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Hermitage cats.

The author of the project "Cats of the Hermitage" - Eldar Zakirov - a young and talented Tashkent artist, designer, illustrator. He uses in his works all sorts of art materials from crayons and ballpoint pens to oil and acrylic paints, is a computer graphics artist. The result is a splendid series of ceremonial portraits of the Hermitage's mouse killers, guarding priceless museum exhibits.
A series of six postcards is the beginning of a project that introduces the Hermitage magazine readers to the secret life of the museum. All liveries are real and are kept in the Hermitage collection.
- The idea is this: cats in the Hermitage are on duty. Like those who wore these beautiful liveries until 1917, - said Andrey Shelyutto, art director of the publication. - Since the issue was supposed to talk about liveries and cats, we decided to combine these two themes.
The cats in the Hermitage (more than fifty now live on the territory of the museum complex) are not just fluffy pets, but real warriors, soldiers of an invisible war for the safety of museum exhibits. From the very foundation of St. Petersburg, they have carried out their stern service, not allowing mice and rats to breed, and do not allow the most valuable works of art in the museum's storerooms to be destroyed.