Winter Palace

St. Petersburg: Hermitage and Alexander Column

Winter Palace, former royal residence of the Russian tsars in St. Petersburg, on the Neva River. Several different palaces were constructed in the 18th century, with the fourth and final version built in 1754–62 by Baroque architect Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli; it was restored following a fire in 1837, though the destroyed interior was largely redesigned. The palace is now part of the Hermitage art museum.

St. Petersburg: Hermitage

St. Petersburg: Hermitage

The first Winter Palace was constructed in 1708 for Peter I. Three years later the small wooden building was replaced by a stone palace. In the early 1730s, Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli was commissioned by Empress Anna to design a bigger residence, and it was finished in 1735. Elizabeth subsequently requested renovations to create a palace of unparalled opulence, and Rastrelli ultimately designed a new building that was to become a masterpiece of Russian Baroque architecture. Work began in 1754, with more than 4,000 people involved in the construction of the 460-room structure. Completed in 1762, the fourth Winter Palace became known for its elegance and luxury. The three-story building was built around a quadrangle, and although each of the four facades were unique, they all featured white columns against a sandy pink background, with golden stucco moldings. The 176 sculptured figures that lined the roof added to the palace’s striking appearance. After Catherine II assumed the throne in 1762, she dismissed Rastrelli and had much of the Baroque interior replaced with Neoclassical designs. In 1837 the building’s interior was destroyed by a fire, and four years later restoration work was completed. Although the Neoclassical look was retained, many new designs were introduced; the slightly damaged exterior, however, was rebuilt according to Rastrelli’s plans. Painted various colours over the years, the current palace’s exterior is largely green and white.

Russian Revolution

After Nicholas II was overthrown during the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Winter Palace became a museum.