If you are at least 15 years old and are ready to commit for a minimum of one month, you are welcome to become a volunteer! Students also have the possibility to validate their experience in the Volunteer Service as an internship. You should just fill out the application form provided below and send it by email along with a motivation letter. A member of our team will then get in touch with you. Our email address is: volunteer@hermitage.ru

Application form

The knowledge of Russian is welcome but not compulsory, since our volunteers and visitors come from all around the world. On the other hand, we do encourage you to take Russian classes during your stay in St Petersburg. We are collaborating with the Russian Academy of Sciences, that can offer you private lessons at a very reasonable rate.

You can stay up to one month on a Tourist Visa. If you are planning to stay for a longer period, you will need a Student Visa and an official invitation from our Service. The Visa application can take a long time and we advise you to start it at least one or two months in advance. To obtain the official invitation we will need a scanned copy of your passport, the precise dates of your arrival and departure, as well as the name and address of the institution you represent (university, school...).

At the end of your stay, we will be happy to provide you with an official certificate specifying the various tasks you would have accomplished.

What do the volunteers do? For instance, they provide information to our visitors, welcome special guests, help with the translation and editing of the Hermitage publications, implement interactive programs and activities, help organize special events (conferences). More generally, the Volunteer Service is ready to help all the museum's departments whenever help is needed. In particular, our team collaborates on a regular basis with the Archaelogy and Antiquities departments. Volunteers and interns are also encouraged to develop projects in connection with their own personal goals and interests.

Our office is open every day except Mondays from 10.30 am to 6.00 pm. Working hours are flexible and volunteers will be able to make their own schedule. Interns are expected to work full-time.

The Volunteer Service can only provide unpaid internships. However, we will gladly assist you if you have any questions and will put you in touch with the other volunteers. Volunteers taking Russian classes at the Academy of Sciences will also have the possibility to stay at the university residence.