Completed in 1764, the Hermitage is the largest landmark and symbol of St. Petersburg.

Situated in the centre of Saint-Petersburg the State Hermitage Museum is housed in five magnificent buildings created by celebrated architects of the 18th to 19th century.

The Winter Palace, formerly the residence of Russian Emperors which was constructed between 1754 and 1762 after a design of Bartolomeo Rastrelli, occupies an important place amongst other constructions of the whole Museum ensemble.

The architect designed the palace as a part of the city landscape - a huge closed space with an inner court and free facades secluded from all other buildings.

It was built by order of Empress Catherine the Great. The Hermitage is also known as the Winter Palace. At those times French was the salon language – it was a matter of aristocracy, prestige and high culture, if someone speaks French. Not accidentally, and the name of Hermitage comes from French and means "place of solitude." The name was chosen deliberately. Exactly what was the purpose of the Hermitage - to create a place where the empress to enjoy its solitude and left alone with herself.

Today the Hermitage is a museum. It is one of the best in the world and with certainly the most attractive, with regard to its architecture.