The Hermitage Rooms at Somerset House recreate the look of the Winter Palce in Russia and its various wings which make up The State Hermitage Museum.

It shows rotating exhibitions from the collection of the Museum in St Petersburg and other Hermitage-related activities. The rooms are furnished and decorated to give the feel of some the galleries in the Hermitage (in particular those that overlook the river Neva).

Russian craftsmen were involved in making various key features, including the marquetry floors (based on 18th-century Russian floor designs), the chandeliers, the blinds and the trompe l’oeil ceiling painting (also based on one in the Hermitage). Colours used on the walls, furniture and even the door handles are replicas of those in the Hermitage, giving visitors who are familiar with the museum a sense of being transported back to St Petersburg, while those who have never been there will be given a taste of the opulence and grandeur of the Russian palace.

Explore the Hermitage rooms website