State Hermitage Museum

The Hermitage is St. Petersburg’s most popular visitor attraction, and one of the world’s largest and most prestigious museums. It is a must-see for all first-time travellers to the city. With over 3 million items in its collection, it also rewards repeat visits, A __________ of the riches on offer here, from Impressionist masterpieces to fascinating Oriental treasures. It was estimated B __________ on display for just one minute. So many visitors prefer a guided tour to ensure C __________ highlights. Art-lovers, however, may find it more rewarding to seek out for themselves the works D __________.

The bulk of the Hermitage collection is housed in the Winter Palace, E __________. However, there are a number of other sites that constitute part of the Hermitage, including the recently opened Storage Facility in the north of St. Petersburg. It offers guided tours through some of the museum’s vast stocks. The magnificent General Staff Building opposite the Winter Palace is most famous for its central triumphal arch, F __________ Nevsky Prospekt. The General Staff Building contains a number of unique exhibitions. It includes the Modern European Art, probably the most visited section of the Hermitage with well-known collections of Picasso and Matisse, as well as a wealth of popular Impressionist paintings.