The STaTe hermiTage muSeum annual reporT

General InformatIon General InformatIon
of a research department. The Department
is responsible for the conservation of
the unique architecture of the museum’s
buildings, as well as the adaptation
of the buildings for modern use. It also
provides scientific support for restoration
activities. Of the Department’s fifteen staff
members, one holds doctorate and three
Kandidat degrees.
educaTion deparTmenT
The Hermitage has been organizing
educational activities within the museum
since 1925, when first guided excursions
were arranged for the benefit of the public.
Their aim is to introduce the Hermitage’s
collections as well as art history in general
to the museum’s visitors. The Department’s
staff members are involved in more than
30,000 guided tours and deliver over
500 lectures a year. Thirteen of the Department’s
one hundred and thirty-seven staff
members hold Kandidat degrees.
School cenTre
The School Centre that offers programmes
for children of pre-school and school age
has been functioning as a separate department
since 1999. It has an Art Studio,
various children societies, Young Archaeologists
Club, and Young Art Historians Club
and a Lecture Hall. Two of the Department’s
twelve staff members hold Kandidat degree.
reSearch liBrary
One of the oldest and largest museum
libraries in Russia specializing in art history,
it has been an integral part of the Hermitage
since its foundation. The Library grew from
the private collection of Empress Catherine
the Great. At the present moment the Library
holds more than 800,000 volumes on art,
history, architecture and culture in most
European and Oriental languages. The Rare
Books and Manuscripts Sector contains
more than 10,000 rare pieces, among them
European and Russian manuscripts, early
Russian and Western European printed
books, a collection of decorative bindings,
unique “gift” editions from the Imperial
libraries, and the autographs of prominent
Russian and European figures. The Department
has forty-five staff members, three
of them holding Kandidat degrees.
deparTmenT of manuScripTS
and documenTS
Founded in 1980, the Department
consists of document and photograph
archives, the latter includes a collection
of photographs and negatives. The archives
were founded in 1805 and at present
contain sixty-seven funds, among them
are sixty-two private archives and ninetyseven
inventories. 37,392 items were
catalogued in the Hermitage’s archives
between 1767 and 2000. The Hermitage
began receiving photographic documents
in the middle of the 19th century when
the first photographic works appeared,
but the photo archive was set in the 1920s.
At the moment it includes 75,134 negative
images and about 1,000 photographs.
The Department has nine staff members.
regiSTrar deparTmenT
The Registrar Department catalogues
the objects kept in the Hermitage, issuing
all the necessary documents concerning
their inventory and keeping. It supervises
their movement both within and outside
the museum. It is responsible for the timely
inventorying of each new object that enters
the museum. It registers the newly acquired
items, carries out check of safekeeping
documents and regularly checks the
availability of the museum items.
The Department has thirty-two staff
members, two of them holding Kandidat
degrees.
SecTor of new acQuiSiTionS
The Sector was organized in 2000 with
the main aim to ensure the fruitful activity
of the Hermitage Purchasing Commission
on the completion of the State Hermitage
stocks. It also takes part in the
consideration of stock issues, concerning
stock-keeping and the museum’s expositional
practice. Three of the Sector’s five
staff members hold Kandidat degrees.
deparTmenT of ScienTific
reSToraTion and conServaTion
Restoration activities have been carried
out in the Hermitage ever since the 1760s
when the Picture Gallery of the Hermitage
was founded. Highly qualified restorers
working in the Department undertake
restoration, conservation, and preventive
work on objects in the museum’s collections
and control the conditions under which
objects are maintained in storage areas
and museum permanent and temporary
exhibitions. The Department consists
of thirteen restoration laboratories: of easel
painting, tempera painting, mural painting,
Oriental painting, graphic works, sculpture
and coloured stones, applied arts, organic
materials, textiles, timepieces and musical
mechanisms, precious metals, furniture and
chandeliers. It has one hundred and twentysix
staff members.
deparTmenT of experT
examinaTion
Founded in 1936, it was the first in Russia
and one of the first in the world X-ray
analysis laboratories. In 1970, it became
a separate laboratory, and in 1997 was
amalgamated with the chemistry laboratory
and transformed into the Department of
Expert Examination. Now it is amongst the
largest centres engaged in the examination
of works of art and culture in the country.
Applying modern scientific technologies,
the Department studies materials and
technologies, carries out expert examination
and identification of art works. It has
fifteen staff members, one of them holds
a Kandidat degree.
laBoraTory for Biological
conTrol
The Laboratory was created around the
group of disinfection specialists which was
established in the 1960s to combat insect
pests. In 1990 it was reorganized into
a research laboratory with highly qualified
experts in entomology, mycology and
microbiology. It has eight staff members,
three of whom hold Kandidat degree.
laBoraTory for climaTe
conTrol
The Laboratory’s major task is to provide
favourable conditions for the storage
and display of the museum objects.
Its staff monitors the climate conditions
of the exhibition and storage areas in the
main State Hermitage Museum complex
and its branches. The Department develops
major requirements of museum storage
for different types of collections. Its staff
takes part in the design and introduction
of new heating and air condition systems.
They are also involved in scientific and
teaching activities. It has four staff members,
one of whom holds a Kandidat degree.
J collegiaTe BodieS of The STaTe hermiTage muSeum
academic council of The STaTe hermiTage
permanenT diSplay commiTTee
reSToraTion council
Board of curaTorS
purchaSing commiSSion
ediTorial council
ediTorial Board of collecTion caTalogueS
ediTorial Board of The RepoRTs of The sTaTe heRmiTage museum
ediTorial Board of pedagogical and educaTional ediTionS
exTernal policy council
exhiBiTion commiTTee
reSearch granT commiTTee
archaeological commiTTee
inTerneT SiTe council
educaTion and meThodology council
arTS council
muSeum STrucTure and STaff commiTTee
SecuriTy council
engineering SupporT ServiceS council
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