Winter Palace- a legendary building that previously served as the home of Russian rulers. The Winter Palace was built in St. Petersburg in the mid-18th century. The main collection of the historical State Hermitage was placed in the palace premises in the 20th century.

The building of the 1.5th century served as the official winter residence for state monarchs; only during the reign of Nicholas II, the emperor moved it to the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoe Selo.

The Winter Palace and Palace Square are beautifully combined in architectural ensemble and are a decoration of St. Petersburg. Every year, thousands of travelers from all over the world visit the historical building.

History of the palace

During the 18th century, 5 Winter Palaces were erected on this site.

1. Wedding chambers of Peter the Great

At the beginning of the 18th century, wedding chambers were built for Peter I. The head of the city presented this building to the Tsar in honor of the wedding.

2. Winter Palace of Peter I

The Tsar entrusted the order for the construction of the new Winter Palace to the architect Georg Mattarnovi in ​​1716. During the construction of the building, the Palace Embankment had to be moved 50 meters to the river. The emperor settled in the building four years later, and died in 1725.

3. Winter Palace of Anna Ioannovna

The status of the capital was returned to St. Petersburg by Empress Anna Ioannovna. She decides to settle in the Winter Palace and gives it the status of an official residence. However, the design did not meet the needs of the empress, and she ordered the building to be re-equipped. F.B. Rastrelli took over the construction in 1731.

The Empress moved to a new building for permanent residence 4 years later. The building consisted of four floors, on which there were about 70 ceremonial halls, about a hundred bedrooms, service and guard rooms, and its own theater.

Elizaveta Petrovna sits on the throne after the death of Anna Ioannovna. She wants an even more luxurious design than her predecessor and orders the rooms adjacent to the Light Gallery to be separated from the south.

In the mid-18th century, the Empress instructed F.B. Rastrelli to expand the building. The architect builds new premises in unison with the existing one. A year after this, the Empress orders the building to be increased in height. Rastrelli has to transform his drawings, and he advises the empress to build a building in another space in the city. But she refuses to move the building. This led to the fact that in 1754 an order was signed to erect a palace building on the previous site.

4. Fourth (temporary) Winter Palace

It was created by Rastrelli in 1755. Seven years later the building was dismantled.

5. Fifth (existing) Winter Palace

The current Winter Palace was built from 1754 to 1762. The ruler removes the architect Rastrelli from his post, and other architects, led by Betsky, are engaged in construction. The building contained more than 1,500 rooms. The Empress died before construction was completed. The building was commissioned already by Peter III. The construction cost more than 2.6 million rubles.

Within the walls of the palace, Catherine II orders a room to be built for her lover Count Orlov.

The Empress from Germany was given more than 300 expensive paintings to pay off her debt to Prince V.D. Dolgorukov. These paintings became the source of the Hermitage collection.

In 1783, the Empress issues a decree on the destruction of the palace theater.

The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg has seen many incidents since those times. It survived a terrible fire, as a result of which the entire interior and statues on the roof of the building had to be restored. Saw the assassination attempt on Emperor Alexander II. It became the venue for chic costume balls. It housed a hospital and the Provisional Government. Survived a difficult assault during the revolutionary years. Center cultural heritage St. Petersburg was located in the palace. During the difficult years of the Second World War it served as a bomb shelter for more than two thousand citizens. The building was greatly damaged by military bombing - restoration of the structure lasted many decades after the war.

Today, the Winter Palace is a luxurious structure and has a rectangular configuration with sides 137 by 106 meters. The height of the building is 23.5 meters. The palace is perfectly located on the territory of the city, and gives it an artistic and compositional flavor.

Tourism

Currently, the Winter Palace of St. Petersburg serves as a historical, cultural and artistic building. Every year more than 500 thousand foreigners and about 2 million Russians come to admire its beauty.

Palace in art

The Winter Palace played no small role in art. His greatness is revealed in the films “Russian Ark”, “Rasputin”, “October”, etc. In the legendary strategy “Red Alert 3” one of the episodes must be performed in a simulated Winter Palace.

Curious trivia about the St. Petersburg Winter Palace

  1. More than 50 cats live within the walls of the State Hermitage. Their mission was laid down by Peter I, when he brought a cat from Europe to catch rodents in the Winter Palace, and the emperor’s daughter acquired 30 more mousecatchers. A unique reserve has been created for the Hermitage cats Money. Every year, a festive feast with all kinds of cat treats is organized for the cats. The holiday takes place on April 1 and is called March Cat Day.
  2. Nicholas I issued a curious state decree, which stated that maximum height residential buildings in the city should not exceed 11 fathoms (23.47 m). This led to the fact that the Winter Palace was taller than private houses, although the decree said nothing about it.

M. Zichy. A ball in the Concert Hall of the Winter Palace during the official visit of Shah Nasir ad-Din in May 1873

Empress Elizabeth, wanting to surpass the luxury of the palaces of European monarchs, ordered the chief architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli build a grandiose building in the center of St. Petersburg. In 1754, the design of the Winter Palace, designed in a magnificent Baroque style, was approved. Later, some changes were made to it, bringing the baroque liberties closer to the strict standards of classicism. Large-scale construction was not completed during the reign of Elizabeth, and only Catherine II became the first sovereign mistress of the Winter Palace. During her tenure, work on the arrangement of the interior premises continued. Thus, the Great Throne Hall, known as St. George's, was decorated. Since 1764, Catherine began to collect a collection of paintings from the Hermitage and order architects to build additional buildings in the immediate vicinity of the Winter Palace. In the future, they will be combined by a transition system into palace complex.


Under Nicholas I, work on the interiors of the Winter Palace continued. In 1837, due to a faulty chimney, a terrible fire occurred in the building, destroying the historical decoration of the halls - designs by Quarenghi, Rossi, Montferrand. In addition, it was necessary to equip the southwestern wing of the second floor as chambers for the heir to the throne, Alexander II, who was about to get married. Most of the works of this period were carried out by Vasily Stasov and Alexander Bryullov.

In 1904, under Nicholas II, the Winter Palace ceded the right to be called the imperial residence to the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoe Selo. The building continued to be used for museum purposes. With the outbreak of the First World War, part of the collections was taken to Moscow, and the spacious halls were given over to hospitals. After the February Revolution, the Winter Palace became the meeting place of the Provisional Government. It was here, in the Small Dining Room on the second floor, that his ministers were arrested during the October Revolution. A week later, all collections were declared state property and the Winter Palace officially became part of the Hermitage museum complex. During World War II, all collections were evacuated to the Urals. Since the autumn of 1945, the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg has been receiving visitors as usual. Nowadays archaeological collections, works of artists and sculptors, works of decorative and applied art from Asia, England and France are stored here.
Facade facing the Neva

Architectural features of the building


By the time he received the order, Rastrelli had already erected two Winter Palaces in St. Petersburg, but their size and decoration of the halls did not correspond to the high status of the imperial residence. The new building, at the request of Elizabeth, was distinguished by the height of the ceilings and the splendor of decoration characteristic of the Baroque - stucco moldings, sculptures, gilding, draperies made of expensive fabrics. The facade of the Winter Palace was decorated with two tiers of snow-white columns with gold stucco. The distances between the columns are different - so the architect, skillfully using the play of light and shadow, created a complex rhythmic pattern. Places on the roof were occupied by patinated antique statues and vases, and symbols of Russian statehood were also installed here. By the way, the facades became greenish-blue only in our time. Historically, the walls were yellowish-sandy; later they were painted in richer yellow and brown tones.

Dimensions of the Winter Palace


Elizabeth insisted that the height of the Winter Palace should be 22 m, an unprecedented size for St. Petersburg. As a result, the building exceeded the set level by another 1.5 m. The facade facing the Neva is 210 m long, the Admiralty side is slightly shorter - 175 m. Subsequently, Nicholas I made sure that no competitors to the palace appeared in the capital, limiting the height of new buildings.

In total, the Winter Palace had more than 1000 rooms - for official ceremonies, for storing collections, personal chambers of the emperor and heirs to the throne and their retinue, and a huge number of utility rooms to serve the needs of the people living here.

Tours of the Winter Palace

It is extremely difficult to explore all the halls of the Winter Palace at one time, so tourists should think through their routes in advance. On the ground floor there are archaeological collections collected from all over the former Soviet Union. From an architectural point of view, the apartments of the daughters of Nicholas I, located in the wing overlooking the Neva, are interesting. On the second floor there are halls that have become business card Winter Palace: Throne, Bolshoi, Petrovsky - and private premises of members of the imperial family, in which objects of Western European art are exhibited. The third floor is dedicated to Asia.

Halls on the first floor

The lower floor is not as popular among visitors as the second, however, each room here also contains unique exhibits obtained by archaeologists.

Private quarters of the emperor's daughters

The former apartments of the daughters of Nicholas I in the Winter Palace are given over to the archaeological collection. In the entrance hall there are finds from the Paleolithic era, in the bright Gothic living room with pointed arches and medieval plant reliefs - Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages. The decor of the “Living Room with Cupids” appeared in the 50s of the 19th century. The architect Stackenschneider did not skimp on the thick-cheeked cupids: babies with wings hid in the arches, reliefs with their images decorated the ceiling. Nowadays, these decorations house a collection of Bronze Age antiquities. In the study of Olga Nikolaevna, the future queen of Württemberg, the architect acted much more delicately: thin golden curves in the upper part of the ceiling vaults set off Bronze Age artifacts. Nearby there are simple rooms without decoration, given over to Scythian archaeological collections of weapons, ceramics, and jewelry.

Guardhouse premises

From the “women’s” wing, the Kutuzov corridor with modest columns leads guests of the Winter Palace past the former guardhouse, now given over to the halls of art of the peoples of Altai and other regions of Siberia. The world's oldest pile carpet, woven in the 4th-3rd centuries, is kept here. BC e. In the middle, the corridor opens into the lobby of the Saltykovsky entrance, designed in the same style, from which doors lead to the halls of ancient Altai and Tuvan art, nomadic tribes of Southern Siberia.

Collection of Central Asian and Caucasian antiquities


The Kutuzov Corridor leads visitors to the southwest wing, dedicated to the art of Central Asia from the pre-Islamic period. Buddhist shrines, fragments of wall paintings, fabrics, household items, silver, stone sculptures, and decorative elements of buildings from Sogdiana and Khorezm are collected here. At the other end of the wing there are rooms dedicated to the culture of the Caucasus. The most valuable are the artifacts remaining from the state of Urartu. They were found under the leadership of academician Boris Piotrovsky, former director museum, the father of the current one, Mikhail Piotrovsky. Nearby are exhibited perfectly preserved precious fabrics from the Ossetian Moshchevaya Balka, an important Caucasian point on the Silk Road. The Dagestan halls display finely crafted bronze cauldrons, weapons and copper thread embroidery made in the 19th century. Volga Bulgaria, the state of the “Golden Horde” on the territory of the modern Volga region, is represented in the Winter Palace by silver and gold jewelry and weapons, and painted underglaze ceramics. In the Transcaucasian halls you can see Georgian medieval weapons, religious objects, Armenian book miniatures and fragments of architectural structures.

Middle East and North Africa

In the opposite wing is the cultural hall of Palmyra, an ancient Syrian city, the ruins of which were seriously damaged during recent military operations in that country. The Hermitage collection includes funeral steles, customs documentation carved on stone. In the Mesopotamia hall you can see authentic cuneiform tablets from Assyria and Babylon. The vaulted Egyptian Hall, converted in 1940 from the Main Buffet of the Winter Palace, is located in front of the transition to the Small Hermitage building. Among the masterpieces of the collection is a stone statue of King Amenehmet III, created almost 4,000 years ago.

Second floor of the Winter Palace

The northeast wing of the second floor is temporarily closed - its collections have moved to the General Staff building. Next to it is the Great Throne or St. George Hall of the Winter Palace, created according to the design of Giacomo Quarenghi and remodeled after the fire by Vasily Stasov. Carrara marble, unique parquet made of 16 types of wood, an abundance of columns with bronze gilding, mirrors and powerful lamps are designed to draw attention to the throne standing on a dais, ordered in England for Empress Anna Ioannovna. The huge room opens into the relatively small Apollo Hall, which connects the Winter Palace with the Small Hermitage.


 Military gallery of the Winter Palace

Large front suite

You can get to the Throne Room through the Military Gallery of 1812, containing works by George Dow and the artists of his workshop - more than 300 portraits of Russian generals who took part in the Napoleonic Wars. The designer of the gallery was the architect Carlo Rossi. On the other side of the gallery is a suite of state rooms. The Armorial Hall of the Winter Palace, created according to Stasov's design, contains symbols of Russian provinces and solid stone bowls made of aventurine. The Petrovsky, or Small Throne Room, conceived by Montferrand and restored by Stasov, is dedicated to Peter I. Its walls are decorated with burgundy Lyon velvet, embroidered with gold, and the ceiling is covered with gold reliefs. The throne was ordered for the imperial family at the end of the 18th century. The White Field Marshal's Hall houses Western European porcelain and sculpture.


 A. Ladurner. Armorial Hall of the Winter Palace. 1834

Neva Enfilade

The antechamber is the first in a series of ceremonial rooms overlooking the Neva. Its main attraction - a French rotunda with 8 malachite columns supporting a bronze gilded dome - was erected here in the middle of the last century. Through the Antechamber there is an entrance to the largest room of the Winter Palace - the Nicholas Hall, with Corinthian columns and monochrome ceiling paintings. It does not have a permanent exhibition; only temporary exhibitions are organized. On the opposite side of the Nicholas Hall is the snow-white Concert Hall with paired Corinthian columns and antique reliefs. Adjacent to the Neva Enfilade is the Romanov Portrait Gallery, which contains portraits of members of the imperial family, starting with Peter I.

Part of the northwestern wing is temporarily closed, including the Arapsky Hall with Greek decor that served as a dining room. The Rotunda awaits guests - a spacious round hall with rectangular and round Corinthian columns, a simple circular balcony in the second tier, a ceiling with coffered recesses decorated with reliefs. The floor with circular inlays of precious wood is especially impressive. The small halls leading from the Neva Enfilade to the chambers of the heir to the throne, opening onto the Dark Corridor, are devoted to objects of art of the 18th century.

Private chambers of the Emperor and Empress

Emperor Nicholas I spared no expense on the interiors, so each room in his personal chambers is a real masterpiece of design art. Alexandra Fedorovna’s malachite living room is decorated with emerald green vases, columns, and a fireplace. The richly ornamented floor and carved ceiling are in perfect harmony with the exhibition of objects of decorative and applied art. Nearby is the Small Dining Room, decorated in Rococo style. Furniture from Gambs, the best master of this era, was chosen for the Empress’s office. Sketches of furniture for the adjacent hall were made by the architect Carlo Rossi. The emperor's smoking room amazes with its oriental splendor and bright colors. There are not many halls associated with the name of Nicholas II in the Winter Palace - the last emperor preferred other residences. His library has been preserved with high windows in the English Gothic style and a carved fireplace, imitating a medieval book depository.

Interiors of Russian houses in the Winter Palace

In the imperial wing there are premises reproducing the interiors of wealthy urban houses of the 19th – early 20th centuries. The neo-Russian style is represented by furniture from the 1900s with fabulous folklore motifs. In the former Adjutant Room there is an original ash furniture in the Art Nouveau style. The austere neoclassical interior is enlivened by the bright portrait of Princess Yusupova. The “second” Rococo of the mid-19th century is no less magnificent than the examples of a hundred years ago. The “Pompeian Dining Room” with Gambs furniture refers the viewer to archaeological finds. The Gothic office is decorated with furniture from the Golitsyn-Stroganov estate, reproducing the forms of the European knightly Middle Ages - carved backs and armrests of chairs, dark wood tones. The boudoir is the former dressing room of Alexandra Feodorovna with bright painted furniture from the 40s and 50s. XIX century. The living room of a manor house with white columns demonstrates a strict classic interior.

Chambers of the future Emperor Alexander II and his wife

In the southwestern part of the second floor of the Winter Palace are the chambers of Alexander II, furnished at the time when he was the heir to the throne and was preparing for his wedding. Architecturally noteworthy are the rooms occupied by the future Empress Maria Alexandrovna: Green dining room with lush decor in the Rococo style, White hall with many reliefs and sculptures, Golden living room with complex stucco ornaments, inlaid parquet and jasper fireplace, Crimson office with textile wallpaper, Blue bedroom with golden columns.

Collection of Western European Art

In the wing of the heir to the throne and in the enfilade dedicated to the victory in the War of 1812, paintings and works of decorative and applied art from Great Britain and France are kept: works by Reynolds, Gainsborough, Watteau, Boucher, Greuze, Fragonard, Lorrain, the famous bust of Voltaire made by Houdon. In the southeast wing there is the Alexander Hall, designed in noble white and blue tones, combining elements of Gothic and classicism with a collection of silverware. Next to it is the Great Church, designed by Rastrelli in the Baroque style. The picket hall, where the palace guard was stationed, is temporarily closed.

Third floor

The functioning halls of the third floor in the Winter Palace are devoted to Islamic art of the Middle East, Byzantium, the state of the Huns, India, China, and Japan. Among the most valuable exhibits are finds from the “Cave of 1000 Buddhas,” ancient Chinese furniture and ceramics, Buddhist relics, and Tibetan treasures.

Tourist information

How to get there

The official address of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg: Palace Square, 2. The nearest metro station is Admiralteyskaya, from which you need to walk a little more than 100 m to the north. Bus stop " Palace Embankment"Located to the west of Zimny. There are lifts for wheelchair users and elevators inside the palace. You must enter the museum through the main turnstile.

Ticket prices and opening hours

A visit to the entire Hermitage complex, including the Winter Palace, costs 600 rubles; on the first Thursday of the month you can go for free. If you want to visit only the Winter Palace, then a ticket for 300 rubles will be enough. It is recommended to purchase tickets in advance online to avoid queuing at the box office or terminal. This can be done on the official website www.hermitagemuseum.org. Children and students, Russian pensioners are a preferential category receiving free tickets. The day off is Monday, access to tourists is open from 10:30 to 18:00, on Wednesday and Friday - until 21:00. The Winter Palace is closed New Year and May 9.

Perhaps the most visited attraction in the northern capital of Russia is the Winter Palace. The building was built in the middle of the 18th century, its project was developed by Count Francesco Rastrelli. The palace was built in accordance with the canons of Russian Baroque from the time of the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. The style of the building's interiors is somewhat different - individual elements of Rococo (French) are used here.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the palace was the imperial residence. In pre-revolutionary times, the building housed a hospital. After the revolutionary events, members of the Provisional Government. Later the building housed museum exhibitions.

Background

Before the baroque building that today adorns Palace Square was built, there were other winter imperial residences. There were four such buildings (or even five, if you count the one-story house of Peter I).

The first two were built at the beginning of the 18th century, during the era of Peter the Great. The third building was built for Anna Ioannovna, who found Peter’s residence too cramped. More precisely, it was not the construction of a new building, but the reconstruction and significant expansion of the old one. The rebuilt palace had about a hundred bedrooms, about seven dozen halls, a theater and many other rooms. Interestingly, almost immediately after the completion of construction, it was decided to rebuild (expand) this building, which was soon carried out.

At Elizaveta Petrovna expansion of the building continued. More and more office premises were added to it, which did not at all benefit the architectural appearance of the palace. As a result, the structure looked so strange that it caused the displeasure of the empress and negative reviews from her contemporaries. The building was again expanded (this time in such a way that it appearance pleasing to the eye). But when the empress decided to increase the palace not only in length and width, but also in height, the architect decided to simply build it anew. This decision was approved by the empress. While construction work was going on, the empress was in a temporary palace (the fourth). It was dismantled in the 60s of the 18th century.

Construction of the palace and interior design

The construction of the building, which today is one of the main architectural attractions of St. Petersburg, lasted approximately seven years. In the middle of the 18th century, the palace was the most tall building in the city (we are talking about residential buildings). It had almost one and a half thousand rooms.

The customer of the building (Elizaveta Petrovna) before completion construction work didn't make it. They ended already during the reign Catherine II. In the mid-60s of the 18th century, several hundred paintings were transferred to her from abroad, most of the authors of which belonged to the Dutch-Flemish school. It was these paintings that laid the foundation for the exhibition that can be seen in the palace today. Less than a hundred of these paintings have survived to this day. By the way, the name famous museum - Hermitage- comes from the name of those palace chambers in which the paintings were originally placed.

In the 30s of the 19th century, there was an accident in the building. strong fire, which destroyed almost all of its interiors. The fire raged for almost three days and could not be extinguished. Thirteen people (firefighters and soldiers) died during the fire. There is a version that in reality there were more dead, but official sources hid this fact. After the fire, serious restoration work was carried out in the palace. They lasted about two years and required enormous efforts from architects and builders.

In the 80s of the 19th century, a thunderclap thundered in the palace explosion- it was an attempt to assassinate the emperor, carried out by a terrorist organization. Many soldiers standing guard were wounded, and several were killed. The Emperor was not injured.

The first years of the 20th century were marked by two significant events in the history of the palace - this grandiose costume ball and, two years later, shooting of a peaceful demonstration(unarmed workers walked across the square to the palace to hand over the petition to the emperor).

In the post-revolutionary period, the palace was declared state museum. Soon the first exhibition opened there. Until the early 40s of the 20th century, two buildings coexisted in the building. state museums- Hermitage and Museum of the Revolution.

During the war years, the palace cellars were converted into bomb shelters, but in the end they were used as living quarters: approximately two thousand people permanently lived in them. In the halls of the palace there were collections of several museums: the exhibition of the Hermitage itself was hidden there (or rather, part of it, since the rest was evacuated), as well as the valuables of a number of other city museums. Works of art from other palaces (located in the suburbs) were also hidden in the building.

IN war time the building was heavily damaged by bombs and artillery shelling. After the war, its restoration continued for many years.

Architectural features and color

The palace is built in the shape of a square. It is formed by wings, facades and a courtyard. All rooms and facades are distinguished by lush decoration. Main facade facing the square, it is decorated arch. The rhythm of the palace columns is characterized by variability, the projections protrude strongly forward - these and other features of the building create the impression of dynamics, and also give the palace even more solemnity and majesty.

As mentioned above, in the middle of the 18th century the palace was the tallest building in the city(among residential buildings). In the 40s of the 19th century, an imperial decree was issued prohibiting the construction of houses that would exceed the height of the imperial residence. More precisely, the decree established a “height limit” for buildings - approximately twenty-three and a half meters (eleven fathoms). This is exactly the height of the palace. One of the consequences of this decree turned out to be this: from any of the roofs of the old (central) part of the city today almost the entire northern capital of Russia is visible.

Separately, it is necessary to say a few words about the color scheme of the palace. During its long history it has changed several times. The current appearance of the building, although it has already become familiar to the townspeople, does not correspond to the original plan of the architect. Some modern art critics and architects are in favor of returning the building to its original coloristic appearance.

Palace halls

Each palace hall is actually an independent masterpiece (although almost no original interiors have survived); it is worthy of attention in itself and at the same time enhances general impression splendor. Let's talk about some of these halls:

- Antechamber was created at the end of the 18th century. During balls it was used as a formal pantry: here gentlemen and ladies drank champagne. Pay attention to the lampshade: it is a work of an Italian master; it refers to the small number of decorative elements that miraculously survived the three-day fire.

-Nikolaevsky Hall(also called the Big) was also created at the end of the 18th century. In the old days, it was illuminated by lanterns made of blue glass. Blue rays fell on the colored marble decorating the columns and walls, and created an amazing, unforgettable effect. The area of ​​the hall is more than a thousand square meters. In terms of size, this is the most impressive hall of the palace. In pre-revolutionary times, banquets and balls were held here (except for the time when a hospital was opened in the building). Currently, the hall hosts temporary exhibitions.

- Concert hall decorated with sculptures of ancient Greek goddesses and muses. Here you can also see a magnificent collection of antique Russian silver.

Another pearl of the palace - Malachite living room. More than one hundred and twenty pounds of malachite were spent on its finishing. The room was decorated with green stone after the fire; before that it was called Jasper, and its decoration corresponded to the name.

St. Petersburg is a northern city, it is accustomed to surprising with its luxury, ambition and originality. The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg is just one of the attractions, which is a priceless masterpiece of architecture of past centuries.

The Winter Palace is the abode of the ruling elite of the state. For more than a hundred years, the imperial families lived in winter in this building, which has a unique architecture. This building is part of the museum complex of the State Hermitage.

History of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg

Construction took place under the leadership of Peter I. The first structure erected for the emperor was a two-story house, covered with tiles, the entrance to which was crowned by high steps.

The city became larger, expanded with new buildings, and the first Winter Palace looked more than modest. By order of Peter I, another one was built next to the previous palace. It was slightly larger than the first, but its distinguishing feature was the material - stone. It is noteworthy that this particular monastery was the last for the emperor; he died here in 1725. Immediately after the death of the king, the talented architect D. Trezzini carried out restoration work.

Another palace saw the light of day, which belonged to Empress Anna Ioannovna. She was unhappy that General Apraksin’s estate looked more spectacular than the Tsar’s. Then the talented and savvy author of the project, F. Rastrelli, added a long building, which was called the “Fourth Winter Palace in St. Petersburg.”

This time the architect was puzzled by the project of a new residence in the shortest possible time - two years. Elizabeth's wish could not be fulfilled so quickly, so Rastrelli, who was ready to take on the work, asked several times for an extension of the deadline.

Thousands of serfs, artisans, artists, and foundry workers worked on the construction of the structure. A project of this magnitude has not been put forward for consideration before. The serfs, who worked from early morning until late evening, lived around the building in portable huts, only some of them were allowed to spend the night under the roof of the building.

Sellers of nearby shops caught the wave of excitement around the construction, so they significantly raised food prices. It happened that the cost of food was deducted from the worker’s salary, so the serf not only did not earn money, but also remained in debt to the employer. Cruelly and cynically, on the broken destinies of ordinary workers, a new “home” for the kings was built.

When construction was completed, St. Petersburg received an architectural masterpiece that amazed with its size and luxury. The Winter Palace had two exits, one of which faced the Neva, and from the other the square was visible. The first floor was occupied by utility rooms, above there were state halls and the gates of the winter garden, the third and last floor was for servants.

Peter III liked the building and, in gratitude for his incredible architectural talent, decided to award Rastrelli the rank of major general. The career of the great architect ended tragically with the accession of Catherine II to the throne.

Fire in the palace

A terrible misfortune happened in 1837, when a fire started in the palace due to a faulty chimney. Through the efforts of two companies of firefighters, they tried to stop the fire inside, blocking the door and window openings with bricks, but for thirty hours it was not possible to stop the evil flames. When the fire ended, only the vaults, walls and ornaments of the first floor remained from the previous building - the fire destroyed everything.

Restoration work began immediately and was completed only three years later. Since the drawings from the first construction were practically not preserved, the restorers had to experiment and give it a new style. As a result, the so-called “seventh version” of the palace appeared in white and green tones, with numerous columns and gilding.

With the new look of the palace, civilization came to its walls in the form of electrification. A power station was built on the second floor, which fully met the electricity needs and for fifteen years it was considered the largest in all of Europe.

Many incidents befell the Winter Palace during its existence: fire, the assault and capture of 1917, the attempt on the life of Alexander II, meetings of the Provisional Government, bombings during the Second World War.

Winter Palace in 2017: its description

For almost two centuries the castle was main residence emperors, only 1917 brought it the title of museum. Among the museum's exhibitions are collections of the East and Eurasia, examples of paintings and decorative arts, sculptures presented in numerous halls and apartments. Tourists can admire:

  • St. George's Hall.
  • Boudoir.
  • Golden living room.
  • Malachite living room.
  • Concert hall.

Exclusively about the palace

In terms of the wealth of exhibits and interior decoration, the Winter Palace is incomparable to anything in St. Petersburg. The building has its own unique history and secrets with which it never ceases to amaze its guests:

  • The Hermitage is vast, like the lands of the country where the emperor ruled: 1084 rooms, 1945 windows.
  • When the possessions were in their final stages, main square was littered with construction debris that would take weeks to clean up. The king told the people that they could take any item from the square absolutely free of charge, and after some time the square was free of unnecessary items.
  • The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg had a different color scheme: it was even red during the war against the German invaders, and it acquired its current pale green color in 1946.


Memo for tourists

Numerous excursions are offered to visit the palace. The museum is open daily except Mondays, opening hours: from 10:00 to 18:00. Ticket prices can be checked with your tour operator or at the museum box office. It is better to purchase them in advance. Address where the museum is located: Palace Embankment, 32.

There is probably no person in our vast country who is absolutely unaware of the Winter Palace in the city of St. Petersburg; quite a few facts are associated with it that change the course of our history. The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg was built in the mid-eighteenth century especially for Empress Elizabeth Petrovna according to the skillful design of the famous Italian architect Rastrelli in the lush Rococo style. Upon completion, the palace complex consisted of a thousand rooms, 117 magnificent staircases and almost two thousand windows and doors. From the moment of its construction, the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg became the main imperial residence until the well-known events of the bloody revolution of the 17th year.

Brief description of the Winter Palace

Throughout this time, several buildings were added to the Palace: the Small Hermitage, the Old and New Hermitage, and the Hermitage Theater. IN given time The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg is part of the famous museum complex of the State Hermitage. The architectural monument is a magnificent three-story rectangular building on Palace Square. The dimensions of the palace are amazing: the length is 210 meters, the width is 175 meters. The appearance of the Winter Palace is probably familiar to many people from numerous images: the luxurious central gate with cast-iron bars and the side main entrances.

Halls of the Winter Palace

The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg delights with its decoration: a roof decorated with ancient gods and magnificent vases, elegant sculptures of Neptune and Amphitrite, majestic snow-white columns at the entrance. Inside, the Grand Throne and Concert halls, Malachite living room and many other rooms. And the State Hermitage, located in the vast expanses of the Palace, is the largest and richest museum in the world, which has a rare collection of paintings and antiquities.