likewise, the third floor was plain, obviously the former attic. As exhibition space, the rooms were well-lit and large, but probably servants rather than czars spent time here. The middle story is opulent beyond belief, with stunning long corridors, intimate rooms (although not small) and large halls, three well-lit by skylights.

The fabulous collection of art from ancient times through the 20th century is comprehensive, with many of the best pieces by Italian, German, Dutch and French masters. Unique was an exhibition on the ground floor on ancient Eurasian cultures. Here were things I had never seen anything like and information on a part of history of which I was totally unfamiliar. The most significant were items made of wood, fur felt, leather, bronze and gold from the 5th and 4th century B.C., wonderfully preserved by the Siberian permafrost. A room-size rug of deep pile with intricate and realistic designs was in excellent condition. There were large coffins made of hollowed out tree trunks. There was even a preserved body on which tattoos were visible.

The second story rooms, rivaling those at Versailles (and meant to do so), were more dazzling than any of the artifacts or artwork. I took over 100 photos, and I was one of the ones being asked to leave when the museum closed at 6 p.m. By then I was starved, because the only cafe in the entire complex was closed in the afternoon and my only choice for eating lunch would have been to leave the museum and then pay 400 rubles (about $12) again to get back in, which I was not willing to do. (The expense of museums and cathedrals here really make me appreciate the Smithsonian and the free museums on London!)

The young Russian women love to pose for photos everywhere. The cultural and historical buildings, parks and rooms serve as background only, with the women taking up most of the frame, I'm sure. In one of the second floor rooms at the Hermitage, I was strolling around in awe of the grandeur and ornateness of the architectural details and the art work when I came across a young women sitting on the beautiful, shiny parquet floor in front of an enormous red malachite urn. She had taken off her jacket to reveal her bare midriff and tattooed arms, wearing little more than a bra. Posing with chest thrust out,head thrown back, and legs stretched out, she smiled while her female companion took her picture while a woman I presume was her mother looked on. When the babushka who was the guard for the room spotted her, she scurried over, shocked, and scolded her severely, with fury leaping from her eyes.

The kids had left the museum earlier; we had made no attempt to stick together. Peter and I met outside, and returned to the hotel apartment to eat dinner and to rest our feet. We only went again again a few hours later to buy a few groceries and a treat of ice cream.