The 2nd Largest Museum in the World

The State Hermitage Museum is 233,345 square meters and has a collection of over 3 million works of art and world culture artifacts. The State Hermitage Museum is located inside of the Winter Palace. Beginning in 1732 until 1917, the Winter Palace was the official home for Russian Monarchs. Almost all the Romanovs, beginning with Catherine the Great, lived here. This is the same Palace mentioned in the famous animated 'Anastasia'. 

Many of palace's rooms were preserved and are now open for visitors to observe. Imagine being in the exact palace that great Tsar's of Russia lived in, and the same palace that is mentioned in one of favorite childhood movies. It was a dream come true. I felt like a princess as I walked up the red velvet carpeted stairs. The palace is decorated with sculotures, mirrors everywhere, ceiling paintings, marble floors and pillars, wood carvings and tapestries.
Home to one of the best ranked museums of the world, the Hermitage has paintings from Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titain, Giorgion, Rembrandt, Monet, Manet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Kandinsky, and many many others. Not only are there works of art but also sculptures, gold and jewels, medallions, coins, archeological finds (like a women dated back to the 9th century), and artifacts from Eastern countries.
The Hermitage was founded in 1764 by the Empress Catherine the Great after she purchased an impressive collection of art from Berlin. Since then, the Hermitage grew with collections from other Tsars. Every year on the 7th of December, Saint Catherine's Day, the Hermitage celebrates it's anniversary.
I loved being able to explore the beautiful palace, I could spend all day walking around and still feel as if there were things I hadn't seen before. One of the best parts was being able to read all about the Palace and it's history, the Tsars and artifacts on a computer in ENGLISH! I learned so much about the culture of Russia and gained a greater respect for this country that I am able to call my home away from home.

Advice from a girl who felt like a Russian Princess:
Immerse yourself in different cultures, you'll learn, grow, and view life a little bit differently.

PS. Don't be afraid to ask me questions in the comments!

-Laura Burke (soon to be Frazier) 

*Check out more photos --> Saint Petersburg Photo Gallery