2012, SEPTEMBER 4: RUSSIA, ST. PETERSBURG-HERMITAGE MUSEUM

Our final destination this afternoon was the Hermitage Museum. Most of it is housed in the Winter Palace, a magnificent mint-green, gold and white structure, which is topped with rows of classical statues. Then it extends into the adjacent Romanov buildings – Little Hermitage, Old Hermitage AND New Hermitage.

The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

It all began with Catherine the Great’s passion for collecting art objects. Succeeding Romanov royals later kept on adding to the initial treasure. Now it consists of over three million art objects, which will take one several months to examine each object.
 

After visiting the Cloak Room and going through the ticket control, we used a splendid staircase to the grand entry area to access the glorious royal staterooms and private apartments.
 

 

Grand Staircase, The Hermitage Museum,  St. Petersburg (Open Stock Photo) 

For the next few hours, we went through once splendid room after another.

 

The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

 

 

The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

 

 

 

The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

 

 

I was fascinated by their fabulous and ornate walls and ceilings and a large variety of chandeliers.

 

 

 The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg 

 The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

 

 

On display were superb artistic masterpieces. They included full-size portraits of the royal personalities, as well as...

 

The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

...stunning artworks by the renowned European masters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Leonardo da Vinci, The Madonna with a Flower





Leonardo da Vinci-The Madonna &Child 
 

 

 

  
 

  

Thomas Gainsborough-Portrait of a Lady     

 

 

It all reminded me of an Urdu poet, who in response his beloved’s request to meet her at the Taj Mahal, a magnificent and world-famous mausoleum for his beloved wife, remarked -

 

Ek shehenshah nay daulat ka shara laykar

Hum gharbion ki muhabbat ka udaya hai mazak.

 

(With the aid of his riches an emperor has made fun of the love of poor people).

 

He requested her to meet him some other place.

 

But surely the lust of the Romanov Royals for display of power and wealth has resulted in some unintended advantages like increased tourist revenues for Russia and exposure of masses of foreigners to an unequalled exposure to arts and culture.

I am sorry that due to a mysterious technical difficulty, I have not been able to use many my of my pictures for this blog. Even so, I must admit that my pictures do not full justice to the real objects. When you look at them in person, the experience is much richer and soul-nourishing.

 

Gardens, The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg