Storage Facility at Staraya Derevnya

This remarkable project, begun in 1990 and slated for completion in 2010, is designed to store securely and scientifically the vast funds of the Hermitage that are not part of the permanent displays, while giving public access to this wealth of historic and artistic artifacts. Using state-of-the-art storage and display techniques, the Hermitage Storage Facility covers 35,000 square meters of floor space, and comprises restoration workshops and lecture halls as well as the vast 'open storage' facility.

The tour route currently open to visitors covers over a kilometer of displays. The largest collection is from the Department of the History of Russian Culture, and comprises over 3,500 canvases by Russian artists from the 17^th to the 20^th centuries, ingeniously displayed on sliding racks, as well as ancient frescoes from churches in Pskov and Smolensk, icons, sculpture, and antique Russian furniture.

Other displays of note include exhibits that, due to their size, have rarely been displayed to the public before, including the impressive Hall of Carriages and, in the Oriental Department section, the beautiful field tent presented to Catherine the Great by Turkish Sultan Selim III in 1793. Also on display are a wealth of classical monuments, and some lesser known works of European art. As the storage facility nears completion, more and more of the Hermitage's hidden treasures will be revealed.

Visiting the Hermitage Storage Facility is only possible by guided tour. Tours are available in English.