For most of Russia’s existence, its rulers cared little for Western culture and art, preferring instead that of the Russian Orthodox church, or folk art pieces. Interest in the European art was revived with Emperor Catherine II (Catherine the Great). To house her impressive collection of Western paintings and sculptures, she ordered a wing to be attached to the Winter Palace in St. Petersbug, the seat of the Russian monarchy; and what began as a small collection of 300 paintings grew within her lifetime to over 14,000 paintings and drawings, along with numerous jewels, coins, books and other curios. But for the better part of 90 years since its inception, the Hermitage was closed to the general public.

On this day, February 5, in 1852, under the rule of Catherine’s grandson Nicholas II, the Hermitage was officially opened to the public. It had undergone considerable expansion in the interim years, but much of the collection remained off-limits. Still, Petersburg residents and notables turned out in numbers for the marquee event and concert.

Already containing a huge amount of art, the Hermitage grew by leaps and bounds from the confiscated collections of Russian tsars and nobles after the October Revolution. One of the world’s greatest collections by World War II, it fell into great danger as Germany approached within cannon range of the city and museum. In the weeks before the arrival of the Germans, a portion of the most valuable of pieces in the Hermitage collection — some 700,000 crates in all – were evacuated by train beyond the Ural mountains, out of range of the attackers.