From Russia With Love: The Hermitage Museum

I am an artsy person, always have been. And to have the opportunity to see artistic masterpieces in the 2nd largest art museum in the world for FREE, was unbelievable to me! I'm going to sound kind of sappy right now, but I truthfully felt a bit emotional about everything I saw. How many people get to experience looking at an actual Da Vinci painting? Or a Raffaello Santi Painting? And even a Michelangelo sculpture? It was unbelievable and I was just blown away by the beauty that surrounded me. And we only toured the 2nd floor! The 3rd floor houses Impressionist paintings among other things, and I will be planning another trip to see the Monet's and van Gogh's.

I had heard from my Russian teacher at BYUI that the entrance fee into the Hermitage for a student was $6, and was excited about the incredible discount. It is normally $17.50. But before I got in line I was told by a woman at the information desk that students were free. I thought, "Are you kidding me?!" I get to look at two Da Vinci paintings for FREE. I was stoked.

To say that the Hermitage is big, is a severe understatement. The 2nd floor alone is massive! The museum consists of 6 different buildings and showcases more than 3 MILLION pieces of art. You are literally surrounded by creativity and culture.

The museum is inside a portion of the Winter Palace!

Once you go through the security line, you see a gorgeous, ornate staircase, with both sides leading up to the second floor. There are exquisite paintings decorating the ceiling, and the style hovers between baroque and classical. The columns being classical, and well...everything else being baroque!

The first room we went in had 3 chandeliers, each weighing over 100 tons! Our tour guide, Sveta, told us that it's a Russian joke to say, "Don't stand under those chandeliers!" She also told us that the museum was named "Hermitage" because people could essentially be hermits here. A person (rich of course) back in the day could come here and spend some time alone and just relax.

Peter the Great's Memorial Throne Room

Almost every room had amazingly detailed parquet floors.

Armorial Hall

Sveta said that in Imperial times, musicians would stand around the room on the balcony and it would create amazing surround sound!

The War Gallery of 1812

The man in the painting at the very back is the soldier responsible for defeating Napoleon.

St. Georoge Hall

You know that part in Anastasia, when Rasputin crashes the party and ruins everything? Yeah, this is that room.

There is no balcony above the throne because no one can be "above" the Tzar.

All I could think about was the scene in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, when Indiana pretends to be a Scottish guy and says "We've come to view the tapestries!"

A shot of the parquet floor

Wood carving (I believe it's called a Relief) of Christ carrying the cross

The Pavilion Hall is one of those palace rooms that takes your breath away and all you can mutter is "Oh, Wow."

This mosaic is a replica found in the Vatican. Catherine the Great was a huge lover of art and sent a Russian artist to the Vatican to copy it for her.

The Peacock Clock is very cool! We didn't get to see it move, because it is so old they only do it for special occasions. But the animals move like animatronics!

Some crazy shiny art

Some more fancy ceiling paintings and chandeliers

Let me tell you, there is something so cool about standing in front of a Da Vinci piece. He was such a genius in the world of art and invention, and to see just a small glimpse of his talent was, in a way, overwhelming.

The Benois Madonna

The Litta Madonna

More beautiful artwork from the Leonardo Da Vinci Room:

(Excuse my darn finger in the way)

Raffaello Santi's "Madonna del Divino Amore"

Another beautiful ceiling painting

Someone's a goof ball

This hallway was incredible. Each painting on the ceiling was a story from the bible. Beginning with the creation, then Adam and Eve, and so on! This was also a recreation from the Vatican, and when the Vatican did renovations, the artist in charge came here to see how it was supposed to look!