Hermitage-niks: A Passion for the Hermitage dir: Aliona van der Horst DOCUMENTARY SERIES Art / History The Hermitage in St. Petersburg is famous for its employees, who are given a special name: Ermitazhniki (Hermitage-niks). This affectionate nickname points to their almost obsessive love for the museum and its art collection. The Hermitage-niks are colorful people who talk passionately about the paintings and other art objects that they restore, guard and study. They live their lives in the company of Rubens, Rembrandt, Matisse, the cameo collection of Catherine the Great and the armory of Nicolas II. In the recent past, living amidst the chandeliers and marble statues of the Tsars and Tsarinas was a way to escape from the gloom of daily existence in Soviet times. These "inhabitants" of the museum provide a rich source of anecdotes and stories about individual art objects, their origin and their "biographies." The personal histories of the Hermitage-niks are linked to the history of the museum. They often talk about the old Masters as if they knew them intimately. This personal approach reveals the museum and its art collection in a new light. The palace, in all of its splendor and its atmosphere of romance and intrigue, provides a perfect setting for a series of fascinating stories.