This picture was sent in by PH. He writes: "The State Hermitage occupies six magnificent buildings situated along the embankment of the Neva river, right in the heart of St Petersburg. The leading role in this unique architectural ensemble is played by the Winter Palace, the residence of the Russian tsars that was built to the design of Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1754-62. This ensemble, formed in the 18th and 19th centuries, is extended by the eastern wing of the General Staff building, the Menshikov Palace and the recently constructed Repository. Put together throughout two centuries and a half, the Hermitage collections of works of art present the development of the world culture and art from the Stone Age to the 20th century. These quite functional facilities which lack any artistic or design merit, were very busy indeed and it was very difficult to take this photo but I was determined to do so even if someone saw me. As to their location, I can't be more specific than on the ground floor near the entrance onto Dvortsovaya Naberezhnaya [Palace Embankment] beside the Neva river."