The Winter Palace today. Royal palaces. Private quarters of the emperor's daughters

The largest palace building in St. Petersburg is Winter Palace. Big size and magnificent decoration make it possible to rightfully classify the Winter Palace as one of the most striking monuments of the St. Petersburg Baroque. “The Winter Palace as a building, as a royal dwelling, perhaps has nothing like it in the whole. With its vastness, with its architecture, it depicts a powerful people that has so recently entered the environment of educated nations, and with its inner splendor it reminds of that inexhaustible life that boils in the interior of Russia ... The Winter Palace for us is a representative of everything domestic, Russian, ours, ”- so V.A. Zhukovsky wrote about the Winter Palace.

History of the Winter Palace

Varfolomey Varfolomeevich (Bartolomeo Francesca) Rastrelli (1700-1771) - the largest representative of Russian baroque. By origin. In 1716 he came with his father to Petersburg. Studied abroad. In 1730-1760 he was appointed court architect. His creations include the Cathedral of the Smolny Monastery, Grand Palace in Peterhof (now Petrodvorets), the Great Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, the Strogonov Palace, the Vorontsov Palace and, of course, the Winter Palace.

The Winter Palace was built immediately with the goal that it would be main residence kings. The palace was built "for the united glory of all Russia," Rastrelli emphasized. While the palace was being built, the royal court was located in a temporary wooden palace built by Rastrelli in 1755 at the corner of Nevsky Prospekt and the Moika Embankment. In 1754 the project of the palace was approved. Its construction lasted eight long years, which fell on the decline of the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna and the short reign of Peter III. In the autumn of 1763, Catherine II returned from Moscow to St. Petersburg after the coronation celebrations and became the sovereign mistress of the new palace.

At first, the Winter Palace was built as a small two-story house, covered with tiles, with two ledges along the edges and a central entrance. But later another floor was added.

The construction of the Winter Palace required a huge amount of money and a huge number of workers. About 4 thousand people worked at this construction site. The best masters from all over the country were gathered here.

Construction was completed in 1762, but for a long time finishing work was still going on. interior design. Interior decoration was entrusted to the best Russian architects Yu. M. Felten, J. B. Vallin-Delamot and A. Rinaldi.

In the 1780s-1790s, I.E. Starov and G. Quarenghi continued the work on altering the interior decoration of the palace. In general, the palace was remodeled and rebuilt an incredible number of times. Every new architect I tried to bring something of my own, sometimes destroying what had already been built.

Galleries with arches ran along the entire lower floor. Galleries connected all parts of the palace. The rooms on the sides of the galleries were of a service nature. There were pantries, a guardroom, employees of the palace lived.

The ceremonial halls and living quarters of members of the imperial family were located on the second floor and were built in the Russian Baroque style - huge halls flooded with light, double rows of large windows and mirrors, lush rococo decor. The apartments of the courtiers were mainly located on the upper floor.

The palace was destroyed many times. For example, a strong fire on December 17-19, 1837 almost completely destroyed the beautiful decoration of the Winter Palace, from which only a charred skeleton remained. The interiors of Rastrelli, Quarenghi, Montferrand, Rossi perished. Restoration work continued for two years. They were led by architects V.P. Stasov and A.P. Bryullov. According to the order of Nicholas I, the palace was to be restored the same as it was before the fire. However, not everything was so easy to do, for example, only some interiors, created or restored after the fire of 1837 by A.P. Bryullov, have come down to us in their original form.

At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, the interior design was constantly changing and adding new elements. Such, in particular, are the interiors of the chambers of Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Alexander II, created according to the designs of G. A. Bosse (Red Boudoir) and V.A. Schreiber (Golden Living Room), as well as the library of Nicholas II (author A.F. Krasovsky). Among the renovated interiors, the most interesting was the decoration of the Nicholas Hall, which contained a large equestrian portrait of Emperor Nicholas I by the artist F. Kruger.

long time The Winter Palace was the residence of Russian emperors. After the assassination of Alexander II by terrorists, Emperor Alexander III moved his residence to Gatchina. From that moment on, only especially solemn ceremonies were held in the Winter Palace. With the accession to the throne of Nicholas II in 1894, the imperial family returned to the palace again.

The most significant changes in the history of the Winter Palace took place in 1917, along with the coming of the Bolsheviks to power. A lot of valuables were stolen and damaged by sailors and workers while the palace was under their control. Direct hit by a projectile fired from a gun Peter and Paul Fortress, the former chambers of Alexander III were damaged. Only a few days later the Soviet government declared the Winter Palace and the Hermitage state museums and secured the buildings. Soon, valuable palace property and the Hermitage collections were sent to Moscow and hidden in and in the building of the Historical Museum.

In 1918, part of the premises of the Winter Palace was given over to the Museum of the Revolution, which led to the reorganization of their interiors. The Romanov Gallery was completely liquidated, in which there were portraits of sovereigns and members of the Romanov dynasty. Many chambers of the palace were occupied by a reception center for prisoners of war, a children's colony, a headquarters for arranging mass celebrations, etc. The armorial hall was used for theatrical performances, the Nikolaevsky hall was converted into a cinema. In addition, congresses and conferences of various public organizations were repeatedly held in the halls of the palace.

When the Hermitage and Palace collections returned from Moscow to Petrograd at the end of 1920, there was simply no place for many of them. As a result, hundreds of paintings and sculptures were used to decorate the mansions and apartments of party, Soviet and military leaders, holiday homes for officials and their families. Since 1922, the premises of the Winter Palace began to be gradually transferred to the Hermitage.

The Winter Palace was seriously damaged during the war. Shells and bombs damaged the Small Throne or Petrovsky Hall, destroyed part of the Armorial Hall and the ceiling of the Rastrelli Gallery, and damaged the Jordan Stairs. Restoration work required huge efforts, stretched out for many years.

Features of the structure of the Winter Palace

The palace was conceived and built in the form of a closed quadrangle, with a vast courtyard. The Winter Palace is rather large and clearly stands out from the surrounding houses.

Countless white columns now gather in groups (especially picturesque and expressive at the corners of the building), then thin out and part, opening windows framed with platbands with lion masks and cupids' heads. There are dozens of decorative vases and statues on the balustrade. The corners of the building are lined with columns and pilasters.

Each facade of the Winter Palace is made in its own way. North facade, facing the Neva, stretches out as a more or less even wall, without noticeable ledges. The southern façade, overlooking the Palace Square and having seven articulations, is the main one. Its center is cut by three entrance arches. Behind them is the front yard, where in the middle of the northern building there used to be main entrance to the palace. Of the side facades, the western one is more interesting, facing the Admiralty and the square, on which Rastrelli planned to place the equestrian statue of Peter I cast by his father. Each architraves decorating the palace is unique. This is due to the fact that the mass, consisting of a mixture of crushed bricks and lime mortar, was cut and processed by hand carvers. All stucco decorations of the facades were made on the spot.

The Winter Palace was always painted in bright colors. The original color of the palace was pink-yellow, as evidenced by drawings from the 18th and first quarter of the 19th century.

From the interior of the palace, created by Rastrelli, the Jordan Staircase and partly big church. Main staircase located in the northeast corner of the building. It contains various decorative details - columns, mirrors, statues, intricate gilded stucco, a huge ceiling created by Italian painters. Divided into two solemn marches, the staircase led to the main, northern enfilade, which consisted of five large halls, behind which there was a huge Throne Hall in the northwestern risalit, and the Palace Theater in the southwestern part.

The Great Church, located in the southeast corner of the building, also deserves special attention. Initially, the church was consecrated in honor of the Resurrection of Christ (1762) and again - in the name of the Savior Not Made by Hands (1763). Its walls are decorated with stucco - an elegant pattern of floral ornament. The three-tiered iconostasis is decorated with icons and picturesque panels depicting biblical scenes. Evangelists on the vaults of the ceiling were later painted by F. A. Bruni. Now nothing reminds of the former purpose of the church hall, ruined in the 1920s, except for the golden dome and the large pictorial ceiling by F. Fontebasso depicting the Resurrection of Christ.

Experts call the Georgievsky, or the Great Throne, hall, created according to the project of Quarenghi, the most perfect interior. In order to create the St. George Hall, a special building had to be attached to the center of the eastern facade of the palace. In the design of this room, which enriched the front suite, colored marble and gilded bronze were used. At the end of it, on a dais, there used to be a large throne, made by the master P. Azhi. In design work palace interiors Other well-known architects also participated. In 1826, according to the project of K. I. Rossi, before St. George's Hall built the Military Gallery, on the walls of which 330 portraits of generals - participants were placed Patriotic War 1812. Most of portraits was painted by the English artist D. Dow.

Worthy of attention are the Anteroom, Grand and Concert halls. All of them are characterized by rigor and artistic integrity, which distinguishes the style of classicism. Most Big hall The winter one is the Nikolaevsky hall (one thousand one hundred square meters). Especially remarkable is the Malachite Hall - the only surviving example of malachite decoration of an entire residential interior. The main decoration of the hall are eight malachite columns made in the Russian mosaic technique, the same number of pilasters and two large malachite fireplaces.

Location of the Winter Palace

Three central squares- Palace Square, Decembrists Square and St. Isaac's Square form a single spatial element on the banks of the Neva. It is on these squares that the main attractions of St. Petersburg are located.

With its northern facades, the Winter Palace, the Admiralty, Saint Isaac's Cathedral, the Senate and the Synod are turned towards the Neva. Its wide expanses of water are inextricably linked with the prospects of grandiose squares and powerful arrays of buildings located on them.

The official address of the Winter Palace is Palace Embankment, 36.

Today it is difficult to separate the Winter Palace from the Hermitage. Valuable exhibitions and expositions are now located here, and the palace itself has long been perceived as a historical value. Its history is a direct continuation of the history of Russia, St. Petersburg and the imperial dynasty.

We can say that the winter palace is known all over the world, it is also known as the French and as the English Tower. Saint Petersburg is one of the most interesting cities in Russia, and it is very attractive for tourists. And almost everything excursion groups visit the Hermitage, where they learn the history of the Winter Palace.

Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Historical building in the style of Elizabethan baroque with elements of French rococo, the former imperial palace, built according to the project of B. F. Rastrelli in 1754-1762. Since 1920, the building has been part of the main museum complex State Hermitage.

Until 1762, five Winter Palaces were built in St. Petersburg, including the current version. The first palace was built in 1712, the second - in 1720, the third - in 1735, the penultimate fourth - in 1755. The last Winter Palace from the moment of construction until 1904 was used as the official winter residence of the Russian emperors. After the revolution of 1917, the Provisional Government met in the palace. Since 1920 the building has been used as a museum.

The building of the palace has the form of a square of 4 outbuildings, which are located around the Great Courtyard, and with their facades look at the Neva, the Admiralty and Palace Square.

The magnificent and magnificent appearance of the Winter Palace was supposed to demonstrate the status of the new city on the Neva as the capital Russian Empire. This was achieved by installing special two-level columns on the facades of the building, as well as with the help of sculptures and vases located above the cornice around the entire perimeter of the palace.

B. F. Rastrelli did not have time to personally finish the work on the interior decoration of the halls, since he was removed by Catherine II, the interiors of the palace were completed by Yu. M. Felten, J. B. Vallin-Delamot and A. Rinaldi. The most famous premises of the palace are the Jordan Gallery, the Jordan Stairs, the Field Marshal's Hall, the Petrovsky (Small Throne) Hall, the Armorial Hall, the Military Gallery of 1812, the St. staircase, White Hall, Golden Living Room, Raspberry Study, Boudoir, Blue Bedroom, Entrance Hall, Large (Nikolaev) anteroom, Concert Hall, Malachite Living Room, Small (White) Dining Room.

In 1837, a fire broke out in the Winter Palace, which lasted for 3 whole days, and the restoration of the building after which took about 2 years.

In 1844, Emperor Nicholas I signed a decree prohibiting the construction of civil buildings in St. Petersburg above the Winter Palace. The ban was in effect until 1905.

During the First World War, in 1915, the military hospital named after Tsarevich Alexei Nikolayevich was located in the palace.

The storming of the Winter Palace, or rather its encirclement and the arrest of members of the Provisional Government, was the main event of the October 1917 coup, which brought the Bolsheviks to power.

During the Great Patriotic War, 12 bomb shelters designed for 2,000 people were equipped in the basements of the palace. During the war years, 17 artillery shells and 2 air bombs hit the palace building. But already in November 1944, the Winter Palace was partially open to the public, although it full recovery took several years.

The interiors of the palace are often used for filming feature films, as well as being modeled in animated films and computer games.

Almost 50 cats live in the palace, descending from the Dutch cat Peter I. Their main role is to protect the Winter Palace from mice. There is even a special fund for friends of the Hermitage cats, and the museum staff organizes special holidays for them.

The three-storey building of the Winter Palace has 1084 rooms, 1945 windows and 117 stairs. The length of the facade from the side of the Neva is 137 meters, from the side of the Admiralty - 106 meters, the height of the palace is 23.5 meters, total area- 46516 square meters.

The Winter Palace is included in the Unified State Register objects cultural heritage(monuments of history and culture) of Russia and to the list world heritage UNESCO in historical center cities.

Note to tourists:

A visit to the Winter Palace will be of interest to tourists interested in the architecture of the second half of the 18th century, to everyone who wants to see the exposition located in the palace, and can also become one of the points excursion program while exploring neighboring attractions that are part of the architectural ensemble

This grandiose building, located in St. Petersburg, like all the architectural creations of the city, is distinguished by its sophistication combined with pomp and pomp. Winter Palace St. Petersburg serves as a center for arts and tourism Russian Federation, its great attraction. This building has a centuries-old mysterious story shrouded in legends and myths. The splendor of the palace enchants and makes you go back to the distant times of emperors, balls and secular life that time. The architectural solutions used in the construction are striking in their splendor. The design went through a number of changes, it reincarnated several times and came in its final form in our time. This creation is located on Palace Square, uniting with it into a single whole and recreating a grandiose landscape.

Winter Palace: building description

The style in which the building is made is Elizabethan Baroque. Since the period of Soviet times, this room has housed the main exposition of the State Hermitage. The Winter Palace has been the residence of Russian emperors throughout its history.

Many tourists created a photo of the winter palace as a keepsake. This extraordinary beauty is mesmerizing. The palace is gorgeous both outside and inside. Further on this in more detail.

The history of the grand palace

Back in 1712, during the reign of Peter I, it was forbidden to give land plots at the disposal of ordinary people. Such land zones were intended for sailors of the highest class. Peter took over this site.

First, a wooden, ordinary house was built. Closer to the cold weather, a groove was dug in front of the facade of the house, which was called Winter. This is where the name of the palace came from.

Years later, Peter appointed many famous architects to work on the reconstruction, improvement of the house. So, from a wooden one, it turned into a stone palace.

In 1735, the eminent architect Francesco Rastrelli set to work. He suggested that Anna Ioannovna, who was in power, buy nearby land plots with houses and carry out a total reconstruction. This is how the current Winter Palace was built, which after a while acquired a slightly different look.

With the coming to power of Elizabeth Petrovna, the Winter Palace became different, the one that contemporaries can see. In her opinion, the palace did not meet the requirements that are necessary for the residence of the empress. Rastrelli created a new project.

The great architect in a short period of time made his creation truly magnificent. The best craftsmen, 4 thousand workers were involved. Francesco Rastrelli individually worked out every detail of the palace, which did not resemble each other.

Palace architecture

The architecture of the Winter Palace is striking in its versatility. The height of the building is emphasized by two-tiered columns. The Baroque style itself is an example of pomp and wealth.

This building has 3 floors, a courtyard, in terms of the shape of a square, consisting of 4 outbuildings. The facades of the palace face the Neva River, Palace Square and the Admiralty.

The facades are finished very elegantly, the main one is cut through by an arch. Solemnity and splendor are created by Rastrelli's unusual architectural solutions: ledges of risalits, uneven distribution of columns, various layouts of facades, accents on the stepped corners of the building.

The Winter Palace consists of 1084 different rooms with a total of 1945 windows. 117 stairs are provided. For the world practice of that time, this building was unusual in that a huge amount of metal was used in the construction.

The color scheme of the palace is such that it corresponds to sandy shades. Such a move was conceived by the architect Rastrelli. Local authorities after every choice of color schemes, they came to the conclusion that it was necessary to recreate the color scheme that was thought out and executed by Rastrelli.

Winter Palace from the inside

Unfortunately, that original splendor created by the great architect, in modern times No. The reason for this was the fire of 1837. Only load-bearing walls and semi-columns on the first floor could be preserved, in contrast to the decoration of all halls.

The Winter Palace has the following halls:

• Field Marshal's Hall (it is decorated with portraits of 6 field marshals, according to tradition, the 7th niche is empty);
• the Jordanian Gallery (made in the Russian Baroque style, named after the procession from the Great Church of the Winter Palace through this room);
• Petrovsky / Small throne room (dedicated to the memory of Peter I);
• Armorial Hall (after the fire, restored by V.P. Stasov in the style of Russian late classicism, was intended for receptions of gentlemen, has the coats of arms of Russian provinces);
• Georgievsky / Large throne room (there is a white marble bas-relief "George the Victorious slaying the dragon");
• Military gallery (dedicated to the war with Napoleon and the victory over him);
• Picket / New Hall (dedicated to the history of the Russian army);
• Large Church (a belfry with 5 bells was built, made in the Baroque style);
• The chambers of Empress Maria Alexandrovna (consist of the Golden Drawing Room, the Dance Hall, the Blue Bedroom, the Boudoir, the Raspberry Study);
• Alexander Hall (currently there is a collection of silver of Western European origin);
• Anterooms of the Neva front suite (consists of a concert hall, Anteroom, Nicholas Hall);
• White dining room (distinguished by a variety of interiors, made in the rococo style);
• Malachite living room (125 poods of malachite were used for decoration, the entire living room is framed in it).

Conclusion

The Winter Palace has always been and will be a symbol of greatness Russian state. It is an unshakable leader among world-class tourist sites. For the sake of such historical beauty, many stunned tourists put the Winter Palace with its charming summer garden, broken on the banks of the Neva.

Back in 1752, F. B. Rastrelli drew up several projects for the restructuring of the existing Winter Palace during the time of Anna Ioannovna. These projects have clearly shown that the possibilities of expanding the former building have been completely exhausted. In 1754, the final decision was made to build a new palace in the same place.

In terms of size and magnificence of architectural decoration, it was supposed to surpass all previous imperial palaces in St. Petersburg, to become a symbol of the wealth and power of the Russian state. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, especially noted, addressing the Senate through the architect F.B. Rastrelli: towards the end."

The New Winter Palace was conceived as a closed quadrangle with a vast front yard. The northern facade of the palace was facing the Neva, the western - towards the Admiralty. In front of the southern facade, F. B. Rastrelli designed large area, in the center of which he proposed to install an equestrian statue of Peter I, sculpted by the father of the architect Bartolomeo Carlo Rastrelli. A semicircular square was also planned in front of the eastern facade of the Winter Palace, from the side of the modern Small Hermitage. These plans were not implemented.

The construction of the grandiose building lasted 12 years. For this period, the imperial court moved to a temporary wooden Winter Palace, built on Nevsky Prospekt. During the warm season, the Summer Palace served as the capital's imperial residence.

On the eve of Easter 1762, a solemn consecration of the house church of the Winter Palace took place, marking the end of construction, although many rooms were still unfinished. Elizabeth Petrovna did not have a chance to live in the new palace - she died in December 1761. Emperor Peter III moved to the palace.

During the reign of Catherine II, part of the interiors of the Winter Palace was decorated in accordance with new artistic tastes. Changes and additions were made in the 1st third of the 19th century. A devastating fire in 1837 destroyed the magnificent interior decoration. Its restoration in 1838-1839 was carried out by the architects V.P. Stasov and A.P. Bryullov.

The Winter Palace belongs to one of the most outstanding works of Russian Baroque. The three-storey building is divided into two tiers by an entablature. The facades are decorated with Ionic and Composite columns; the columns of the upper tier unite the second (front) and third floors.

The complex rhythm of the columns, the richness and variety of forms of architraves (one can count two dozen of their types), abundant stucco work, many decorative vases and statues on the parapets and pediments create an extraordinary decoration of the palace in terms of splendor and magnificence. The bright contrasting coloring of the walls and architectural decorations enhances the overall picturesque impression. Its original gamut was somewhat different compared to the modern one - the palace was “painted from the outside: the walls with sandy paint with the thinnest yellow, and the ornaments with white lime.”

The southern facade of the palace is cut through by three entrance arches leading to the front courtyard. In the center of the northern building was main entrance. Through the long vestibule one could go to the main Jordan staircase, which occupied a whole risalit in the northeast corner of the building. On the second floor, along the Neva façade, a solemn enfilade passed from the stairs, closed by the grandiose Throne Hall. None of the existing halls of the Winter Palace can compare with its size: F. B. Rastrelli, while maintaining the width of the Throne Hall from the time of Anna Ioannovna (28 meters), brought its length to 49 meters.

Along the eastern façade, from the Jordan Stairs, there was a second enfilade, ending in the palace church. Behind the church, in the southeastern risalit, personal apartments of Elizabeth Petrovna were planned.

All of Rastrelli's interiors were destroyed in a fire in 1837. By special order of Nicholas I, the Jordan Staircase and the palace church were restored to their original form. The latter suffered again already in Soviet times - in 1938 the magnificent carved iconostasis was dismantled. The interior of the church was restored in 2014.

Now the building of the Winter Palace belongs to the State Hermitage Museum, the museum's expositions are located here.

The Winter Palace is a legendary building that used to serve as the home of Russian rulers. The Winter Palace was built in St. Petersburg in the middle of the 18th century. The main collection of the historical State Hermitage was placed in the palace 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 transferred it to the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoye Selo.

Winter Palace with Palace Square beautifully combined in architectural ensemble and are the decoration of St. Petersburg. Every year, thousands of travelers from all over the world visit the historic 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 marriage.

2. Winter Palace of Peter I

The order for the construction of the new Winter Palace was given by the Tsar to the architect Georg Mattarnovi in ​​1716. During the construction of the building, 50 meters to the river had to be moved Palace embankment. After 4 years, the emperor settled in the building, and in 1725 he died.

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 orders the building to be refurbished. F. B. Rastrelli took over the construction in 1731.

The Empress moved to a new building on permanent residence after 4 years. 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.

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

In the middle of the 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 later, the empress orders the building to be changed in height upwards. Rastrelli has to transform his drawings, and he advises the empress to build a building in a different space of the city. But she refuses to move the building. This led to the fact that in 1754 an order was signed for the erection of the palace building on the former site.

4. Fourth (temporary) Winter Palace

It was created by Rastrelli in 1755. The building was demolished seven years later.

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 already engaged in construction. The building contained more than 1500 rooms. The empress died before the construction was completed. The building was put into operation already to Peter III. The construction cost more than 2.6 million rubles.

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

The empress from Germany was given more than 300 expensive paintings to pay off the 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. He survived a terrible fire, as a result of which the entire interior and the statues on the roof of the building had to be restored. I saw an attempt on the life of Emperor Alexander II. It became the venue for chic costume balls. It housed a hospital, the Provisional Government. Survived a heavy assault in the revolutionary years. The cultural heritage center of 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 badly damaged by military bombardments - the restoration of the building lasted for many decades after the war.

Today, the Winter Palace is a chic structure and has a rectangular configuration with sides of 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 beauties.

Palace in art

The Winter Palace played an important role in art. Its 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 little things 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 another 30 representatives of mousers. A unique reserve has been created for the cats of the Hermitage Money. Every year, a festive feast is organized for cats with all kinds of cat treats. The holiday takes place on April 1 and is called March Cat Day.
2. Nicholas I issued a curious state decree, which states 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 turned out to be higher than private houses, although nothing was said about it in the decree.