Complete the text with the words below.
Bartolomeo Rastrelli’s ... creation, the State Hermitage Museum is a symbol of St. Petersburg, ... one of the richest collections of art in the world, with ... 3 million items. Peter the Great ... the collection in 1697- six years before the city of St. Petersburg emerged – after ... several maritime paintings on a journey to Holland.
With time, the Hermitage ... the tremendous private collection of Catherine the Great, who built the Hermitage, as well as collection of other members of the royal family. Exploring the museum’s collection, which ... masterpieces from ancient times to the present day, could well take weeks. To visit all 400 exhibition rooms ... make a journey of up to 20 kilometers.