A hands-on study program grants special access to the art treasures of Russia’s Hermitage Museum

—Kathryn Whitmer, Bellingham, WA

If you are fascinated by the art treasures at the Hermitage and are not content with a typical 2-hour tour with hard-to-hear commentary, an extraordinary opportunity awaits you in St. Petersburg, Peter the Great’s gleaming city on the Gulf of Finland.

In the January 2001 issue of ITN (page 12), an article by Dorothy Olim Krone (who had read Marjorie Maxwell’s letter in the May 2000 issue, page 52) about attending a 2-week summer school program offered by the Hermitage in cooperation with the European University of St. Petersburg prompted me to apply.

I have since attended two summer sessions and have found it to be such a stimulating experience that I’ve decided it’s time to let ITN readers know about it again!

Hands-on-experience

“The Romanov Dynasty as Collectors of Netherlandish (Dutch and Flemish) Art” was the title of the 2004 2-week summer school I attended. (In 2002, the focus was on Italian art collected by the Romanovs, the imperial family.)

For 12 days, from 10 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., lectures were presented by numerous curators and even by the director of the Hermitage, Prof. Mikhail Piotrovski. Guided tours were taken into the various galleries, and treks went to the workrooms of the curators.

We had access to art treasures that are not available to the general public and opportunities for “hands on” (carefully) experiences.

Seeing storage rooms where hundreds of paintings are hung as well as cabinets containing prints, rare books and drawings, besides golden treasures and the many masterpieces hung in the galleries, gave us a broader view of the incredible collection.

Additional sights

Four “Day Out” field trips to stunning palaces outside of St. Petersburg took our small group (classes are limited to 20) to Peterhof, Oranienbaum, Tsarskoe Selo (the Catherine Palace with its newly restored Amber Room), Gatchina and Pavlovsk. Hermitage curators Alexej Leporc and Alexei Larionov, both extremely knowledgeable, led our group through the palaces and grounds.

Classes were held in English in a seminar room across the hall from the Hermitage theater, a one-minute walk to the Raphael loggias and the incredible galleries. Delicious multicourse lunches were served daily in the staff dining room.

When classes were finished at 4:30, there was still time to explore other parts of this vast museum before it closed at 6 p.m. Returning to favorite galleries or exploring others on my own was a pleasant way to reflect on the class information.

For example, one of our lectures was on Rembrandt’s “The Return of the Prodigal Son” with its great symbolism and moving emotion. To gaze at this masterpiece numerous times over two weeks was much more meaningful than seeing it just once.

In the evenings, many of us attended theater programs: operas, ballets, choral concerts and folk music performances. The outstanding events at the Mariinsky and other venues enhanced the whole cultural experience. (These outings were not included in the summer school course.)

The particulars

The summer school cost was $990, which included tuition, lunches on class days, access to museums on the “Day Out” trips and airport transfers. The cost did not include airfare, hotel accommodations, Russia visa or travel insurance.

Aster, Inc. (phone 7 812 327 1011 or e-mail info@asterincorp.com), the official travel agency for the summer school, provided hotel information, airport transfers and visa support. Service coordinators Debra Johnson and Inna Kuzmina have been extremely helpful both summers I have attended.

In 2002, 16 of the 20 participants stayed at Hotel Okhtinskaya. Others stayed in different hotels and an apartment. In 2004, some of us stayed at the Okhtinskaya (with Aster discount, $79 single occupancy, including ample buffet breakfasts). Others stayed at more expensive hotels or in apartments.

During both summers, the participants have represented a variety of backgrounds: art history professors, teachers, museum docents, museum board members, graduate students and individuals interested in the Romanov dynasty, Russian history, costume design and architecture.

Most students have been American, with Australia, Japan and France represented in 2002. Ages ranged from 20 to 70. With this wide spectrum, the opportunities to learn from participants is an added “plus.”

Looking forward

Since the intensive course occupies two full weeks, I would recommend adding a few extra days for sightseeing before or after the course. There are numerous other museums, cathedrals and other sights to see. I have visited St. Petersburg six times in the past 40 years and still have only scratched the surface of fascinating sights.

2004 marked the seventh St. Petersburg Art Treasures of the Hermitage Summer School. Codirectors were Roman Grigoryev and Alexej Leporc, both of whom hold joint appointments as curators at the Hermitage and professors at the European University at St. Petersburg.

At the final session, where we were given certificates of participation (by the way, there are no exams nor papers to write), Dr. Grigoryev told us that the European University and the Hermitage are considering some changes in the summer school format in order to offer an even greater variety and selection of classes in 2005. Whatever the changes, I’m sure the course will be as interesting as it has over the past seven years.

Summer session info

Information regarding dates and topics will be posted on the European University’s website, www.eu.spb.ru (click on “English version”). Their address is 3 Gagarinskaya, St. Petersburg 191187, Russia.

The IBM-sponsored website for the State Hermitage, www.hermitagemuseum.org, is a superb source of information.

Any questions? You may write to me c/o ITN.