Temperature inside the Hermitage

[macsback]

Does anyone know if the Hermitage is heated in the fall/winter? We'll be there on October 23rd and wonder if we'll need coats inside. Thanks!

 

Macsback

[LHT28]

It is probably climate controlled

They would not want to have all those works of art ruined by the heat or cold

 

You could always email them and ask so you will be prepared

[txladycruiser]

Well, we were there in July 2010 when it was in the 90's. No air conditioning at all! In fact, they had the big windows open. We were surprised that there wasn't a/c because of all the artwork.

 

 

 

Karen

[alexandra cruiser]

it was HOT ,,,,and windows WERE open,,,we too thought it was so strange with priceless art works,,but that s the case.

So doubt you d need a coat in Oct..probably have some form???of heat,,,but know NO AC in summer.:confused:

[teb3]

We were there last month and the AC was on but there is a trick to all of this.

 

They have climate control to conserve the collection. However, with the hoards of summer tourists, the body heat overpowers the AC so they open windows which at least stirs the air a little.

 

Also, we were warned about this as a general reference in advance. The people are so used to being cold all the time, they actually run AC about 15 degrees warmer than we set our in the states.

 

And because Summer really starts to fade in late Sept., you'll need a jacket inside. Plus they have a Very large checkroom.

 

TEB3

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

They have no air ,Heat???

[teb3]

Yes, they do have heat. In fact MOST of SP has heat provided by hot water. I'm not kidding. We were on the way back from Peterhof and noticed a lot of "smokestacks" that were belching steam. Looked a lot like nuke cooling towers so we asked our guide and the driver. Nope, they are big steam generating plants everywhere that then pump hot water/steam to ALL the buildings via pipes. Talk about a utility/infrastructure nightmare but that's the way things have been built.

 

So, the places will be heated, my point was you can always check your coat but going outside might be cold. Our hotel, the Rossi, has modern heat and air. Prob. 90% of the places you will be will be ok. Inside the churches, they haven't been "upgraded" but do you want ducts hanging between columns and from the ceilings of buildings that are that historical. Always the balance between history/preservation and modern standards. Just part of life but you will survive --- just remember how you pack so far a layers to take off or put on. Heck one day, I had on a jacket, then wore it slung over my shoulders for three hours, then put it back on. Temp that day varied between low 70's to high 50's.

 

TEB3

[HDS]

We were there late October 2008. The outer layers we needed to wander St Petersburg streets were definitely superfluous in the Hermitage. There was a coat/hat check-in facility at all the public buildings we visited. The delay while everybody on the bus(es) checked and collected outerwear was almost as frustrating as the delays at the souvenir shops. We are very glad we spent extra days in both Moscow and St Petersburg to see the places we had glimpsed on the cruise tours.

[Coral]

It was very warm in May! I would guess it would be perfect in October.

[id est]

then pump hot water/steam to ALL the buildings via pipes.

Which is by the way much more efficient than using hot air like we do here in States. The Energy conversion efficiency is higher.

[teb3]

Another thing in the Hermitage (and other museums) is some paintings or art is framed with glass in front of the actual canvas or even frame. An example are the two da Vinci paintings. This is not only for security reasons but climate control as well. Of course you have to bulldoze your way through a few hundred tourists to even see them since they are small and displayed at eye level.

 

TEB3

[Yggdrasil98]

This one is easy for me - HOT, hot and stuffy, even with the windows open on a cool day, and very very warm! It's the number of bodies shoulder to shoulder all day every day. Some rooms the crowd thins out (we arrived before it opened and were amongst the first groups in), and by the time we reached the Impressionists it was more bearable as there were less people in each room.