Postcard The State Hermitage Museum
The State Hermitage Museum is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The largest in the world, it was founded in 1764 when Empress Catherine the Great acquired an impressive collection of paintings from the Berlin merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky. The museum celebrates the anniversary of its founding each year on 7 December, Saint Catherine's Day. It has been open to the public since 1852.