The State Hermitage Museum, in Russia's second city St. Petersburg, is one of the world's largest and most recognisable museums, home to over three million works of art ranging from the Stone Age to the 20th century. It takes pride of place along the embankment of the Neva river, alongside the city's other famous buildings such as the Church of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood and the Admiralty Building.
The Hermitage consists of four main buildings - the showpiece Winter Palace, built in the mid-18th century, the General Staff building, the Menshikov Palace and the recently renovated repository. These, occupying Palace Square, encircle the iconic Alexander Column, built in the early 19th century to commemorate Emperor Alexander I.
The museum houses 12 main collections, which range from Russian culture to prehistoric art; from Antiquity to the Orient. Other highlights include the Arsenal - a pantheon of world weaponry and armour - and over a million numismatic items. The prehistoric section largely consists of objects relating to the peoples of the former Soviet area, and some tribes from the Bosphorus, or Anatolian, region. However it is the museum's world-class collection of European art which is the main point of interest for most visitors, with most revered artists being covered in some capacity. Particular highlights include Raphael's Madonna and Child, El Greco's The Apostles Peter and Paul and Henri Matisse's Dance.
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