On 20 June 2023, a temporary security checkpoint will be opened in an arch of the Main Gate of the Winter Palace.
The inspection facility will be a vital element in the museum’s comprehensive security system, bolstering the Hermitage’ defences against terrorism and criminal activity, and indicating that museum safety is on the right course.
This facility is intended to check visitors on entering and to detect items prohibited from being brought into the Hermitage. The decision to install the checkpoint was dictated by the need to ensure the safety of visitors and staff and to protect the museum’s exhibits. At present, the State Hermitage is experiencing a growth in visitor numbers, while the new conditions resulting from changes in the geopolitical situation demand that security be raised to a new level of quality.
The prefabricated module is equipped with state-of-the-art monitoring equipment, including metal detectors, a video surveillance system with facial recognition, x-ray machines for inspecting hand luggage, and more. Heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems mean that a comfortable climate is maintained within the module. There is also an automatic fire alarm system. Security alarms have been installed to prevent unauthorized access to the checkpoint itself. Staff of the National Guard of Russia and the Hermitage’s Security Service are on duty at the posts.
A separate entrance is provided for people with restricted mobility, while visitors with pacemakers can request manual screening by presenting an appropriate document.
The module has sufficient capacity to cope with a large flow of visitors. It will be possible to enter the Great Courtyard of the Winter Palace through one side of the Main Arch and to exit through the other.
