The State Hermitage Museum is preparing to celebrate the annual Day of the March Cat – a special project devoted to cats living in the museum, the museum press service reports. Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum, believes that cats are a vital element and an integral part of Hermitage life.
According to the museum’s official website, the story of whiskered civil servants began in early 18th century, when Peter the Great brought a cat from Holland and let it live in the Winter Palace. Later Empress Elizabeth Petrovna issued a Decree ordering to bring to the palace the best and the biggest cats capable of catching mice. Catherine the Great, who founded the Hermitage Museum, granted cats the status of guardians of the picture galleries.
In the frame of the celebrations the State Hermitage Museum has launched an art competition for students of art schools. Apart from that, on March 27, on the Day of the March Cat, all visitors of the Winter Palace will be able to “get familiar” with cats, to participate in games and competitions and to attend a special art exhibition featuring pictures of cats painted by professional painters and school students.
