For those who were holding their breaths at my absence, (as if that was happening,) for the last week or so, I've been seeing and doing more than I've been posting. (A revolutionary new concept, I know; it's one I'm still working on mastering, much like how I still haven't gotten the hang of walking through doorways without banging some part of my body into the door.) And now, I have a review of one of the most famous sights in the entirety of St. Petersburg: the Hermitage.
The Hermitage actually took two days for Princess and I to explore, considering that the first day was split between the Hermitage, the Synagogue, and various other sundry tasks. This leads me to point #1: If you are going to go to the Hermitage, make sure to get there as early as you can, and be prepared to devote the entire day to wandering up and down its fantastic halls.
Point #2: The Hermitage is one of those awesome places where student IDs will get you in free, no matter what your nationality. (There are actually museums where this is not the case, such as the Yusopov palace; it's a shame, but really, it's only fair to expect the magical student ID to get you so far.)
That being said, be prepared for an information discrepancy as a foreigner, as even one glance at the signs at the Hermitage will show that there is a bias towards giving Russians more background information on pieces of art.
*As a hilarious note, be especially wary of this difference when looking at prices: oftentimes, what ends up happening is that most price discounts (such as discounts to the elderly, or to students) are written on the Russian sign, but not on the English one. (I have a picture of this from St. Isaac's Cathedral, but because the file is corrupted, I cannot post it.)
With such an information gap, it is thus really helpful to have Russian friends to come along with you. They can point out all the works of art that are famous in Russia, be horrified when you have no idea what something is, and give you either same amount of information (or more) on different pieces throughout the museum, including cultural tips on Russia. Plus, it's a great way to bond with friends in Russia, and a great way to unintentionally exercise. (I know I mentioned it before, but man, can the Hermitage be brutal.)
The Hermitage, for those who are curious, consists of three floors, which contain:
(Like I said, this thing is HUGE.)
Additionally, as you can see in the floor plans, there is TONS to see, making it so that even if there are entire exhibits that bore you to tears (such as still-lifes and portraits, for me, or hunting scenes and daily life paintings for Princess), you can skip past them, and still have enough pictures to last you a lifetime.
Which is why the photo album for this museum is so danged huge.
Just warning you, guys, this is NOT an album you want to sit down and look at in one sitting-- there are SO many photos of SO many different things that skimming for things that look shiny might be your best bet. (And if you think the photos are a lot to get through, try walking through the entire museum.)
The craziest thing about the Hermitage, however, is thinking that people actually LIVED here. Like, I would get lost at least seven times a day if I lived here; heck, I get lost walking home from Judo, much less living in a palace. But that's part of the charm of the Hermitage: every room is an experience, and even if we as measly tourists get lost, the art, and paintings, and statues, and ceilings, and floors, and chandeliers, and furniture all know exactly where they are. And as long as they stay still, that makes wandering a beautiful and exciting adventure.
The Hermitage actually took two days for Princess and I to explore, considering that the first day was split between the Hermitage, the Synagogue, and various other sundry tasks. This leads me to point #1: If you are going to go to the Hermitage, make sure to get there as early as you can, and be prepared to devote the entire day to wandering up and down its fantastic halls.
Point #2: The Hermitage is one of those awesome places where student IDs will get you in free, no matter what your nationality. (There are actually museums where this is not the case, such as the Yusopov palace; it's a shame, but really, it's only fair to expect the magical student ID to get you so far.)
That being said, be prepared for an information discrepancy as a foreigner, as even one glance at the signs at the Hermitage will show that there is a bias towards giving Russians more background information on pieces of art.
 |
| Just sayin'. |
With such an information gap, it is thus really helpful to have Russian friends to come along with you. They can point out all the works of art that are famous in Russia, be horrified when you have no idea what something is, and give you either same amount of information (or more) on different pieces throughout the museum, including cultural tips on Russia. Plus, it's a great way to bond with friends in Russia, and a great way to unintentionally exercise. (I know I mentioned it before, but man, can the Hermitage be brutal.)
The Hermitage, for those who are curious, consists of three floors, which contain:
(Like I said, this thing is HUGE.)
Additionally, as you can see in the floor plans, there is TONS to see, making it so that even if there are entire exhibits that bore you to tears (such as still-lifes and portraits, for me, or hunting scenes and daily life paintings for Princess), you can skip past them, and still have enough pictures to last you a lifetime.
Which is why the photo album for this museum is so danged huge.
 |
| The Hermitage: Photos from Days One and Two |
The craziest thing about the Hermitage, however, is thinking that people actually LIVED here. Like, I would get lost at least seven times a day if I lived here; heck, I get lost walking home from Judo, much less living in a palace. But that's part of the charm of the Hermitage: every room is an experience, and even if we as measly tourists get lost, the art, and paintings, and statues, and ceilings, and floors, and chandeliers, and furniture all know exactly where they are. And as long as they stay still, that makes wandering a beautiful and exciting adventure.
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