Winter Palace: wiki: Facts about Russia. Interesting facts about the Winter Palace In what year was the Winter Palace built?

Winter Palace in St. Petersburg - one of the most famous attractions of this city, along with the cruiser Aurora. Now it houses the world-famous Hermitage exhibition, which hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world come to see every year.

During its history, the Winter Palace was the residence of monarchs, a military hospital, the place of work of the Provisional Government, and then it housed the Hermitage exhibition. Before the start of the Second World War, half of the palace halls were occupied by the Museum of the Revolution.
In total, there were five winter palaces in St. Petersburg, which the Russian emperors built for themselves. The building in the Elizabethan Baroque style on Palace Square was the last of them.
At the time of completion of construction, the palace was the tallest building in St. Petersburg, and until 1905 it was legally prohibited to build houses exceeding the height of the royal residence. The palace, with an area of about 60 thousand square meters, originally consisted of 1,500 rooms.
The customer of the new palace, Elizaveta Petrovna, died before construction was completed. Peter the Third took over the work, but during the time it took to finish the facades, the monarch was overthrown from the throne by his wife Catherine.
The Hermitage was started by Catherine the Second, who received 317 valuable paintings by Dutch artists from Germany in payment of a debt. At least 96 of these paintings have survived to this day in the museum’s collections. The Empress placed the paintings in remote chambers of the palace, calling these rooms “Hermitage” (translated from French as “a secluded place”).
Now the palace has more than 1050 rooms, about 1950 windows and 117 staircases. The length of the cornice surrounding the building reaches 2 kilometers.
The parapet by Rastrelli is decorated with 176 sculptures. The exact number of vases on the façade is unknown.
4,000 workers and craftsmen from all over the empire were involved in the construction of the palace.
After the construction of the palace was completed, a huge pile of rubbish was left on the square in front of it. Peter the Third came up with an unexpected solution to this problem - the townspeople were told that they could take whatever they wanted from the square, and a few hours later it was empty.
In the 1830s, the palace burned down. More than 6,000 thousand workers were able to eliminate the consequences of the fire in 15 months, returning the monarchs a roof over their heads.
During its existence, the palace was rebuilt many times - it was red, pink and even brown. Finally, after the war, the facade was painted white and green - it is this coloring that Russians now associate with the Hermitage.
Ordinary Russians gained access to the palace only in 1851, when a museum was opened in some of the luxurious premises. True, few tickets were sold, and they cost a lot of money.
After coming to power, the Bolsheviks renamed the Winter Palace into the “Palace of Arts,” but the new name never caught on among the people.
During the Second World War, 12 bomb shelters were built for Leningraders under the Winter Palace. The building was hit by 2 aerial bombs and 17 shells, but they were able to eliminate all the damage and reopen the museum to visitors in just six months after the victory in the war.
Alexander Sokurov shot the first film in the history of Russian cinema within the walls of the Winter Palace, the creation of which did not involve editing. The shooting lasted about an hour and a half.

The history of the Winter Palace begins with the reign of Peter I.

The very first, then still Winter House, was built for Peter I in 1711 on the banks of the Neva. The first Winter Palace was two-story, with a tiled roof and a high porch. In 1719-1721, the architect Georg Mattornovi built a new palace for Peter I.

Empress Anna Ioannovna considered the Winter Palace too small and did not want to live in it. She entrusted the construction of the new Winter Palace to the architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli. For new construction, the houses of Count Apraksin, Raguzinsky and Chernyshev, located on the embankment of the Neva River, as well as the building of the Maritime Academy were purchased. They were demolished, and in their place by 1735 a new Winter Palace was built. At the end of the 18th century, the Hermitage Theater was erected on the site of the old palace.

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna also wished to remodel the imperial residence to her taste. The construction of the new palace was entrusted to the architect Rastrelli. The design of the Winter Palace created by the architect was signed by Elizaveta Petrovna on June 16, 1754.

In the summer of 1754, Elizaveta Petrovna issued a personal decree to begin construction of the palace. The required amount - about 900 thousand rubles - was taken from the "tavern" money (collection from the drinking trade). The previous palace was dismantled. During construction, the courtyard moved to a temporary wooden palace built by Rastrelli on the corner of Nevsky and Moika.

The palace was distinguished by its incredible size for those times, lavish exterior decoration and luxurious interior decoration.

The Winter Palace is a three-story building, rectangular in plan, with a huge front courtyard inside. The main facades of the palace face the embankment and the square that was formed later.

When creating the Winter Palace, Rastrelli designed each facade differently, based on specific conditions. The northern facade, facing the Neva, stretches like a more or less even wall, without noticeable protrusions. From the river side, it is perceived as an endless two-tiered colonnade. The southern façade, facing Palace Square and having seven divisions, is the main one. Its center is highlighted by a wide, lavishly decorated risalit, cut through by three entrance arches. Behind them is the front courtyard, where in the middle of the northern building there was the main entrance to the palace.

Along the perimeter of the palace roof there is a balustrade with vases and statues (the original stone ones were replaced by a brass knockout in 1892-1894).

The length of the palace (along the Neva) is 210 meters, width - 175 meters, height - 22 meters. The total area of the palace is 60 thousand square meters, it has more than 1000 halls, 117 different staircases.

The palace had two chains of state halls: along the Neva and in the center of the building. In addition to the state rooms, on the second floor there were living quarters for members of the imperial family. The first floor was occupied by utility and service premises. The upper floor mainly housed the courtiers' apartments.

About four thousand employees lived here, they even had their own army - palace grenadiers and guards from the guards regiments. The palace had two churches, a theater, a museum, a library, a garden, an office, and a pharmacy. The halls of the palace were decorated with gilded carvings, luxurious mirrors, chandeliers, candelabra, and patterned parquet flooring.

Under Catherine II, a winter garden was organized in the Palace, where both northern and plants brought from the south grew, and the Romanov Gallery; At the same time, the formation of St. George's Hall was completed. Under Nicholas I, a gallery of 1812 was organized, where 332 portraits of participants in the Patriotic War were placed. The architect Auguste Montferrand added the Peter and Field Marshal halls to the palace.

In 1837, there was a fire in the Winter Palace. Many things were saved, but the building itself was badly damaged. But thanks to the architects Vasily Stasov and Alexander Bryullov, the building was restored within two years.

In 1869, gas lighting appeared in the palace instead of candlelight. Since 1882, the installation of telephones in premises began. In the 1880s, a water supply system was built in the Winter Palace. At Christmas 1884-1885, electric lighting was tested in the halls of the Winter Palace; from 1888, gas lighting was gradually replaced by electric lighting. For this purpose, a power plant was built in the second hall of the Hermitage, which for 15 years was the largest in Europe.

In 1904, Emperor Nicholas II moved from the Winter Palace to the Tsarskoye Selo Alexander Palace. The Winter Palace became the place for ceremonial receptions, state dinners, and the place where the Tsar stayed during short visits to the city.

Throughout the history of the Winter Palace as an imperial residence, its interiors were remodeled in accordance with fashion trends. The building itself changed the color of its walls several times. The Winter Palace was painted red, pink, and yellow. Before the First World War, the palace was painted red brick.

During the First World War, there was an infirmary in the building of the Winter Palace. After the February Revolution of 1917, the Provisional Government worked in the Winter Palace. In the post-revolutionary years, various departments and institutions were located in the Winter Palace building. In 1922, part of the building was transferred to the Hermitage Museum.

In 1925 - 1926, the building was rebuilt again, this time for the needs of the museum.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Winter Palace suffered from air raids and artillery shelling. In the basements of the palace there was a dispensary for scientists and cultural figures who suffered from dystrophy. In 1945-1946, restoration work was carried out, at which time the entire Winter Palace became part of the Hermitage.

Currently, the Winter Palace, together with the Hermitage Theatre, the Small, New and Large Hermitages, forms a single museum complex, the State Hermitage.

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 chief architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli to 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 continued on the arrangement interior spaces. 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 united by a system of transitions into the palace complex.

Under Nicholas I, work on the interiors of the Winter Palace continued. In 1837, due to a faulty chimney, the building suffered terrible fire, which destroyed the historical decoration of the halls - projects of 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 museum complex"Hermitage Museum". During World War II, all collections were evacuated to the Urals. Since the autumn of 1945, the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg has been welcoming 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 corners of 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 hallway there are finds from the Paleolithic era, in the bright Gothic living room with pointed arches and medieval vegetation 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 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, the former director of the 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, a 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 doesn't have 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 set 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, the rooms occupied by the future Empress Maria Alexandrovna are noteworthy: the Green Dining Room with lush decor in the Rococo style, the White Hall with many reliefs and sculptures, the Golden Living Room with complex stucco ornaments, inlaid parquet and a jasper fireplace, the Crimson Study with textile wallpaper, the Blue bedroom with golden columns.

Collection of Western European Art

In the wing of the heir to the throne and in the suite 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 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

Official address of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg: Palace Square, 2. The nearest metro station is “Admiralteyskaya”, from it 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.

The development of the territory east of the Admiralty began simultaneously with the emergence of the shipyard. In 1705, a house was built on the banks of the Neva for the “Great Admiralty” - Fyodor Matveevich Apraksin. By 1711, the site of the current palace was occupied by the mansions of the nobility involved in the fleet (only naval officials could build here).

The first wooden Winter House of “Dutch architecture” according to Trezzini’s “exemplary design” under a tiled roof was built in 1711 for the Tsar, as a shipwright by master Peter Alekseev. A canal was dug in front of its façade in 1718, which later became the Winter Canal. Peter called it “his office.” Especially for the wedding of Peter and Ekaterina Alekseevna, the wooden palace was rebuilt into a modestly decorated two-story stone house with a tiled roof, which had a descent to the Neva. According to some historians, the wedding feast took place in the great hall of this first Winter Palace.

The second Winter Palace was built in 1721 according to the Mattarnovi project. Its main façade faced the Neva. Peter lived his last years in it.

The third Winter Palace appeared as a result of the reconstruction and expansion of this palace according to Trezzini's design. Parts of it later became part of the Hermitage Theater created by Quarenghi. During the restoration work, fragments of Peter the Great's palace were discovered inside the theater: the front courtyard, staircase, vestibule, rooms. Now here is essentially the Hermitage exhibition “The Winter Palace of Peter the Great”.

In 1733-1735, according to the design of Bartolomeo Rastrelli, on the site of the former palace of Fyodor Apraksin, bought for the empress, the fourth Winter Palace was built - the palace of Anna Ioannovna. Rastrelli used the walls of the luxurious chambers of Apraksin, erected in the times of Peter the Great by the architect Leblon.

The Fourth Winter Palace stood approximately in the same place where we see the current one, and was much more elegant than the previous palaces.

The Fifth Winter Palace for the temporary stay of Elizabeth Petrovna and her court was again built by Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli (in Russia he was often called Bartholomew Varfolomeevich). It was a huge wooden building from Moika to Malaya Morskaya and from Nevsky Prospect to Kirpichny Lane. There is no trace of him left for a long time. Many researchers of the history of the creation of the current Winter Palace do not even remember it, considering the fifth one to be the modern Winter Palace.

The current Winter Palace is the sixth in a row. It was built from 1754 to 1762 according to the design of Bartolomeo Rastrelli for Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and is a striking example of lush baroque. But Elizabeth didn’t have time to live in the palace - she died, so Catherine the Second became the first real mistress of the Winter Palace.

In 1837, the Winter Palace burned down - the fire started in the Field Marshal's Hall and lasted for three whole days, all this time the palace servants carried out works of art that decorated the royal residence, a huge mountain of statues, paintings, precious trinkets grew around the Alexander Column... They say that nothing is missing...

The Winter Palace was restored after the fire of 1837 without any major external changes, by 1839 the work was completed, they were led by two architects: Alexander Bryullov (brother of the great Charles) and Vasily Stasov (author of the Spaso-Perobrazhensky and Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedrals). The number of sculptures along the perimeter of its roof was only reduced.

Over the centuries, the color of the facades of the Winter Palace changed from time to time. Initially, the walls were painted with “sandy paint with the finest yellow,” and the decor was painted with white lime. Before the First World War, the palace acquired an unexpected red-brick color, giving the palace a gloomy appearance. The contrasting combination of green walls, white columns, capitals and stucco decoration appeared in 1946.

Exterior of the Winter Palace

Rastrelli was not just building a royal residence - the palace was built “for the glory of all Russia alone,” as it was said in the decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna to the Governing Senate. The palace is distinguished from European Baroque buildings by its brightness, cheerfulness of imagery, and festive, solemn elation. Its more than 20-meter height is emphasized by two-tiered columns. The vertical division of the palace is continued by statues and vases, leading the eye to the sky. The height of the Winter Palace became a building standard, elevated to the principle of St. Petersburg urban planning. Higher Winter building It was not allowed to build in the old city.
The palace is a giant quadrangle with a large courtyard. The facades of the palace, varying in composition, form like folds of a huge ribbon. The stepped cornice, repeating all the protrusions of the building, stretches for almost two kilometers. The absence of sharply extended parts along the northern façade, from the Neva side (there are only three divisions here), enhances the impression of the length of the building along the embankment; two wings on the western side face the Admiralty. The main façade, facing Palace Square, has seven divisions and is the most formal. In the middle, protruding part there is a triple arcade of the entrance gate, decorated with a magnificent openwork lattice. The south-eastern and south-western risalits protrude beyond the line of the main façade. Historically, it was in them that the living quarters of emperors and empresses were located.

Layout of the Winter Palace

Bartolomeo Rastrelli already had experience in building royal palaces in Tsarskoe Selo and Peterhof. In the scheme of the Winter Palace, he included a standard layout option that he had previously tested. The basement of the palace was used as housing for servants or storage rooms. The ground floor housed service and utility rooms. The second floor housed ceremonial ceremonial halls and personal apartments of the imperial family. The third floor accommodated ladies-in-waiting, doctors and close servants. This layout assumed predominantly horizontal connections between the various rooms of the palace, which was reflected in the endless corridors of the Winter Palace.
The northern façade is distinguished by the fact that it contains three huge main halls. The Neva Enfilade included: the Small Hall, the Large (Nikolaevsky Hall) and the Concert Hall. The large enfilade unfolded along the axis Grand staircase, running perpendicular to the Neva Enfilade. It included the Field Marshal's Hall, Peter's Hall, the Armorial (White) Hall, the Picket (New) Hall. A special place in the series of halls was occupied by the memorial Military Gallery of 1812, the solemn St. George and Apollo halls. The main rooms included the Pompeii Gallery and Winter Garden. The route taken by the royal family through the enfilade of state halls had a deep meaning. The script of the Big Exits, worked out to the smallest detail, served not only as a demonstration of the full brilliance of autocratic power, but also as an appeal to the past and present of Russian history.
Like any other palace of the imperial family, there was a church in the Winter Palace, or rather two churches: Big and Small. According to the plan of Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the Big Church was supposed to serve Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and her “big court”, while the Small Church was supposed to serve the “young court” - the court of the heir-Tsarevich Peter Fedorovich and his wife Ekaterina Alekseevna.

Interiors of the Winter Palace

If the exterior of the palace is made in the late Russian Baroque style. The interiors are mainly made in the style of early classicism. One of the few interiors of the palace that has preserved its original Baroque decoration is the main Jordan staircase. It occupies a huge space of almost 20 meters in height and seems even higher due to the painting of the ceiling. Reflected in mirrors, the real space seems even larger. The staircase created by Bartolomeo Rastrelli after the fire of 1837 was restored by Vasily Stasov, who preserved Rastrelli’s general plan. The decor of the staircase is infinitely varied - mirrors, statues, fancy gilded stucco, varying motifs of a stylized shell. The forms of Baroque decor became more restrained after the replacement of wooden columns lined with pink stucco (artificial marble) with monolithic granite columns.

Of the three halls of the Neva Enfilade, the Antechamber is the most restrained in decoration. The main decor is concentrated in the upper part of the hall - allegorical compositions executed in monochrome technique (grisaille) on a gilded background. Since 1958, a malachite rotunda has been installed in the center of the Antechamber (first it was located in the Tauride Palace, then in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra).

The most solemnly decorated Big hall Neva enfilade - Nikolaevsky. This is one of the largest halls of the Winter Palace, its area is 1103 sq. m. Three-quarter columns of the magnificent Corinthian order, painted borders of the ceiling and huge chandeliers give it grandeur. The hall is designed in white.

The concert hall, intended at the end of the 18th century for court concerts, has a more rich sculptural and pictorial decor than the two previous halls. The hall is decorated with statues of muses installed in the second tier of walls above the columns. This hall completed the enfilade and was originally conceived by Rastrelli as a vestibule to the throne room. In the middle of the 20th century, a silver tomb of Alexander Nevsky (transferred to the Hermitage after the revolution) weighing about 1,500 kg, created at the St. Petersburg Mint in 1747–1752, was installed in the hall. for the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, which to this day houses the relics of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky.
The large enfilade begins with the Field Marshals' Hall, designed to house portraits of field marshals; it was supposed to give an idea of the political and military history Russia. Its interior was created, just like the neighboring Petrine (or Small Throne) Hall, by the architect Auguste Montferrand in 1833 and restored after the fire of 1837 by Vasily Stasov. The main purpose of the Peter the Great Hall is memorial - it is dedicated to the memory of Peter the Great, so its decoration is particularly luxurious. In the gilded decor of the frieze, in the painting of the vaults there are coats of arms of the Russian Empire, crowns, wreaths of glory. In a huge niche with a rounded arch there is a painting depicting Peter I, led by the goddess Minerva to victories; in the upper part of the side walls there are paintings with scenes of the most important battles of the Northern War - at Lesnaya and near Poltava. In the decorative motifs decorating the hall, the monogram of two Latin letters “P”, denoting the name of Peter I, “Petrus Primus”, is endlessly repeated.

The armorial hall is decorated with shields with the coats of arms of Russian provinces of the 19th century, located on huge chandeliers that illuminate it. This is an example of the late classical style. The porticoes on the end walls hide the enormity of the hall, and the solid gilding of the columns emphasizes its splendor. Four sculptural groups of warriors Ancient Rus' remind of the heroic traditions of the defenders of the fatherland and precede the next Gallery of 1812.
Stasov's most perfect creation in the Winter Palace is the St. George (Grand Throne) Hall. The Quarenghi Hall, created on the same site, was destroyed in a fire in 1837. Stasov, while preserving Quarenghi’s architectural design, created a completely different artistic image. The walls are lined with Carrara marble, and the columns are carved from it. The decor of the ceiling and columns is made of gilded bronze. The ceiling pattern is repeated in the parquet flooring, made from 16 valuable types of wood. The only things missing from the floor design are the Double-Headed Eagle and St. George - it is not appropriate to step on the coat of arms of the great empire. The gilded silver throne was restored to its original location in 2000 by architects and restorers of the Hermitage. Above the throne seat is a marble bas-relief of St. George slaying the dragon, by the Italian sculptor Francesco del Nero.

Owners of the Winter Palace

The customer of the construction was the daughter of Peter the Great, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, she hurried Rastrelli with the construction of the palace, so the work was carried out at a frantic pace. The empress's personal chambers (two bedchambers and an office), the chambers of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich and some premises adjacent to the chambers: the Church, the Opera House and the Light Gallery were hastily finished. But the empress did not have time to live in the palace. She died in December 1761. The first owner of the Winter Palace was the nephew of the Empress (son of her elder sister Anna) Peter III Fedorovich. The Winter Palace was solemnly consecrated and put into operation by Easter 1762. Peter III immediately started alterations in the southwestern risalit. The chambers included an office and a library. It was planned to create the Amber Hall on the model of the Tsarskoe Selo. For his wife, he identified chambers in the southwestern risalit, the windows of which overlooked the industrial zone of the Admiralty.

The emperor lived in the palace only until June 1762, after which, without even expecting it, he left it forever, moving to his beloved Oranienbaum, where at the end of July he signed an abdication, shortly after which he was killed in the Ropshinsky Palace.

The “brilliant age” of Catherine II began, who became the first real mistress of the Winter Palace, and the south-eastern risalit, overlooking Millionnaya Street and Palace Square, became the first of the “residence zones” of the owners of the palace. After the coup, Catherine II basically continued to live in the wooden Elizabethan palace, and in August she left for Moscow for her coronation. Construction works in the Winter Palace did not stop, but they were already led by other architects: Jean Baptiste Vallin-Delamot, Antonio Rinaldi, Yuri Felten. Rastrelli was first sent on leave and then resigned. Catherine returned from Moscow at the beginning of 1863 and moved her chambers to the southwestern risalit, showing continuity from Elizabeth Petrovna to Peter III and to her - the new empress. All work on the west wing was stopped. On the site of Peter III’s chambers, with the personal participation of the Empress, a complex of Catherine’s personal chambers was built. It included: the Audience Chamber, which replaced the Throne Room; Dining room with two windows; Restroom; two casual bedrooms; Boudoir; Office and Library. All rooms were designed in the style of early classicism. Later, Catherine ordered one of the everyday bedrooms to be converted into the Diamond Room or Diamond Chamber, where precious property and imperial regalia were kept: crown, scepter, orb. The regalia was in the center of the room on a table under a crystal cap. As new jewelry was acquired, glass boxes mounted to the walls appeared.
The Empress lived in the Winter Palace for 34 years and her chambers were expanded and rebuilt more than once.

Paul I lived in the Winter Palace during his childhood and youth, and having received Gatchina as a gift from his mother, he left it in the mid-1780s and returned in November 1796, becoming emperor. Pavel lived in the palace for four years in Catherine’s converted chambers. His large family moved with him, settling in their rooms in the western part of the palace. After his accession, he immediately began construction Mikhailovsky Castle, without hiding his plans to literally “tear off” the interiors of the Winter Palace, using everything valuable to decorate the Mikhailovsky Castle.

After the death of Paul in March 1801, Emperor Alexander I immediately returned to the Winter Palace. The palace returned to its status as the main imperial residence. But he did not occupy the chambers of the southeastern risalit; he returned to his rooms, located along the western facade of the Winter Palace, with windows overlooking the Admiralty. The premises on the second floor of the southwestern risalit have forever lost their significance as the inner chambers of the head of state. Renovation of the chambers of Paul I began in 1818, on the eve of the arrival of the King of Prussia, Frederick William III, in Russia, appointing “collegiate adviser Karl Rossi” responsible for the work. All design work was carried out according to his drawings. From that time on, the rooms in this part of the Winter Palace began to be officially called the “Prussian-Royal Rooms”, and later - the Second Reserve Half of the Winter Palace. It is separated from the First Half by the Alexander Hall; in plan, this half consisted of two perpendicular enfilades overlooking Palace Square and Millionnaya Street, which were connected in different ways to the rooms facing the courtyard. There was a time when the sons of Alexander II lived in these rooms. First, Nikolai Alexandrovich (who was never destined to become Russian Emperor), and from 1863, his younger brothers Alexander (future Emperor Alexander III) and Vladimir. They moved out of the Winter Palace at the end of the 1860s, beginning their independent lives. At the beginning of the twentieth century, dignitaries of the “first level” were accommodated in the rooms of the Second Reserve Half, saving them from terrorist bombs. From the beginning of spring 1905, the Governor-General of St. Petersburg Trepov lived there. Then, in the fall of 1905, Prime Minister Stolypin and his family were accommodated in these premises.

The premises on the second floor along the southern facade, the windows of which are located to the right and left of the main gate, were allocated by Paul I to his wife Maria Feodorovna in 1797. Paul's intelligent, ambitious and strong-willed wife, during her widowhood, managed to form a structure called the “department of Empress Maria Feodorovna.” It was engaged in charity, education, and provision of medical care to representatives of various classes. In 1827, renovations were made to the chambers, which ended in March, and in November of the same year she died. Her third son, Emperor Nicholas I, decided to preserve her chambers. Later, the First Reserve Half was formed there, consisting of two parallel enfilades. This was the largest of the palace halves, stretching along the second floor from the White to the Alexander Hall. In 1839, temporary residents settled there: the eldest daughter of Nicholas I, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna and her husband, the Duke of Leuchtenberg. They lived there for almost five years, until the completion of the Mariinsky Palace in 1844. After the death of Empress Maria Alexandrovna and Emperor Alexander II, their rooms became part of the First Reserve Half.

On the ground floor of the southern façade between the entrance of the Empress and the main gate leading to the Great Courtyard, the windows overlooking Palace Square were the premises of the Palace Grenadiers on Duty (2 windows), the Candle Post (2 windows) and the department of the Military Camp Office of the Emperor (3 windows). Next came the premises of the “Hoff-Fourier and Chamber-Fourier post.” These premises ended at the Commandant's entrance, to the right of which the windows of the apartment of the commandant of the Winter Palace began.

The entire third floor of the southern façade, along the long maid of honor corridor, was occupied by the ladies-in-waiting's apartments. Since these apartments were service living space, at the will of business executives or the emperor himself, ladies-in-waiting could be moved from one room to another. Some of the ladies-in-waiting quickly got married and left the Winter Palace forever; others met there not only old age, but also death...

The southwestern risalit under Catherine II was occupied by the palace theater. It was demolished in the mid-1780s to accommodate rooms for the Empress's many grandchildren. A small enclosed courtyard was built inside the risalit. The daughters of the future Emperor Paul I were settled in the rooms of the southwestern risalit. In 1816, Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna married Prince William of Orange and left Russia. Her chambers were remodeled under the leadership of Carlo Rossi for Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich and his young wife Alexandra Feodorovna. The couple lived in these rooms for 10 years. After the Grand Duke became Emperor Nicholas I in 1825, the couple moved in 1826 to the northwestern risalit. And after the marriage of the heir, Tsarevich Alesander Nikolaevich, to the Princess of Hesse (future Empress Maria Alexandrovna), they occupied the premises of the second floor of the southwestern risalit. Over time, these rooms began to be called “Half of Empress Maria Alexandrovna”

Photos of the Winter Palace

I believe that the Winter Palace can rightfully be considered the main attraction of St. Petersburg. Interestingly, once upon a time, by decree of Nicholas I, it was forbidden to erect buildings higher than the Winter Palace. Everyone looked up to the residence of the Russian emperors - so the Palace became the face of the city, defining the architectural fashion of St. Petersburg.

This summer I rode a Segway around Palace Square, around the Alexander Pillar. It was at this moment that a bizarre cosmogonic metaphor appeared in my head. If the Alexander Pillar is the sun of St. Petersburg, then the Winter Palace is the closest and hottest planet on which life ordinary people It’s hardly possible; only the luminaries of Russian history, the rulers of the empire, can live here. As I moved away from the palace, the entire panorama of the square came into my field of vision, but the palace still stood in the center of the picture. When approaching it, it forces you to focus on individual details of the building: clocks, pilasters, bas-reliefs... Such an extreme acquaintance with the Winter Palace cannot leave anyone indifferent. Grab your bikes, scooters, roller skates and go on this exciting journey. But such acquaintance is good only on an emotional level. To understand the beauty of this structure, you need to delve into history. Therefore, I left my original means of transportation outside the walls of the Palace and went to look at the interior decoration already in ordinary shoes, without wheels.

The mystery of the name

If you have never seen the Winter Palace or have been there for a long time, then I suggest playing the game! Let's check together what associations the image of the Winter Palace evokes. Does it look like the Snow Queen's castle from the Soviet cartoon? Or is this a very real building, but surrounded by Russian winter landscapes?

I think that all those associations that arise in your mind will be correct and one way or another will serve as the key to unlocking the secret.

Despite the telling name of the palace, you can visit this attraction at any time of the year, not only in winter. It is interesting to know why the Palace was named that way. Firstly, it was built in winter, and secondly, Russian emperors lived here precisely at this time of year. So the Winter Palace became a symbol of human superiority over the elements, nature, over Russian frosts. In this place you can not only hide from any storms and winds, but also admire the amazingly beautiful interiors. Inside the Palace there is a lot of gold, light, and thanks to a huge number mirror space is expanding all the time. Russian emperors did not like to lie idle, so in the Winter Palace they received ambassadors from different countries. Today, the Winter Palace is not a separate object; it is part of the complex of buildings of the Hermitage Museum, which you can read more about. I’ll tell you specifically about the Winter Palace.

Story

In fact, the Winter Palace was rebuilt five times. The very first version of the palace was made of wood and looked more like a hut. It did not have the chic that we see now. This wooden house became a gift to Peter from the city governor. The second architect was Georg Mattarnovi. Gradually the winter palace evolved. It is this architectural maturation that interests us, because through the history of a particular building we can trace how Russia itself improved: its buildings, streets, and the appearance of people changed. The third palace was built according to Rastrelli's design in 1762. Construction took seven years. The architect himself believed that he was creating a palace for all-Russian glory.

As you know, the entire architecture of St. Petersburg is divided into two types. On the one hand, we can see the St. Petersburg of N.V. Gogol and F.M. Dostoevsky - a city with gloomy streets, humiliated and insulted people. Such Petersburg is filled with mysticism and hopelessness of human existence. But there is another side to him that cannot be forgotten. And one of the main attractions of this “festive” and happy St. Petersburg is the Winter Palace. It exudes chic and carefree. The breadth of the Russian soul and European orderliness, lightness and heaviness, thoughtfulness and cheerfulness - these contradictions give rise to harmony.

The Winter Palace was rebuilt by various architects and rulers. This is how a whole complex grew up, which today everyone can visit. In 1837, a fire broke out in the building, which could not be extinguished for about a day; many priceless things were lost. After the fire, a reconstruction plan was created. Stasov and Bryullov took up this matter. After 15 months, most of the palace was restored.

What is in the Winter Palace

Leads to the main halls of the Palace Ambassadorial staircase. Ambassadors from other countries could immediately become acquainted with Russian traditions of hospitality as they walked up the red carpet.

In the 19th century, the staircase began to be called the Jordan Staircase, since during baptism holidays members of the imperial family descended along it to the ice hole in the Neva.

The front part was restored by the architect Stasov. He tried to preserve the Baroque style with its inherent rich decoration, stucco molding, mirrors in heavy gilded frames.

Petrovsky Hall dedicated to the memory of the first Russian Emperor the Great. The interior design is dominated by red French velvet, with monograms and floral patterns embroidered on it. Pictures of wars remind of the strength of Russia. The portrait of the emperor is also interesting: it depicts Peter next to the goddess of wisdom.

IN Armorial Hall you can see the coats of arms of all Russian provinces. In addition, there are sculptures of Russian soldiers. Official receptions used to be held in this same hall.

Next, visitors are presented with Military gallery is a long corridor on the walls of which are portraits of 322 generals. In general, the whole flower of the Russian army of the 19th century: Kutuzov, Bagration, Platov, Raevsky...

Malachite living room was created for the wife of Nicholas I. In this room there is a lot of malachite from the mines of the Demidov brothers. The sculptor was faced with a task of almost national importance: he had to demonstrate the power and wealth of the Russian lands, to find that natural material (mineral or stone) that would personify Russia. The green color of malachite best emphasized the status of the Russian Empire. Malachite is a symbol of life and growth.

Tickets

In order to get to the Winter Palace, you need to buy a ticket at the box office or electronically. The second option is the most convenient, since you do not have to stand in long lines.

Prices vary from 300 to 1000 rubles. Since the Winter Palace is part of a complex of architectural structures, the ticket price includes a combined list of places that you can visit: the Hermitage, the Menshikov Palace, the Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory... Choose the fare wisely, since you can see several attractions in one day. It will be cheaper and more fruitful than separately.

There is another good news: The first Thursday of every month is a free admission day. And for students, schoolchildren and other beneficiaries, admission is free on regular days. More information about prices can be found on the Hermitage website.

How to get there

How to get there: from the Admiralteyskaya or Nevsky Prospekt metro station. You need to move along Nevsky Prospekt, towards Vasilyevsky Island. After Nevsky Prospekt ends, you will exit onto the palace square. You need to focus on the huge arch, inside of which the Alexander Pillar rises. The Winter Palace is located directly opposite the Hermitage.

Address of the Winter Palace: Palace Square, 2 / Palace Embankment, 38.
Working hours: from 10:30 to 18:00 (ticket offices are open until 17:00), Monday is a day off.