ST. PETERSBURG, MARCH 5 – “I could never imagine myself anywhere else. The Hermitage captivates you entirely and forever—you cannot leave it,” says Anna Trofimova, Head of the Department of Classical Antiquities at Russia’s largest and most renowned state museum, in an interview with Etruscan Times. Answering our questions at length, Dr. Trofimova focuses on the recent reorganization of the galleries dedicated to classical antiquities and the Etruscan collection, which comprises 400 objects and occupies one-third of the exhibition space.
Dr. Anna TrofimovaA leading international expert of ancient Roman sculpture and the author of numerous scholarly publications, Trofimova oversees research, publications, and exhibition projects within the Hermitage’s Department of Classical Antiquities. She has delivered lectures at prestigious institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the German Archaeological Society in Berlin, the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Archaeological Institute of the University of Lausanne.
Among her significant achievements, Dr. Trofimova directed the publication of the Hermitage’s collections in the Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum and the Corpus of Ancient Sculpture by L’ERMA di Bretschneider (2004–2024). She also led an international project studying the private archaeological collection of Marquise G. P. Campana in Rome, a collaboration involving the Louvre, the State Hermitage Museum, the Capitoline Museums, the National Archives in Rome, and the British Museum, carried out from 2017 to 2021. In 2019, she was awarded the Gustav Mendel Medal by the French Academy of Inscriptions and Belles Lettres for her research and the publication of the catalogue for the exhibition “The Dream of Italy: Collections of the Marquis Campana”, held at the Louvre and the Hermitage.
– In 2019, the large-scale reinstallation of the rooms in the Department of Classical Antiquities at the State Hermitage Museum was completed. What place does the collection of Etruscan art hold in the new galleries?
The Etruscan collection, occupying roughly one-third of the exhibition, is displayed in the 
Hall of Twenty Columns, which is dedicated to the art of ancient Italy from the 8th century BCE to the 3rd century CE. This magnificent hall is a rare example of a mid-19th-century museum ensemble, with its interior, display cases, and thematic elements preserved in their original form, as envisioned by architect Leo von Klenze during the construction of the New Hermitage in 1850.
The New Hermitage was Russia’s first public museum building, housing the vast imperial collections. Each room was designed for specific collections, reflected in its decor, display cases, and lighting. Originally, the Hall of Twenty Columns was known as the “Hall of Etruscan Vases,” with painted panels on the walls imitating vase decorations. At the time, “Etruscan” referred to all painted vases, including Attic examples, as these were often found in Etruscan tombs.
The modern exhibition opened in 2003 following the restoration of the hall’s artistic decor and historical display cases and the installation of modern lighting. Today, the Hall of Twenty Columns presents classical artifacts from the 9th to 2nd centuries BCE, most of which were excavated in present-day Italy and Sicily and acquired by the Hermitage from the collections of renowned 19th-century Italian antiquarians Giuseppe Antonio Pizzati and Giovanni Pietro Campana.
During the latest reinstallation, we preserved the refined, yet luxurious, 19th-century artistic ensemble by using antique display cases in the modern exhibition. New lighting for the hall and cases was added, along with a thematic and group-based organization of the collection, reflecting contemporary research.
The new exhibition emphasizes Etruscan ceramics, including impasto, bucchero, and black- and red-figure painted pottery. The bucchero collection is particularly rich, with display cases featuring fine bucchero vases and large pithoi on pedestals, as well as heavy bucchero vessels. Separate sections are dedicated to Italic-Corinthian ceramics and black- and red-figure Etruscan vases, many of which had not previously been exhibited.
The section on Etruscan bronzes has been significantly expanded, particularly with Etruscan weaponry. Helmets from the Campana collection are now studied not only as ancient artifacts but also as examples of 19th-century restoration practices, which often included imaginative embellishments.
The masterpieces of the Etruscan collection, such as large bronze statues and figurines, are highlighted in the exhibition. The centerpiece of the hall is the famous bronze statue of an Etruscan youth, a renowned work of Etruscan art. Other notable pieces include a fragment of a Chimera figurine, a large statue of the Dioscuri, and a dedicated case for Etruscan bronze mirrors. In summary, the new exhibition is more comprehensive and organized, emphasizing characteristic groups of Etruscan art, highlighting masterpieces, and presenting the collection in chronological order.
Mirror Aphrodite and Adonis (Foto di D. Sirotkin)– How many pieces are in the Hermitage’s Etruscan collection, and what does it include?
It contains approximately 400 objects, including about 140 ceramic pieces: 100 black bucchero vessels, six large pithoi, and several heavy red bucchero braziers produced in 6th-century BCE Cerveteri. It also features 21 examples of early impasto pottery and an outstanding collection of approximately 50 painted red-and-black figure vases, representing various stages of Etruscan ceramic development and nearly all known types.
Lion’s Head (Photo by Vladimir Terebenin)The group of ancient bronzes includes 170 objects dating from the 9th to 4th centuries BCE. This collection compares favorably with those in the world’s leading museums. Highlights include a 6th-century BCE tripod decorated with miniature Heracles scenes, a 5th-century BCE lion head statue fragment, and the famous reclining youth statue.
Additional collections include about 70 terracotta objects, such as votive heads, figurines, urns, and masks, as well as engraved bronze mirrors and Etruscan inscriptions. A rare group of Etruscan gold jewelry includes seven pieces dating from the 6th to 3rd centuries BCE. The most significant sections of the collection are the Etruscan ceramics and bronzes, renowned for their quality and completeness.
– How did the Hermitage acquire its Etruscan collection?
Most of the Etruscan artifacts were acquired during the 19th century through the efforts of the Romanov imperial family, who systematically expanded Russian collections. Major acquisitions included the collections of prominent Italian antiquarians Antonio Pizzati (1834) and Giovanni Pietro Campana (1861).
Campana conducted excavations in Ostia, Rome, Veii, Tivoli, and other Italian sites. His collection included masterpieces such as the bronze statue of a reclining youth and a winged sun god relief that adorned an aristocratic Etruscan chariot.
Additional artifacts were purchased from Russian aristocrats, including the Lavalle family and the Golitsyn princes, who acquired antiquities as diplomats and art collectors. Following the 1917 October Revolution, several hundred items were nationalized, including the Stroganov collection of bronzes, terracottas, and vases.
– The Hermitage collection includes 26 objects from the Etruscan town of Vulci. Most are listed in the Vulci nel Mondo database, which maps Vulci artifacts worldwide. How did these objects come to Russia and which do you consider most significant?
Most items from Vulci were part of the Pizzati and Campana collections acquired by the
Hermitage. The standout piece is a bronze tripod adorned with miniature Heracles scenes, a masterpiece of Archaic Etruscan art.
– What challenges does the museum face in studying, preserving, and presenting Classical Antiquity and Etruscan art?
The museum’s mission includes preserving, studying, publishing, and exhibiting its collections, as well as participating in international projects and databases. Balancing these tasks is challenging, but progress has been made, particularly in creating permanent exhibitions where Etruscan art has gained a prominent place.
Temporary exhibitions, such as the Hermitage-Cortona collaboration and the Louvre-Hermitage project on the Campana Collection, have advanced research and public engagement. Plans for the future include a catalog of Etruscan mirrors and bucchero vases and a comprehensive monograph on Etruscan art at the Hermitage.
– How do you assess the state of Classical Antiquity research in Russia today?
Classical studies have traditionally been a vital area of the humanities in Russia, receiving significant attention in the 19th and 20th centuries. Academic fields such as classical philology, translations of ancient texts, and historical research into sociopolitical structures have been particularly strong. Museum-based studies of antiquity have also flourished, with institutions like the Hermitage leading archaeological expeditions and publishing collections.
– Did the international events of the past three years influence the work of Russian Classical researchers?
I have always believed, and still believe, that science has no borders. Cooperation and the exchange of ideas, publications, and discoveries among colleagues have never ceased, despite all the difficulties in international relations. I am invited to publish articles in international journals; just recently, a paper of mine was included in a collective monograph accompanying the exhibition “Alexander the Great and the East” held at the Archaeological Museum of Naples. My colleagues and I also invite foreign scholars to conferences. In mid-October 2024, the Hermitage and the Saint-Petersburg University hosted a major conference on the theory of art history, featuring speakers from Italy, Greece, Serbia, Iran, and many other countries. I am confident that the day will come when states will reach an agreement, and intergovernmental contacts will be renewed. In Italy, Russia, and many other countries, we continue to preserve, study, and showcase the ancient heritage.
– How did you become interested in Classical studies?
I studied in the Department of Art History at the Faculty of History of Leningrad University and chose ancient art as my specialization from the very beginning. As early as my second year, I started researching portraits of Alexander the Great, and the next 25 years of my career were linked to this hero. I traveled in the footsteps of Alexander’s campaigns, wrote a monograph that was published not only in Russia but also in Rome, defended my dissertation, and curated an exhibition. I have been at the Hermitage my entire life and could never imagine myself anywhere else. The Hermitage captivates you completely and forever—it’s impossible to leave it.
Cista (Photo by Alexander Lavrentyev)– Could you please describe your experience in working in Italy and your professional collaboration with Italian publishers and research institutions?
It would not be an exaggeration to say that since the beginning of the 21st century, our collaboration with Italian colleagues has been the most extensive among all European countries. First, there is the collaboration with the remarkable publisher L’ERMA di Bretschneider on the publication of the corpus of ancient vases, where my book Imitatio Alexandri in the Hellenistic Art (Rome, 2012) was also published. We are currently working on a new series, Corpus of Ancient Sculpture.
Since 2010, our department has been collaborating with the restoration fund for ancient Stabiae, and we participate annually in excavations and the restoration of frescoes. I already mentioned the exhibition of Etruscan art in Cortona (2007). The Hermitage has also hosted remarkable exhibitions from Italian museums, such as the exhibition Gods, Humans, Heroes. From the Collections of the Archaeological Museum of Naples, the Archaeological Park of Herculaneum, and Pompeii (2018). Many of my closest colleagues and friends live in Italy.
– Which piece from the collection of the Department of Antiquities at the Hermitage makes you feel most proud?
I must say that my personal relationship with works of art changes over time. I am the curator of the Roman portrait collection and study portraiture as a scholar. Of course, I am proud of the busts of Lucius Verus, Balbinus, and the Syrian Woman. But recently, I realized how deeply I am affected by a completely different sculpture—the statue of Aphrodite, often called the Venus Tauride. This is a unique and special, very graceful version of a statue derived from the work of Praxiteles. I feel it is underestimated as a piece of ancient sculpture. It was one of the first ancient sculptures brought to Russia, acquired by Peter the Great. (@EtruscanTimes)
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