Academic Council of the State Hermitage Museum

On 30 January, 2002, the Academic Council of the State Hermitage Museum met to discuss the future reconstruction of the Large Courtyard of the Winter Palace. Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the Hermitage, opening the meeting poited out that the proposed reconstruction was part of the New Hermitage Entrance Program. Valery Lukin, Chief Architect of the Hermitage, presented several projects of the Courtyard's new design. All of them open access to the Museum through the gate from Palace Square. One of the projects was proposed in 1885 by Nikolay Gornostayev: the courtyard would have a garden with a fountain, flowerbeds, gravel pathways and limestone panels along the palace walls. Danish architects suggested creating a pool and regular garden in the Courtyard center. Hermitage architects' idea is to remove the 250 years' culture stratum and pave the Courtyard with cobble-stones as it was in the time of Rastrelli who built the Winter Palace (1754-1762). Cobblestone design would outline the foundations of the buildings that once occupied the Courtyard.

Among the principal issues discussed by the meeting participants were the type of pavement and the design of the central garden.

Oleg Ionnisyan, Director of the Architecture and Archeology Section, told about the Hermitage architects' exploration. By comparing old engravings, drawings and plans they recreated the historical stages in the building activities on the Neva embankment between the Admiralty and the Hermitage Theater. Over last few years, there were excavations in the Hermitage courtyards. Most of the Large Courtyard was occupied by the palace of one of the closest companions of Peter I, Admiral Fedor Apraksin (architect Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Leblond). According to the architect, the Big Courtyard is a sort of an archeological reserve where the stratigraphy has been ideally preserved. It would be interesting to show the extant foundations, however it would be difficult because of the climate and geological conditions. Architects suggested providing foundation outlines in the cobble-stones with explanations and creating a model of the Courtyard in 1725 to a scale of 1:200 and a multimedia program showing eight basic stages of construction.

The discussion was very lively; some demanded that at least some of the memorial trees in the garden be preserved (there are trees in the Winter Palace Courtyard planted by Empress Maria Fedorovna, wife of Alexander III). Also the changed function of the Courtyard was discussed which will now become accessible to visitors.

To recapitulate, Mikhail Piotrovsky spoke about the problems of the Courtyard design, possible location of booking offices, cloakrooms and information services and visitors' access. All participants agreed that the fountain should be restored and a regular garden created without destroying the memorial trees; the Courtyard level should be lowered with foundations outlined; a good model and multimedia program should be created and a shopping area with cafeterias should be designed.

Development and discussion of the New Hermitage Entrance Program is continuing.

Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum, opening the meeting of the Academic Council

Valery Lukin, Chief Architect of the State Hermitage Museum, introducing the project

Design projects introduced