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The Hermitage Museum (in Russian Эрмитаж, ermitazh, from the French hermitage, «hermitage», «refuge of the hermit») of Saint Petersburg, Russia, is one of the largest art galleries and antique museums in the world. The museum’s collection occupies a complex consisting of six buildings located on the banks of the Neva River, the most important of which is the Winter Palace, the official residence of the ancient Tsars. The rest of the architectural complex consists of five buildings, including the Menshikov Palace, the General Staff Building and an open storage facility. The museum was formed with the private collection that the czars were acquiring for several centuries, and it was not until 1917 when it was declared State Museum.
Its collection, made up of more than three million pieces, ranges from Roman and Greek antiquities, to paintings and sculptures of the Western European, oriental art, archaeological pieces, Russian art, jewelry or weapons. His gallery is considered one of the most complete in the world.
