Review by Choice Review
This lavish volume presents a director's survey of the Hermitage Museum in all its glory. Piotrovsky can accurately claim to have grown up in the Hermitage, since his father, Boris Piotrovsky, served as director of the museum from 1964 to 1990. Encompassing the Hermitage in one volume is a daunting task, but the personal perspective allows the author to roam at will through the buildings that he knows so well. At the same time the narrative has a logical structure. After an introductory statement about the universal significance of the Hermitage, the volume presents a brief survey of the museum buildings, followed by an account of the 18th-century formation of the collection. Subsequent chapters deal with the museum's turbulent history as seen through three evacuations: 1812, WW I and subsequent revolution, and WW II. After a survey of the development of the museum in the post-Soviet era, the author chooses various themes that allow him to provide a personal tour through the buildings of the museum and its vast collection. The book is profusely illustrated throughout. Despite the relentlessly clumsy quality of the translation, this is an absorbing introduction to one of Russia's fundamental cultural institutions. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers. --William Craft Brumfield, Tulane University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Piotrovsky has been the director of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, for nearly 25 years. He is the author of numerous books and museum catalogs. This memoir reviews the museum's collection highlights with the premise that the institution belongs to all people. Full-color images and brief descriptions of the architecture, archaeological works, art, and monuments fill the pages. While the summaries provide information and context for each image, more lengthy essays chronicle the history of the museum campus and how some of the original collections were acquired. The pieces further include discussions of contemporary controversies and aspects of the collections that draw special attention, as well as the stories of collection curators. VERDICT This account will be of interest to people planning a visit to the Hermitage and for those wanting a brief glimpse into the museum. The well-crafted text will send readers who want more detail to additional resources.-Valerie Nye, Coll. of Santa Fe, NM © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Library Journal Review