The exposition of the Hermitage takes place in six majestic buildings…

The exposition of the Hermitage takes place in six majestic buildings located along Neva Embankment in the center of St. Petersburg. The Hermitage occupiesseven buildings: Winter palace, Small Hermitage, Big (Old) Hermitage, New Hermitage, Hermitage theater, Menshikovsky palace and former building of the General staff. At Ekaterina II construction of a building of the Small Hermitage near the Winter palace began. Here Ekaterina II stored the collection of painting which laid down in a basis of future museum. The collection constantly replenished with new pictures, sculptures, products from ornamental stones and other objects of art, and eventually in the Small Hermitage didn't remain an empty seat for their placement. In 1771-1787 to it one more building which specially intended for storage of picturesque and sculptural works, — the Big Hermitage was attached. Approximately in the same years, as the Big Hermitage, on Palace Square the Hermitage theater created on the project of Kvarengi was erected. It intended for imperial performances which became by then very popular palace entertainment. 225 pictures of the Flemish and Dutch artists acquired by Ekaterina II at the Berlin merchant I.E.Gotskovskogo became the first exhibits of future State museum. Then it added the collection with cloths Kobentslya, Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin, Watteau, Raphael, Titian and many other well-known painters. The empress and didn't forget about the modern art, ordering pictures to the European masters, whose way to a world fame at that time just began. Except painting works, Ekaterina II collected medals and various products from a carved stone — геммы, cameos, female ornaments and figurines. The largest acquisition meeting of carved stones of the duke Orleans became such. She bought and sculptures, however them in a collection was not so much. Most valuable of them — the antique figures bought from banker D.L.Brown, and "The writhed boy" Michelangelo — were initially stored in Ekaterina's summer residence in Tsarskoye Selo.