The collection of the State Hermitage includes more than three million works of art and artefacts of the world culture. Among them are paintings, graphic works, sculptures and works of applied art, archaeological finds and numismatic material. The main architectural ensemble of the Hermitage situated in the centre of St Petersburg consists of the Winter Palace, the former state residence of the Russian emperors, the buildings of the Small, Old (Great) and New Hermitages, the Hermitage Theatre and the Auxiliary House. The museum complex also includes the Menshikov Palace and the Eastern Wing of the General Staff building, the Staraya Derevnya Restoration and Storage Centre and the Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory.

It is awesome! The Hermitage’s collections include works by Leonardo Da Vince, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian, a unique collection of Rembrandt and Rubens, many French Impressionist works by Renoir, Cezanne, Manet, Monet and Pizarro, numerous canvasses by Van Gog, Matisse, Gauguin and several sculptures by Rodin. The collection is both enormous and diverse and is an essential stop for all those interested in art and history. My guide says that if you were to spend a minute looking at each exhibit on display in the Hermitage, you would need 11 years before you’d seen them all. However, I recommend you opt for a guided tour instead!

It is a great place indeed! Remember to grab the map of the palace as soon as you get in, it will help you plan your tour through various epochs and schools of art and not to get lost in the halls of the Winter Palace))
The best time to go there is winter. First - you will not need to wait in a huge line to get in and the palace won't be crowded, second - you will stay in a warm place)) While in summer you'll have other wonderful options like walking in parks and boating along canals, which, however, is beyond any comparison with Hermitage, the real jewel that St.Petersburg is happy to possess!

The State Hermitage is a one of the largest and oldest museum of the vorld. The collections occupy a large complex of six historic buildings along Palace Embankment, including the winter Palace,a form residence of Russian emperios. Apart from them, the Menshikov Palace, Museum of porcelain,Storage Facility at Staraya Derevnya and the estern wing of the general Staff Building are also part of the museum. Out of six buildings of the main museum complex, four, named the Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage and New Hermitage.

So, the Hermitage is a BIG museum in the centre of St. Petersburg. If you want to see it all it will take you about 2 days. I spent one day in there, and they have art from practically all countries. The building itself is wonderfull as well. You can buy tickets (with student discounts) for 1 day but you can also buy a passe partout for multiple days! If you are in St. Petersburg you should definitely go there. Even if your not that much into art and stuff, its still wonderful!