The Hermitage Museum

I spent most of yesterday at The Hermitage. This is also known as the Winter Palace which was the Imperial residence until the revolution. 

The Winter Palace was built at the time of Empress Elizabeth but the art was driven by Catherine the Great. The art and Egyptian collections were expanded during the Russian Revolution as the properties of the aristocracy were pillaged and appropriated. Also, Archeological digs into burial mounds have contributed grave goods from Ancient Greece, Scythian and nomadic tribes. The collection has grown to include diplomatic gifts and personal possessions of the czars. There are small Faberge eggs (the larger eggs are in the Kremlin) and miniature crowns included in the diamond exhibit. 

The building interiors are stunning.