fleurderussie: A cat in the Hermitage Museum (former Winter Palace, St.Petersburg)It’s a tradition t
fleurderussie: A cat in the Hermitage Museum (former Winter Palace, St.Petersburg)It’s a tradition that appeared back in the XVIII century, when cats were brought to the Winter Palace in order to save walls and paintings from rats and mice. They were even given a special title “the guardians of galleries” by Catherine the Great. The so-called “Hermitage cats” still live in the museum and guard it from rodents -- source link