The Centre holds exhibitions and lectures prepared with the assistance of Hermitage specialists.
The Hermitage-Vyborg Centre
16 June 2010, the Hermitage-Vyborg Centre was opened. The project was initiated in November, 2007 upon signing the Agreement for cooperation between the State Hermitage, the Government of the Leningrad region and the Vyborg District Municipality of the Leningrad region.
Exhibits from the collection of the State Hermitage Museum will be held in the Hermitage-Vyborg Centre two or three times a year. Visitors will be able to participate in tours, lectures, and educational programs prepared with the help of specialists from the Hermitage.
The Centre is located at the Panzerlax bastion, which was once part of the old Hornwerk (Horned Fortress). The bastion was built in 1579-1580. In the middle of the 18th century, it was partially rebuilt, reinforced, replaced arches that had fallen into disrepair and erected a stone magazine. In the 1860's, the fortress was dismantled as unnecessary, but the bastion and part of the granite wall were preserved as a monument and fortification.
In 1930, according a plan by Vyborg's leading architect, Uno Verner Ulberg (1879-1944), a building in the functional style was specially erected to serve as an Art Museum and School.
By the end of the 1930s, the Vyborg Museum had become the second most significant museum in Finland after the Ateneum in Helsinki.
During the Soviet period of Vyborg's history, the building of the former Art Museum and School was changed into several other institutions. Since 2003, a Children's Art School was located in its left wing, while the right wing was left to stand empty, and became defunct. The decision to create the Hermitage-Vyborg Centre here was the beginning of a rebirth of this famous example of Vyborg architecture that would return it to its original function as a museum.
The Hermitage Vyborg Centre's operations began with a large scale exhibit entitled Catherine the Great. The Hermitage presented 213 exhibits relating to the age of the reign of Catherine II to the residents and guests of Vyborg, including artifacts of painting, graphics, applied art and numismatics samples.
