Bast shoes, coal fire tongs and a bottle

The General Staff has presented in 2009 such a Christmas gift Hermitage restorers and builders who have finished "the first stage of works on reconstruction and restorations of the East Wing of the building". In conformity with the plan of organization of the construction museum and restored parts of the East Wing of the Staff are marked off: "the border"- doorways and corridors - is bricked up, on attics and roofs metal bars, a security signal system and video observation are installed.

The territory of the staff yards is cleared from "temporary constructions", buildings which for decades had been growing near the walls have disappeared, cellars of the Staff are cleared from deposits of an old equipment and dust which the Hermitage had got from former owners and tenants.

For strengthening the East Wing they have done it a "medical" manipulation - it is lead an injection strengthening the bases by special cement mortars in the zone of the first stage of the construction.

The statistics of the works is full of impressive figures: 17 kilometers of cored holes are drilled, temporary mobile transformer substations were installed and connected for strengthening the foundation bases of the building for further installation of 1300 titanic piles (9,5m everyone).

Works on strengthening historical arch covers, replacement of wooden beams for historical ones and filled with historical bricks and mortar of lost details of walls and chimney pipes are being fulfilled nowadays.

Bast shoes, coal fire tongs and a bottle used for grain wine - these evidences of working daily routine of the last centuries will take the place at the exhibition "Restoration of the General Staff".

Shovel
Larger view

Bottle with an inscription: "Table grain wine. 1/40 of a bucket. Centrospirt"
Larger view

Tongs
Larger view

Brick
Larger view