On February 5, 1852, one of the most prominent cultural institutions in the world, Hermitage museum to St. Petersburgopened its gates to the public for the first time. Having begun as a private collection of Empress Catherine of the Great, he had until that time evolved into a huge warehouse of art treasures, which laid the foundations for the creation of one of the most important museums in the world. Since its founding, Hermitage has been proof of the power of art in shaping national identity and has reflected the expectations of an empire at the height of its political and cultural influence.
The beginnings of the Hermitage Museum dates back to 1764, when the Great Catherine, a enlightened ruler with unsaturated passion for the arts, acquired a collection of 225 paintings by Berliner merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky. This original market, which included works by famous European painters, such as Rembrandt, Rubens and Van Dykemarked the launch of an ambitious plan that would soon compete with the largest collections of West art.
The Great Catherine aimed to turn St. Petersburg into “Athens of the North”.
Catherine, who considered herself a protector of the arts and a guardian of European culture, continued to expand her collection. Over the years, gathered thousands of artwork from all over Europecreating an unparalleled treasure from masterpieces of Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo. Its purchases were not merely acts of personal pleasure; they were also carefully calculated movements to consolidate its position Russia in the spiritual and cultural context of Europe. According to her own words, she intended to turn St. Petersburg into “Athens of the North”.
For almost a century, the Hermitage has only remained accessible to members of the Russian Imperial Court and to select officials. The artworks were housed in the luxurious winter palace and in the adjacent little Hermitage, a name derived from the French word “ermitage”, which means “hermit refuge”, reflecting Catherine’s desire for an isolated space, to be enhanced.
Under Emperor Nikolaos I, the decision was made to open the Hermitage to the general public.
However, as the 19th century progressed, the currents of cultural accessibility were changed throughout Europe. The rise of public museums in cities such as Paris, London and Berlin caused the review of the role of art in society. Under Emperor Nikolaos I, the decision was made to open the Hermitage to the general public. On February 5, 1852, the building of the new Hermitage, designed by the German architect Leo von Klenze, welcomed its first visitors, marking a new era for the Foundation.
With its doors finally opening up, the Hermitage Museum was quickly established as one of the most important art institutions in the world. His collection, which had increased to About 4,000 paintings by the time of the inauguration ofincluded works that covered centuries and continents. The museum presented a wide artistic spectrum: from the masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance of Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael to the dramatic Dutch paintings of the Rembrandt and Frances.
The Hermitage withstood the trials of history, including revolutions, wars and political rearrangements.
In addition to its Western European focus, the Hermitage also began to expand its collections to include objects from ancient cultures, Russian art, and even Asian antiquities, reflecting its evolving mission to function as a World Museum. This philosophy of cultural preservation and academic research will deepen in the coming years, securing the position of the Museum as a lighthouse of artistic enlightenment.
From its inauguration in 1852, the Hermitage has withstood the trials of history, including revolutions, wars and political rearrangements. In the midst of all this, the Museum remained a steady guardian of mankind’s artistic heritage. Today, his collection exceeds the three million objectsmaking it one of the largest and most complete museums in the world.
Column: Myrto Katsigera, Vassilis Minakakis, Antigoni-Despina Poumenidou, Athanasios Syroplakis
