In the wake of the terror attack on the St. Petersburg metro on Monday, April 3, the world-famous State Hermitage Museum is upgrading its security.
While it has never been a target, increased fears following the attack, which killed 14 people and injured more than 70, have led the museum to take extra steps to protect its staff and visitors.
On Tuesday, the legendary institution posted on its Facebook page a message to prepare guests for the increased level of security they will face upon entering the Hermitage, warning of a “total screening of visitors that, of course, may cause inconvenience to the visitors of the museum.”
“Given the current situation dramatically enhanced security measures at the museum,” the translated statement reads.
Also, the Hermitage reached an agreement with Rosgvardia, Russia’s new Putin-introduced National Guard, to strengthen security.
Rosgvardia guards, who previously patrolled the museum until budget cuts in 2015 no longer allowed for it, will be restored to provide added protection, says Mikhail Piotrovsky, general director of the Hermitage, according to the Art Newspaper.
Although the Hermitage has never been the target of a terror attack, the museum has had a rocky time of late.
Only last week, TAN revealed that its deputy director, Mikhail Novikov, had been placed under house arrest, as he was suspected of fraud related to the construction of a Rem Koolhaas-designed storage facility for the huge institution.