Pushkin Museum the Alexander III Fine Arts Museum in 1910 by Mikhail Schekin (1871–1920), the Russian consul in Trieste, and include unique Old Master works such as painting by Giambattista Pittoni. After 1924, many paintings from Moscow and St. Petersburg state-owned and private collections were provided to the Museum. These were artworks by Western European painters from the Rumyantsev Museum (Moscow), as well as the private collections of Sergei Tretyakov (1834-1892), the Yusupovs, the Shuvalovs, Henri Brocard (1836-1900), Dmitry Schukin (1855-1932), and other Russian collectors. Pieces provided by the State Hermitage were of particular importance. However, the gallery was completed only in
Hermitage cats 2007, the museum began adopting cats needing homes. In 2011, the museum began a "Catfest", a celebration of its cat population. "Catfest" has included cat painting contests and scavenger hunts for children. Beginning in 2015, because of the number of visiting tourists, a website has been set up by the museum for people who may be interested in adopting a cat. “It is an honor to adopt a Hermitage cat,” one potential cat owner was told. Other cats kept to deter mice in public buildings include: Hermitage cats The Hermitage cats () are a group of cats residing in the