The Winter Palace, the grandest of the Hermitage's buildings, is painted brilliant turquoise green and white, with golden decorations along its roof. It sits right on the bank of the Neva River. The building has 1,786 doors, 1,945 windows and 1,057 rooms. Walking through all the rooms would be quite the adventure - it is said that if you stopped to look at every single object in the museum for just one minute each, it would take more than five years.
Inside, you can find paintings by some of the most famous artists who ever lived, including Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt and Michelangelo. There are ancient Greek pots, Egyptian mummies, armour from medieval knights, clocks with moving golden birds, and a whole room filled with sparkling gems. The building itself is decorated with marble columns, gilded ceilings and enormous crystal chandeliers.
The museum was started by an empress called Catherine the Great, who collected art enthusiastically during the 1700s. She called her private gallery the 'Hermitage', which is a French word meaning a quiet, private place to retreat to. Today the museum welcomes millions of visitors every year, and schoolchildren from across Russia visit on class trips to learn about art, history and the world.