On September 9, 2025, the virtual platform of the Russian House in Brussels hosted a vibrant cultural event — the opening of a new season of the project “Hermitage Evenings”, prepared by the State Hermitage Museum.

Viewers took part in a fascinating online journey through the “Greater Hermitage” — both the famous building and the broader cultural space that unites historical and contemporary sites of the museum across St. Petersburg.

The tour was led by Mikhail Borisovich Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage, who spoke about the museum’s development, its unique collections, and the changes it has undergone in recent years. The virtual route included key highlights: the Main Museum Complex on Palace Embankment, the Staraya Derevnya restoration workshops and storages, the Winter Palace of Peter I, the Menshikov Palace, the Imperial Porcelain Factory, and the Eastern Wing of the General Staff Building.

The journey concluded with a breathtaking bird’s-eye panorama of Palace Square.

At the end of the meeting, Svetlana Anatolyevna Datsenko, Advisor to the General Director of the Hermitage, answered audience questions, while Vera Bunina, Director of the Russian House in Brussels, invited guests to the next online lecture. It will take place on October 21 and will focus on the work of Frans Snyders and Flemish still life of the 17th century.

The events are held in Russian with simultaneous translation into French, making them accessible to a wide international audience.

Watch the video of the tour here: