148 NORTH EASTERN EUROPE
CLASSICAL ART
The Graeco-Roman marble
sculptures range from the
famous Tauride Venus of the
3rd century BC to Roman
portrait busts. The smaller
objects, however, are the real
pride and joy of the Classical
department. The collection of
red-figured Attic vases from
the 6th–4th centuries BC is
It is not possible to absorb the Hermitage’s encyclopedic
collection in one or even two visits. Whether it be
Scythian gold, antique vases and cameos, or Iranian
silver, every room has something that catches the eye.
The furniture, applied art, portraits and rich clothing
of the imperial family make up the Russian section,
which also includes the superb state rooms. The collec-
tion of European paintings was put together large ly
according to the personal taste of the imperial family
while most of the 19th- and 20th-century European art,
notably the Impressionists, Matisse and Picasso, came
from private collections after the Revolution.
Exploring the Hermitage Collections
unequ alled anywhere in the
world, while the tiny terra cotta
figurines from Tanagra, dating
back to the 4th and 3rd cen-
turies BC, are exquisite. Other
stunning exhibits include the
10,000 carved gems collected
by Catherine the Great, the
Gonzaga Cameo, presented to
Tsar Alexander I, and intricate
5th-century gold jewellery
made by Athenian craftsmen.Third-century BC Gonzaga Cameo,
made in AlexandriaRUSSIAN ARTAlthough major Russian works
of art were transferred to the
Russian Museum (see p154) in
1898, every thing else that had
belonged to the imperial fam-
ily was nationalized after the
Revolution. Later, the depart-
ment also began acquir ing
medieval Russian art, includ-
ing icons and church utensils.
The tsars from Peter the
Great onwards invited foreign
craftsmen and artists to train
locals. Peter studied with them
and his fascination for practical
things is reflected in his large
collection of sundials, instru-
ments and wood-turning
lathes, which includes the uni-
versal sundial by Master John
Rowley. Russian artists were
soon com bining tradi tional art
forms with European skills to
create intricate mar vels. The
gun smiths of Tula, located
south of Moscow, per fected
their technique to such an
extent that they began pro-
ducing unique furniture in
steel inlaid with gilded bronze.
The state interiors are the pride
of the Russian depart ment,
revealing the work of Russian
and for eign craftsmen from the
mid-18th to the early 20th cen-
tury. The discovery of stone
depos its led to rooms filled
with malachite and marble.8th-century frescoes from
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Rare Mughal jewelled vessels,
Iranian weapons and Chinese
gold objects are displayed
in the Greek and Oriental
Gold Collection.PREHISTORIC ART
Prehistoric artifacts found
all over the former Russian
Empire include pots, arrow
heads and sculptures from
Palaeolithic sites nearly 24,000
years old, as well as gold items
from the time of the Scythian
nomads living in the 7th–3rd
centuries BC. Peter the Great’s
Siberian collection and the
European Gold Collection
showcase gold objects. Greek
masters worked for the
Scythians, and from the Dnepr
region comes a late 5th-century
decorative comb. Unusually
well-pre ser ved items from
2,500-year-old burial sites,
uncovered during excav ations
in the Altai between 1927 and
1949, are also on display.
ORIENTAL ARTThis selection of artifacts
covers a wide range of cul-
tures from ancient Egypt and
Assyria, through Byzantium,
India, Iran, China and Japan,
to the marvels of Uzbekistan
and Tajikistan. The most
complete sections are where
excavations were conducted
by the Hermitage, mainly in
China and Mongolia before
the Revolution, and in Central
Asia during the Soviet period.
An array of objects, ranging
from Buddhist sculptures,
fabrics, paintings, utensils,
traditional Persian miniatures
and carpets are on display,
along with some marvellousEigth-century fresco of a wounded
warrior from TajikistanComb with a naturalistic scene
of Scythians in battle
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp160–61 and pp162–3