The new building will be opened Hermitage in December
 

The new building will be opened Hermitage in December

The first phase of the restored rooms of the General Staff, owned by the Hermitage will open in December 2010. On this, as reported by BaltInfo, 27 September, said museum director Michael Piotrowski.
The cost of restoration work the first 30 rooms of 4,4 billion rubles. At the moment, spent about 80 percent of allocated funds.

According to the agency, the restorers have restored many of the details of the interior of the General Staff. During the restoration works were discovered unknown enfilade, not marked on old drawings. It is assumed that it will join the suite of all the east wing of the General Staff after work.

According to Piotrowski, the second phase of restoration work completed in 2012. Reconstruction of the building completed in 2014, when the museum will celebrate 250 years.

According to the agency, in new halls will accommodate a collection of Italian sculpture, French painting of the XIX century, as well as the Museum of Faberge. In addition, in the east wing will be on display a collection of contemporary art, particularly works by the artist Ilya Kabakov. The plans to move there some picture of Sergei Shchukin and Ivan Morozov, Piotrowski said back in 2006.

Plan for reconstruction of the General Staff was formally introduced in 2008. The reconstruction project of the first stage of premises has been designed by architectural studio "Studio 44".

http://www.lenta.ru/news/2010/09/28/hermitage/