The full renovation of Russia's Hermitage in St. Petersburg is expected to take several years

Russia's State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg will undergo a full restoration of its entire architectural complex, including the iconic imperial Winter Palace, museum director Mikhail Piotrovsky has announced.

The large-scale effort is expected to span several years and will involve detailed scientific and architectural planning, he said at a press conference on Thursday.

"We are embarking on another major task. We need to restore the entire complex of Hermitage buildings again. A long time has passed since all this was done last," Piotrovsky said.

The head of construction and restoration, Sergey Makarov, said the work will start with the Winter Palace, which has served as the museum's main building since 1917, and the Hermitage Theater.

"We are currently preparing plans for a major restoration of the main museum building. We need to restore the facades, several halls, parquet floors, which are very worn out," he said, citing high visitor traffic, especially during peak tourist seasons. Makarov added that the theater's renovation will be completed as quickly as possible to minimize disruption.

Catherine the Great began assembling the Hermitage's art collection in 1764, initially for private royal use.

In 1852, Tsar Nicholas I opened part of the collection to the public with the inauguration of the New Hermitage building, which became Russia's first museum purpose-built to display art. Today, the Hermitage ranks among the world's most visited museums.

Major restorations last took place in the late 20th century and continued into the early 2000s, including upgrades to the General Staff Building and the Small Hermitage. The museum recently completed the restoration of the facades of the Menshikov Palace, a historic building dating to the era of Peter the Great.