by Leo Tolstoy
translated by Louise and Aylmer Maude

The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
Russia experienced a renewed interest in the arts during Tolstoy's lifetime. The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg opened in 1852 as the country's first public state museum. Previously an imperial palace, the building has retained its royal interior. Take a Virtual Tour of the museum. Then select a room and write a speech you would give about it if you were the tour guide.