St Petersburg: The Winter Palace (or Palaces)
Story by Paul Hughes, 2019
Like many things in the world, historic events are not always how they are currently portrayed. The story of St Petersburg’s most famous building, the Winter Palace, is a great example of this.
It is both decadent and spectacular. Shaped like an elongated rectangle, the main facade of the white and green palace is 215 metres long and 22 metres high, and is said to contain 1,500 rooms, 117 staircases, 1,945 doors and 1,786 windows!
Only part of the renovated palace is open to the public and, while the queues to get in are very long, you would need a whole day to explore the available sections in detail, even after you have been hurried along by the mainly female, stiff, stern-faced and distinctly uniformed attendants!
Even so, it is only very busy because it is everyone’s “must-do” when they visit Russia.
Like many things in the world, historic events are not always how they are currently portrayed. The story of St Petersburg’s most famous building, the Winter Palace, is a great example of this.
It is both decadent and spectacular. Shaped like an elongated rectangle, the main facade of the white and green palace is 215 metres long and 22 metres high, and is said to contain 1,500 rooms, 117 staircases, 1,945 doors and 1,786 windows!
Only part of the renovated palace is open to the public and, while the queues to get in are very long, you would need a whole day to explore the available sections in detail, even after you have been hurried along by the mainly female, stiff, stern-faced and distinctly uniformed attendants!
Even so, it is only very busy because it is everyone’s “must-do” when they visit Russia.
Peter the Great ruled over a massive 22.4 million square kilometres (8.6 million square miles) of land, which is more than 15% of the earth’s total land mass, and the palace was designed to reflect the immense power of Imperial Russia.
The Tsar loved the region so much that in 1798 he had a large, Dutch style wooden palace built on the south bank of the Neva River as a winter retreat. However, three years later this was replaced by a second palace, which by later palace standards was a small stone building which later became the foundations of the Hermitage Theatre.
The Tsar loved the region so much that in 1798 he had a large, Dutch style wooden palace built on the south bank of the Neva River as a winter retreat. However, three years later this was replaced by a second palace, which by later palace standards was a small stone building which later became the foundations of the Hermitage Theatre.
Although initial impressions are that the modern palace was the Tsar’s winter retreat, Peter the Great never saw today’s Winter Palace.
Empress Anna Loannova was the first of many of his descendants to build or reconstruct the palace. In 1731, six years after his death, she appointed the new court architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli to build a third, larger palace on the site, which was completed in 1735.
While that palace was deemed to be spectacular, some 17 years later the new Empress Elizaveta Petrovna wanted to expand the palace. After a further two years, during which the Empress was not satisfied with Rastrelli’s remodelling options, she decided to completely rebuild the palace - Winter Palace number four!
The new palace had almost been completed when Catherine the Great became the ruler in 1762. Catherine was also obviously not happy with Restelli’s work so replaced him with a number of other architects and, although she kept his designs for the exterior of the building, extensively renovated the internal structure in a number of different styles. Hence, the palace is also known as the Pushkin Catherine's Palace.
Empress Anna Loannova was the first of many of his descendants to build or reconstruct the palace. In 1731, six years after his death, she appointed the new court architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli to build a third, larger palace on the site, which was completed in 1735.
While that palace was deemed to be spectacular, some 17 years later the new Empress Elizaveta Petrovna wanted to expand the palace. After a further two years, during which the Empress was not satisfied with Rastrelli’s remodelling options, she decided to completely rebuild the palace - Winter Palace number four!
The new palace had almost been completed when Catherine the Great became the ruler in 1762. Catherine was also obviously not happy with Restelli’s work so replaced him with a number of other architects and, although she kept his designs for the exterior of the building, extensively renovated the internal structure in a number of different styles. Hence, the palace is also known as the Pushkin Catherine's Palace.
The structure has an interior courtyard accessed through three archways facing Palace Square. Everything is richly decorated, mainly with gold. The facades feature two levels of lavishly-decorated columns, with vases and statues along the parapets. We were told that the original stone statues were replaced by metal ones in the 10 years to 1902 because of their weight. This was Winter Palace number five.
The palace is 22 metres high and, in recognition of the historical “imperial influence”, local planning regulations ensure no new buildings in the city can be higher than the palace!
Continual improvements and revisions were made to the interior of the palace throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, with each Emperor adding new galleries and staterooms, although just before Christmas in 1837 fire destroyed much of the interior and the priceless art collections in the Hermitage were saved only because the three passages between the two buildings were already destroyed.
The palace is 22 metres high and, in recognition of the historical “imperial influence”, local planning regulations ensure no new buildings in the city can be higher than the palace!
Continual improvements and revisions were made to the interior of the palace throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, with each Emperor adding new galleries and staterooms, although just before Christmas in 1837 fire destroyed much of the interior and the priceless art collections in the Hermitage were saved only because the three passages between the two buildings were already destroyed.
Tsar Nicholas ordered that the reconstruction of the palace be completed in only a year, which was an amazing feat given the building techniques of the era. Of course the new designs had to be more contemporary that the last, resulting in an even more lavish and perhaps decadent palace than ever before. It was about the 10th reconstruction or major renovation of the Winter Palace.
Following the assassination of Alexander 11 in 1881, it was decided that the Winter Palace was too large and difficult to be secured, so the Tsars stopped using the Winter Palace as a main residence, rather using some of the many other palaces they had built.
The Winter Palace was still used for official receptions and ceremonies, with a spectacular masked ball in 1903 being the last major event the Imperial family held there.
Two years later, thousands of striking workers went to meet Tsar Nicholas 11 in an apparent peaceful protest but a contingent of soldiers opened fire, killing hundreds in what became known as the Bloody Sunday Massacre on the Palace Square (below left).
Following the assassination of Alexander 11 in 1881, it was decided that the Winter Palace was too large and difficult to be secured, so the Tsars stopped using the Winter Palace as a main residence, rather using some of the many other palaces they had built.
The Winter Palace was still used for official receptions and ceremonies, with a spectacular masked ball in 1903 being the last major event the Imperial family held there.
Two years later, thousands of striking workers went to meet Tsar Nicholas 11 in an apparent peaceful protest but a contingent of soldiers opened fire, killing hundreds in what became known as the Bloody Sunday Massacre on the Palace Square (below left).
In February 1917, the Bolshevik-led revolutionary forces laid siege to the Winter Palace (above right), then in October that year they stormed the palace, ransacking much of the palace riches and the massive imperial wine cellars. Fortunately looting did not extend to the substantial art collections at the Hermitage.
Under initial revolutionary policies, all Imperial symbols were removed from the palace and it was used as a museum for the revolution. There was extensive damage to the palace during the Siege of Leningrad (now St Petersburg) that began in September 1941. Since the seige ended in January 1944, ongoing restoration work has seen many parts of the palace returned to their original splendour.
Walking through the palace today there are only occasional transit areas where one can see damage and deterioration being restored as a “work in progress” and many other sections are still closed off.
While today the Winter Palace and four surrounding buildings are the home of Russia's largest art gallery and one of the most respected galleries in the world the Hermitage Museum (below) it was the official residence of the Russian Emperors for almost 200 years, from 1732 to 1917.
The wealth and decadence of those years remain for all to see during a formal tour, and we strongly recommend that you use a tour guide or you may miss many of the key features of the palace and its surrounds. Our photographs cannot do it justice and only a personal visit can relay the absolute beauty of the Winter Palace.
Under initial revolutionary policies, all Imperial symbols were removed from the palace and it was used as a museum for the revolution. There was extensive damage to the palace during the Siege of Leningrad (now St Petersburg) that began in September 1941. Since the seige ended in January 1944, ongoing restoration work has seen many parts of the palace returned to their original splendour.
Walking through the palace today there are only occasional transit areas where one can see damage and deterioration being restored as a “work in progress” and many other sections are still closed off.
While today the Winter Palace and four surrounding buildings are the home of Russia's largest art gallery and one of the most respected galleries in the world the Hermitage Museum (below) it was the official residence of the Russian Emperors for almost 200 years, from 1732 to 1917.
The wealth and decadence of those years remain for all to see during a formal tour, and we strongly recommend that you use a tour guide or you may miss many of the key features of the palace and its surrounds. Our photographs cannot do it justice and only a personal visit can relay the absolute beauty of the Winter Palace.
See more stories on St Petersburg on other pages.
St Petersburg: Home of the Tsars
St Petersburg and Monplaisir Palace
St Petersburg: The Peterhof Gardens,
St Petersburg: Homes of the Tsars
The Spectacular Neva River, St Petersburg
St Petersburg: The Winter Palace (or Palaces)
St Petersburg: The Museum of Russia and Summer Palace
St Petersburg: Home of the Tsars
St Petersburg and Monplaisir Palace
St Petersburg: The Peterhof Gardens,
St Petersburg: Homes of the Tsars
The Spectacular Neva River, St Petersburg
St Petersburg: The Winter Palace (or Palaces)
St Petersburg: The Museum of Russia and Summer Palace