One of the largest and oldest museums in the world, the State Hermitage in Saint Petersburg was founded by Catherine the Great, in 1764, and has been open to the public since 1852.
The Jordan Staircase of the Winter Palace leads up to the exhibition rooms.
Although badly damaged by fire in 1837, the original plans from architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli were used for the reconstruction of this grand state entrance.
I waited for the small child to move up the marble stairs to help illustrate the grand scale of the elaborate detail before our eyes.
