Grander Dutch outpost of Russia’s Hermitage Museum

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will be on hand Saturday, June 20, to celebrate the opening of the expanded Hermitage Amsterdam, the only western outpost of the great art repository that occupies the former Winter Palace of the czars in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The Dutch version, initially opened in 2004 in much smaller quarters,  is expected to become one of Western Europe’s most popular museums, hosting two large-scale special exhibitions each year drawn from the vast, fabled collections of the St. Petersburg Hermitage. It opens with “At the Russian Court,” an exhibition examining the lifestyle of the czars in the 19^th century.

The Hermitage Amsterdam is housed in the 17^th century Amstelhof, which has undergone a $50-million restoration, giving it state-of-the-art galleries, a restaurant, 400-seat auditorium and courtyard garden.

A White Nights party like those held in the summer in St. Petersburg will mark the museum’s opening, featuring 31 hours of concerts and special events overlooking the Amstel River.

— Susan Spano, Los Angeles Times staff writer

[Photo: Paintings at the Hermitage Amsterdam. Credit: Koen Suyk/EPA]

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This entry was posted on Friday, June 19, 2009 at 6:56 am by Susan Spano and is filed under Arts & Culture, Europe, Luxury Travel, News, Tips & Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.