The State Hermitage informs. A new museum lockdown

Following the resolution of the Saint Petersburg city government of 2 December 2020, forbidding visitors access to museums from 30 December to 10 January, the State Hermitage informs:

The Hermitage, like other museums, will be closed over the New Year holidays. We appreciate that this decision has been taken so as not to encourage people to travel to Saint Petersburg, where the epidemiological situation is very difficult.

We are, of course, very sad that visits to museums have come under the ban. Museums are, after all, at the present moment among the most responsible observers of all official ordinances connected with the public health situation. Thanks to our efforts, museums have become the safest places currently. The measures to introduce fixed routes are being rigorously observed, electronic tickets have been introduce and all mass gatherings have been cancelled. Museum visitors are behaving in a highly responsible and organized manner – sticking to the routes, wearing masks and using antiseptic on their hands.

We will be trying to compensate for the fresh “museum lockdown” with new online programmes. During the holidays, we plan to show you thorough, detailed guided tours of the temporary exhibitions in the form of “premieres”. Additionally, we will be making available a variety of video programmes that will allow you to spend the New Year break in as cultured a manner as previously. Work is also underway on new parts of the virtual tour section on the State Hermitage website, which allows users to take a virtual stroll around the Hermitage at their own pace even without a guided tour.