On 1 June 2020, museums in the Netherlands reopened after an interval of more than a month and a half due to the threat of the spread of the coronavirus infection.
At exactly 12 noon, the State Hermitage’s branch in the Netherlands, the Hermitage–Amsterdam Exhibition Centre, threw open its doors. The new reality means people keeping 1.5 metres apart with corresponding markings on the floor of the exhibition rooms; ticket sales only online; and visits by timed sessions. Most importantly, though, the Hermitage in Amsterdam again has people queuing to get in. The exhibition “Jewels! Glittering at the Russian Court” has visitors once more. It is possible to drink a cup of coffee in the Hermitage’s inner courtyard, and to buy souvenirs in the museum shop, even if it is a stylish face mask carrying a close-up picture of one of the most notable items in the exhibition – a bouquet holder that belonged to Empress Elizabeth.
Our colleagues in Amsterdam thoroughly prepared the centre for reopening, and the first day went well. All the tickets for the sessions from 12 to 5 pm were sold and all the visitors conscientiously followed the new rules for museum visitors.
Excellent weather in Amsterdam made it possible to arrange a small concert in the courtyard. DJ Rosenthal was invited to create a festive atmosphere. Staff of the Hermitage–Amsterdam centre will continue working remotely until 1 July 2020, but many have expressed the wish to come in an act as museum custodians to ensure the operation of the centre. Cathelijne Broers, Director of the Hermitage–Amsterdam Exhibition Centre, and Ernst Ween, Chairman of the Dutch Friends of the Hermitage, greeted the first visitors.
The run of the exhibition “Jewels! Glittering at the Russian Court” has been extended to 27 September 2020. The opening of the following exhibition, “Tsars & Knights. The Romanovs’ Love Affair with the Middle Ages”, is scheduled for mid-October 2020.
