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St. Petersburg, Russia
As observed by someone who knows
little about art.
Well, everyone who goes to St.
Petersburg "has to go" to the Hermitage (pronounced "air
mih tazh' "). I rarely go to the Chicago Art
Institute, so I wasn't sure that I was looking forward to a day of roaming
through an art museum, but frankly, I was
blown away! Not by the art, in my case, but by the gorgeous museum itself
and the rooms of the Winter Palace - the art wasn't bad either. My camera
can't quite replicate
the experience of being there, but I have tried my best to share some of
the grandness and beauty of this spectacular place. And if you find
yourself in St. Petersburg, Russia sometimes, I would definitely recommend it
for a visit even if you're not an art aficionado.
(Clicking on an image below will bring up a larger version of it.)
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Planning tip:
buy
your tickets online.
This photo shows only about 1/2 of the line on a rainy
Tuesday (there's a large courtyard leading to the
other side of the building, and that's where the ticket office is).
Note: redeeming our online voucher required us to get to
the ticket sales booth...I had to walk up to the front of the line and into the
building through the exit doors showing our voucher to
the guard (who nodded and said "administration"). I went to the info desk, and they took me to the front
of the line (somewhat shorter on the day we attended, but still pretty
long) for immediate delivery of
our entry tickets - and curious stares from the people in line. |
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One of the first views is this impressive foyer.
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I probably spent 5 minutes here admiring it and trying to get shots
without hordes of people front and center. |
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We did, at times, run into masses of people (resulting from tour groups).
But in general, the museum is pretty spacious and provided us with
freedom and space to enjoy our visit. |
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A wing focusing primarily on Rembrandt. |
A staring contest? The Rembrandt seems to always win
:-) |
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Winter Palace |
Ceiling details |
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Winter Palace Armorial Hall |
Winter Palace War Gallery (with wedding couple) |
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Winter Palace |
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Aro
