Another stop in St. Petersburg, Russia, this time to the Hermitage

I've created another two spreads for Art Journal Journey.  My dear friend Erika, aka BioArtGal is this month's host and her theme is Journey.  This journey takes us once again to St. Petersburg, Russia.

Located directly across from the Winter Palace and Hermitage is the curving General Staff and Ministries Building and its well known arch.  It matches the Winter Palace in scale and grandeur and sits across the Palace Square.  It was built between 1819 and 1829.

In the background is the Palace Square and the Winter Palace, which houses the Hermitage.  The Winter Palace has more than a thousand rooms, now holding much of the Hermitage art collection started by Catherine the Great.

Designed to commemorate victory over Napoleon in 1812, the outer walls of the archway are decorated with figures of the "Goddess of Glory" flying on cannonballs, while the arch on the Palace Square side displays the sculpture of "Glory in her Chariot of Victory" being pulled by six horses.

According to several travel web sites, the third and fourth floors of the General Staff Building houses magnificent art of all eras that rivals the art in the Hermitage.

There's one word that perfectly describes The Hermitage, and that is opulence.  If you plan to visit, be prepared to wear floor-protecting booties over your shoes in certain buildings.

There are six buildings that comprise the entire complex, including the Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage, New Hermitage, Hermitage Theater, and General Staff Building.  Originally designed, founded, and completed by Catherine the Great, the museum contains one of the largest and oldest collection of artifacts, including numismatics, archaeological artifacts, arms and armory, and the largest collection of paintings in the world.  There are over 3,100,000 total items, many of which are however, not on display.

Materials used in this two page spread include a used file folder, images from three travel brochures, buttons, a paper doily, and washi tapes.

Thank you for taking this imaginary journey with me to The Winter Palace, The General Staff and Ministries Building and arch, and The Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia.  Please don't forget to visit Art Journal Journey where journeys can be real, artistic, or imagined, like mine was today.