The State Hermitage Museum: Hermitage News

Restoration of the façades of the Hermitage buildings

In accordance with the programme on the Restoration of the façadess of the State Hermitage, in 2004 restoration work was carried out on the northern and eastern façadess of the Great Hermitage, which was constructed in 1770-87 according to the project by Yury Velten. The northern façades of the building is decorated with four allegorical bas-reliefs and key-stones with lion masks moulded from plaster made according to models by Fiodor Gordeyev. The last time the northern façades of the building was restored was in 1993.

After cleaning the façadess and removing old layers of paint, they applied a silicate paint in a colour range close to the original one of the second half of the 18th century. While working on the façadess, they performed restoration of the sculptural decoration: sixteen key-stones with lion masks which are elements framing the windows on the ground floor and four plaster bas-reliefs over the windows of the first floor. The state of preservation of the plaster decoration was found to be unsatisfactory and for that reason a method approved by the Committee of the State Inspectorate for Preservation of Monuments was applied and a complete range of restoration work was done to the decorative elements of the building's façadess. The work was carried out by the Compagnie Meridionale (France, Marseilles) specializing in the restoration of architectural monuments. Methodological direction of the restoration of the façadess and sculpture was performed by the employees of the Department of History and Restoration of Architectural Monuments Vladimir Yefimov, Maya Lebel and Tatyana Prazdnikova. Technical supervision was provided by specialists from the Department of Major Construction (Sergei Burdukov, director).

In 2005, restoration work was done on the western façades of the New Hermitage and the eastern façades of the Small Hermitage. In preceding years restoration was performed on the three street façadess of the New Hermitage, and in the current year repairs to the courtyard façades were completed. The volume of restoration work came to more than 4,000 square metres. The work was done by a subcontractor, Compagnie Meriodionale Ltd, specializing in restoration of façadess and buildings. In the course of the restoration, a crumbling stucco layer was removed and a new protective covering was applied, while the architectural elements made from limestone were cleaned and restored and the granite base was restored. Restoration was also carried out on the windows, with replacement of broken glass; the cornices and drainage pipes were replaced.

The façades was repainted using colours very close to the initial ones from the second half of the 19th century. Silicate paints were used in accordance with a methodology approved by the Committee of the State Inspectorate for Preservation of Monuments. Major work was done to restore the terracotta decorations. The façades of the building has in total around 4,000 pieces made from kiln-fired clay. Lost parts were restored by a subcontractor organization - Art Expert Ltd. Examination was made of the state of the roofing, gutters, cornices and drainage pipes. Elements which were found to be in unsatisfactory condition were replaced.

In parallel with this restoration, work was also carried out on the eastern façades of the Small Hermitage by the contractor Compagnie Meridionale Ltd. Technical supervision was provided by the Deputy Director of the Department of Major Construction, Vladimir Melnikov. The volume of work came to more than 3,000 square metres. In the course of the work, dirt was removed, the solidity of the stucco was checked and necessary replacements were made. The original design of false joints was restored. Moulded stucco elements were restored, as were the metal awnings, six skylights made of copper and the base made of limestone. Windows were repaired, and metal and wooden casements were given fresh coats of oil paint. Cornices, gutters and drainage pipes were replaced, and chimneys were repaired. The façades was painted with a silicate paint.

During 2005, restoration work was also carried out on the northern façades of the Auxiliary House (30 Dvortsovaya Naberezhnaya). The work was done by the Sobor construction company. In the process of restoration, the walls were stripped of old paint layers and the façadess were given a fresh coat of silicate paint. Since inspection of the stucco decoration revealed that its state of preservation was unsatisfactory, a whole range of restoration work was done to the decorative elements of the façades. Methodological direction of the restoration of the façadess and sculptural decoration was performed by the employees of the Department of History and Restoration of Architectural Monuments Vladimir Yefimov (deputy director), Tatyana Prazdnikova and Maya Lebel.

The last restoration of the façadess of the Hermitage Theatre, built in 1787-89 according to the project by the architect Giacomo Quarenghi, was carried out in 1989. The decoration of the façadess was in an unsatisfactory state. During September-November 2004, the decision was made to carry out restoration of the northern and western façadess of the Theatre. The Compagnie Meridionale (France, Marseilles) specializing in the restoration of architectural monuments, carried out the work. In the process of restoring the stucco work of the façadess, old layers of paint were cleaned away and then a coat of silicate paint in a colour range close to the original was applied.

During the process of working on the façadess, restoration was also done to the sculptural decoration - plaster statues located in niches at the level of the second floor windows. A methodology approved by the Committee of the State Inspectorate for Preservation of Monuments was used, involving a whole range of measures to restore the sculptures. Methodological leadership in restoration of the façadess and sculptures was provided by the employees of the Department of History and Restoration of Architectural Monuments, Vladimir Yefimov, Maya Lebel and Tatyana Prazdnikova. Technical supervision was done by specialists from the Department of Major Construction (Sergei Burdukov, director).

In 2006, the restoration of the facades was carried out by the Compagnie Meridionale for the restoration of works of architecture, based in Marseilles, France. Methodical guidance was given by the staff of the Department of the History and Restoration of Works of Architecture (headed by chief architect Valery Lukin) and technical supervision by the staff of the Hermitage's Department for Capital Construction (headed by Sergei Burdukov).

Restoration of the northern facade of the Winter Palace

Rastrelli's design gave each facade of the Winter Palace its own unique appearance. This effect was to a large extent achieved by the fact that all the sculptural and decorative elements do not repeat themselves mechanically, but change imperceptibly in their individual details as they were executed in situ by moulding lime plaster with a filler onto a frame or skeleton already attached to the wall. This technique was used for all the pediment compositions and a significant proportion of the window decoration (the size and appearance of which differs depending on the storey). It permitted the creation of a uniquely rich and varied wealth of plastic decorative details.

The last restoration of the northern facade took place in 1995. Testing of the strength of the sculptural and decorative elements before the start of work in 2006 revealed the unsatisfactory state of the bases and capitals of the columns. Then, using a methodology approved by the Committee of the State Inspectorate for the Preservation of Monuments (KGIOP), a complete restoration of the decoration of the facade was carried out. The moulded elements incorporated into the cornice section of the window architraves were cleaned of old layers of paint; the plaster was reinforced and minor surface losses made good. The facade and the decorative elements were painted with silicate paints in a colour scheme that accorded with the KGIOP's specifications. The technical condition of the roof, gutters, openings, cornice overhangs and downpipes was checked. Unsatisfactory elements were replaced.

Restoration of the northern facade of the Small Hermitage

In 2006 restoration work was carried out on the facade of the northern pavilion of the Small Hermitage. The northern pavilion is marked by strict proportions and has a precise division into two tiers. The lower tier, intensified by rectangular rusticated blocks, serves as a massive base for the more lightweight upper part that is embellished by a Corinthian portico. The central part of the building forms a broad projection. The strongly protruding cornice is topped by an attic with sculpture in the centre. The colonnade of the upper tier is flanked by statues of Flora and Pomona. The tall windows create the illusion of open arcades, investing the building with an elegant proportionality.

The northern facade of the Small Hermitage was last restored in 1996. An examination of the strength of the architectural details and the coating of paint in 2006 showed the facade to be in good condition. The exception was a few areas of plasterwork which needed to be stripped back to the masonry and then redone. Prior to painting the old paint on the facade and decorative mouldings was cleaned of soot and grime, the surface was then primed and painted with silicate paint in a colour scheme that accorded with the KGIOP's specifications.

Restoration of the southern facade of the Auxiliary House

In 2006 restoration work was carried out on the southern facade of the Auxiliary House. In the course of restoration the masonry was cleaned of old paint. The process of cleaning the facade revealed some samples of the original paint layers, which prompted a change of the colour scheme. The facade was given a dark grey colouring, as close as possible to the historical original. Due to the poor state of the plaster decor a full restoration of the decoration of the facade was carried out.

The work was carried out by the Compagnie Meridionale for the restoration of works of architecture, based in Marseilles, France. Methodical guidance was given by the staff of the Department of the History and Restoration of Works of Architecture (headed by chief architect Valery Lukin) and technical supervision by the staff of the Hermitage's Department for Capital Construction (headed by Sergei Burdukov).

The Great Hermitage. Northern façadess.
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