On 18 January 2007, a presentation ceremony was held in the Hermitage Theatre for the State Hermitage's latest multimedia product - a set of 10 computerized educational programs.

The educational programs were created on the basis of museum collections by staff of the State Hermitage's School Center with support of IBM Corporation. They are intended for everyone interested in the history of art. The instructional courses are shown on the Hermitage website under the heading "Virtual Academy" and have been issued on disks.

The State Hermitage has donated 500 sets of the computer education programs to schools and orphanages of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Oblast, as well as to museums, libraries and educational establishments around Russia. Delivery of the disks to the Russian regions is being carried out by the Administration of the Federal Postal Service of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Oblast, a branch of the Russian Post.

Each set consists of 10 disks and includes the following educational programs:
Antique Subjects and West European Art of the 16th to 20th Centuries from Collections of the State Hermitage. This course was created especially for children aged 10 years and over. It contains five sections: Authors of the Ancient World, the Gods of Olympus, Heroes of Ancient Greece and Rome, and the History of Psyche.

Evangelical Subjects in Western European Painting from the Collection of the State Hermitage is intended for all lovers of painting. The program takes the user deep into the world of evangelical subjects as reflected in paintings by masters of various artistic schools and ages.

The History Gallery of Ancient Painting tells about one of the unique interiors of the New Hermitage. The paintings in the Gallery were created on the basis of drawings by Leo von Klenze, who designed the New Hermitage. It was the intent of the architect that the Gallery remind museum visitors of the outstanding painters of Ancient Greece and Rome, and that it give an idea of their works which have not survived to our day.

The program on the Raphael Loggias presents another famous museum interior which was created at the behest of Catherine the Great and duplicates that celebrated moment of the Italian Renaissance, Raphael's Loggias in the Vatican.

The program entitled Amazing Mechanisms is devoted to unique exhibit items in the Hermitage having complicated mechanisms.

The Winter Palace - Residence of the Russian Emperors tells us about the history of the Winter Palace, about the lives of Russian emperors and members of their families, as well as about events which took place within the walls of the palace.

The Age of Knights transports us to the medieval world, with its suits of armor and weaponry, crusades and knightly tournaments, coats of arms and orders.

Biblical Subjects is intended for the wide audience of those interested in history and art. The world of bible stories is revealed in works of art from the State Hermitage collection.

Ancient Rome tells about the history, architecture, sculpture, painting and decorative and applied arts of Ancient Rome. The program gives us an idea of the influence Ancient Rome had on the later development of Western European and Russian art.

Rembrandt in the Hermitage lets the user learn about the world renowned Hermitage collection of works by the great 17th century Dutch artist.

Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage

Liya Livshits
Head of Computer class
(Education Officer)

At the ceremony presenting the State Hermitage's latest multimedia product to representatives of schools

The first shipments are sent by Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage, and Yury Agafonov, Acting Director of the Administration of the Federal Postal Service