The Cats of the Hermitage: Guardians of Three Million Artworks

The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg houses more than three million works by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Picasso, and many others. Less well known is the colony of around seventy 'museum cats' that live in the building. The tradition goes back to 1745, when Empress Catherine ordered cats to be kept in the Winter Palace to protect against rodents. After a near-disaster in 1814, cats were formally recognized as part of the museum's staff. In 1998, the Hermitage even established an official 'Cat Day'. Each museum cat has a veterinary file, and retired cats are adopted by staff. They are more than working animals — they are part of the museum's living heritage, proof that the truest guardians do not always wear uniforms.