The inauguration of the New Hermitage was formally celebrated on 5 February 1852, but the museum was opened to the public only in 1853, after a review of the "Instructions on the administration of the Imperial Hermitage" and the drawing up of the "Rules for Visitors". The public were admitted by the heads of the First and Second Sections of the museum on presentation of single or season tickets. The "Rules" stated specifically that season tickets (valid for a year) had to be made out to one particular person and could be issued only with the Emperor’s permission. A single ticket gave entry to "up to five persons" on one occasion. The museum was open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in winter and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in summer. When halls were closed for some reason an announcement to that effect in Russian, French and English was to be posted by the entrance. In 1857 octagonal annual personal tickets made of card were introduced. The colour of these was changed from year to year (green, yellow, white). These tickets also gave access to the eastern gallery of the Small Hermitage that housed the Gallery of Precious Items and the oldest museum collection in the country - the Cabinet of Peter the Great.