Here at the Hermitage, we are able to offer our volunteers a wide range of tasks, which include helping in various departments and assisting at special events, as well as developing their own projects. In addition to performing various duties within the Museum, we expect volunteers to contribute to the daily running of the Volunteer Service, including office administration and other basic tasks. The nature of our work in the museum varies, largely depending on the ongoing needs of each department. We are always open to new ideas and encourage volunteers to develop their own projects, so we ask them to be as pro-active as possible.
Common tasks requiring volunteer assistance are:
• Greeting museum visitors and helping administrators in the entrance hall. Here, volunteers explain the rules of the museum to visitors as well as provide information about the museum’s collection and temporary exhibitions. Volunteers may also occasionally monitor and escort groups of visitors.
• Helping in different scientific departments. Here, volunteers can learn how different departments such as the Archaeological Department or the Antiquity Department are run. Tasks in such departments include assisting museum staff with their scientific research, organisation, cataloguing, and photographing items in storage, and documenting information for the museum database.
• Helping all museum departments meet guests of the Hermitage Museum at the airport. This may include courier work such as delivering invitation cards and presents to guests and friends of the Hermitage.
• Helping with the organization of special museum events, conferences, concerts, children’s events, and the opening of exhibitions.
• Language practice through translation work and article editing for various Hermitage publications. Volunteers may also be required to handle correspondence with other institutions, museums, and applicants, as well as fellow interns on educational and cultural programs. This may also involve teaching museum staff foreign languages.
• Developing multimedia and design projects. Here volunteers have the opportunity to participate in the Service’s many current projects. These include updating the museum website, editing videos or presentations, and designing booklets and leaflets. We also encourage volunteers to pursue their own areas of interest through the development of their own projects.
• Developing educational programs and implementing them in cooperation with other museums and institutions. This may include conducting interactive programs, games and running competitions.