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Every year in St. Petersburg, the Hermitage Cat Day is held, and we offer to find out what is special about this holiday, what date it will be in 2020 and who decides what the date will be.
Today, “Hermics” (the so-called fluffy guards of the museum) is one of the exclusive highlights of the Hermitage and a kind of “tourist brand” of the northern capital. In 2015, the British media ranked the Hermitage cats among the most unusual sights in the world.
history of the holiday
The State Hermitage is a pearl among the most significant world museum complexes. More than 3 million exhibits are stored in the galleries of the Hermitage, among which are priceless works of art and ancient monuments of world culture. Some of the values are exhibited in galleries, and some are in special museum repositories. Along with ensuring optimal climatic conditions for preserving values, the effective protection of museum premises from rodents that can cause irreparable damage to exhibits is very important. Like many years ago, today the role of defenders from rats and mice is assigned to the cat regiment.
Although Hermitage Cat Day has been celebrated not so long ago (since 1998), the mustachioed defenders have been living in the walls of the Winter Palace for more than 270 years. Legend has it that Peter I himself brought the first cat to the palace from Holland, and in 1745, by order of Empress Elizabeth, in order to effectively deal with hordes of rodents, an entire army of rat-catchers from Kazan was relocated to the territory of the royal residence. Since then, the cat regiment has been guarding the palace itself and the surrounding territories.
Interesting fact! Not all cats are allowed (and previously allowed) in the premises of the Hermitage. Serving in the service of the Pied Piper is divided into "indoor" and "domestic" depending on the nature and inherent in some representatives of "shkodlivosti".
In the 60s of the last century, as a result of an uncontrolled increase in the number of rat-catchers, they themselves were recognized as a threat to priceless exhibits, and the museum management decided to replace the "mustached regiment" with modern means of fighting rodents. Cats were caught and evicted outside the complex. But, they soon returned back, since no means could stop the rat invasion following the departure of the cats. Since then, no one has ever questioned the value of the feline army of museum keepers, and the cat-guards themselves receive all sorts of honors.
The modern life of the Hermitage cat
Do not assume that the cats of the Hermitage exist on their own. The size of the cat’s army is strictly regulated (no more than 50 pieces), and all animals in the museum service have:
- official document (veterinary passport);
- a full package of medical care;
- plank beds and bowls;
- trays (supposed to be living in the premises);
- toys that visitors of the Hermitage often bring to fluffies;
- running wheel to keep fit.
Of course, today animals cannot move freely around the halls and galleries, they are allocated only the basement of the complex and the area around it. Although the guards say that at night the Pied Piper often make their way to the upper floors, for which they, of course, are not scolded, but simply persistently sent back.
Important! All doors in the basement of the Hermitage are equipped with special “cat-like” moves, which allows animals to move freely even in rooms closed to people.
There are real celebrities among the “hermics”. So, Vasily was recognized as the most photographed, and the snow-white handsome Achilles became famous due to the fact that he predicted the victory of the Russian national team at the World Cup in 2018.
The Whiskered Winter Regiment, of course, does not starve. Lunch is strictly scheduled at 2 p.m. There are three women in the museum staff to meet the needs of cats. But, the diet of the Pied Piper is designed in such a way that their desire to fulfill their basic duties does not disappear - they hunt rodents. Nevertheless, guests and museum staff do not miss the opportunity to please the pussies with something tasty. But, planning to visit the highlight of St. Petersburg on the Day of the Hermitage Cat in 2020, it is still better to take care of the cats, donating a certain amount to their contents, since excess food may not very well affect the health of furry guards.
Holiday traditions
Annually, the date on which Hermitage Cat Day is scheduled is determined by the museum management and when the holiday will be held in 2020, it will be possible to find out in the near future by tracking our news or posters on the Hermitage's official website.
As a rule, the festival of the Hermitage Cat Guard takes place at the end of spring, when the fluffies with great pleasure bask in the lawns and take a fancy to the monuments heated by the first rays of the sun for relaxation, which causes incredible delight among visitors.
Over the years of the cat's day in the Hermitage, its traditions have developed. As a rule, on this day in the museum are:
- exhibition of children's drawings on the topic of cats;
- games and contests with animators;
- expositions devoted to cats in art;
- unique excursions to the cellars of the Hermitage, which allows guests to see how the legendary Pied Piper live;
- distribution of cats from the Hermitage Guard.
Distribution of "hermics"
Today, Hermitage cats have already become a kind of brand of the world-famous museum, and many lovers of “pussies” are interested in the question of whether animals will be handed out in good hands in 2020 and how to take a museum rat catcher.
Indeed, when the number of animals in the Hermitage exceeds the established limit, the museum management announces an action and offers the residents of St. Petersburg to take the cat they like to their home. It is worth noting that such actions take place not only on the day of honoring the "hermics". There are a lot of people who want to become the owner of the Hermitage cat, but not everyone gives animals.
Important! Kittens in the Hermitage are not handed out, since all its inhabitants are sterilized.
A potential applicant should clearly understand what responsibility he takes upon himself, because most of the Pied Piper are neither purebred nor “domestic” in the full sense of the word and cannot simply be an adornment of an expensive interior. In addition, many mustached residents of the Winter Palace have a difficult, and sometimes tragic, history.
It doesn’t matter if you can take one of the “Hermics” to your home or limit yourself to an original souvenir with the image of these amazing animals. Just take the time and visit the Hermitage on this unusual day with your children, and you can discover the pearl of world heritage from a completely different perspective. It will be a fascinating and truly unforgettable journey into the unique world of the Hermitage cat!
And for those who will not be able to visit St. Petersburg this year, we offer to get acquainted with the Pied Piper of the Hermitage simply by watching the video:
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