This museum is the famous Winter Palace in Russia.
The Winter Palace was once the imperial palace of the Russian Tsar. It was built from 1754 to 1762. It was so high in Russia that there was such a rule that all buildings in St. Petersburg cannot be taller than the Winter Palace.
The current Winter Palace has been reconstructed and turned into a Russian cultural relics museum. In addition to the numerous cultural relics, it is also a good place for cat lovers.
The history of keeping cats in the Winter Palace has a long history. As early as when Peter I (June 9, 1672-February 8, 1725) was reigning, there were cats in the Winter Palace. The first cat in the Winter Palace was called Vasily. According to legend, Peter I bought it from a merchant and asked to keep it in the Winter Palace to deal with mice.
In 1745, Peter I’s daughter Elizabeth Petrovna (Elizaveta Petrovna) issued a decree requiring that the cats in the Winter Palace must be from the Kazan region of Russia. Legend has it that the Kazan cat has excellent quality, first-rate rat hunting level, and has the reputation of "bring wealth to the family". The promulgation of this decree brought the status of the Kazan Cat to a new level.
Later, Catherine II divided the cats living in the Hermitage into two levels. The high-level cats were used as pet cats for viewing and lived indoors. The tradition continues to the present.
The history of keeping cats in the Winter Palace had a short break during World War II. During the Leningrad blockade that lasted for 871 days, all the cats in the Winter Palace died. In the Winter Palace, which was transformed into an air-raid shelter, they became mice. In heaven, in the market at that time, a cat was worth as much as a loaf of bread.
finally reached the end of the war, and immediately 5,000 cats were reintroduced to St. Petersburg, saving the residents here from the rodent infestation.
The Hermitage, which is now transformed into a museum, still retains the tradition of raising cats, and the cats are still divided into two classes: the "noble" cats who are responsible for decorating the museum are respected and respected, have their own cat bowls, cat litters, and cat toilets. In the museum’s venues, the “employees” cats who are responsible for catching mice bustled through the museum’s yard, attic and basement every day.
Don’t look at the “employee” cats that seem to be very hard, but they have two other benefits: one is that tourists can choose to be close to the “employee” cat, and adopt this “employee” on the special days when the Winter Palace is open every year. "Cat, and received a certificate of "Master of the Winter Palace Cat" and the qualification to visit the Winter Palace free of charge for life.
If "employees" cats are not adopted when they are old, there is another benefit. They can retire and spend their old age in designated cat cafes or cat museums. It can be said that the staff of the Hermitage Museum considered these cats very thoughtfully.
Of course, in order to prevent cats from destroying precious cultural relics or documents, some special rooms in the Winter Palace, such as the reading room, are forbidden to enter and leave. These cats who live in the Hermitage all the year round have already quietly learned how to survive in this museum. Together with the staff, cultural relics, and visitors, they have become an important part of the Hermitage Museum.
In order to protect these mouse-catchers, there is even a special traffic sign in the courtyard of the Hermitage Museum that says "Beware of Cats." The parking lot of the Hermitage Museum requires all vehicles to be driven only at the speed of human walking, and not at will. Sound the whistle to avoid frightening or hurting the cats who walk in the yard and bask in the sun.
Now many museums have cats, and sometimes the attention of cats even exceeds that of the museum itself, such as the Forbidden City cat.
On the one hand, these cats can help the staff catch mice and indirectly protect the buildings and cultural relics. On the other hand, the existence of cats can also add to the enjoyment of visitors.The museum, which was originally a bit rigid, has a little more life. On the other hand, it can also bring a lot of topics to the museum. It can be said that it is an excellent example of cats and humans getting along.
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