St. Petersburg appears like a city right out of a dream, with its churches and palaces. St. Petersburg, a seaside city on the Baltic Sea, served as Russia's imperial capital until the 19th century, just before the 1917 Bolshevik revolution. However, owing to prominent landmarks such as the Winter Palace and the State Hermitage Museum, the aesthetic metropolis will always be the nation's cultural hub.
The Renaissance Winter Palace is the city's biggest and most luxurious palace, and until 1917, it served as the royal palace of the tsars, their courts, and 1500 attendants. The Hermitage, Russia's first national art gallery, opened in 1852 and is now among the world's biggest galleries. Spanning from antique Scythian gold and gigantic pyrite urns to Cubist sculptures, the Hermitage collection contains approximately three million valuables and artworks. Following the ornately furnished chambers and the Gold Collections, the most popular part features masterpieces by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, and Renoir from the 19th and 20th centuries.
The History Of St. Petersburg's Winter Palace
When Peter I established the museum in 1708, he laid the groundwork for what would become one of the most famous history museums and cultural research institutions in the world 312 years later. The pastel-green castle was designed in the Baroque style by prominent architect Francesco Rastelli.
The Winter Palace was supposed to be a beautiful dwelling for aristocratic Russian ancestors, but it was subjected to numerous renovations before receiving this stunning final transformation for unexplained reasons. The royal palace can't possibly get more majestic.
Top Attractions At The Winter Palace
The Imperial family's guests used to be impressed by the refinement of the Winter Palace's inside decoration.
Stairs, pillars, and walls are made of the palest Carrara marble, gold-plated objects, figurines, sculptural ensembles, and delicate parquet flooring.
Semiprecious stones such as aragonite, lazulite, pyrite, and azurite have been used to embellish furnishings and to finish homes.
The Enfilade Of The State Rooms
The Jordan Stairway leads to the State Rooms on the first level of the palace. The chambers have seen several of the most major moments in Soviet history and provide an intriguing view into the Royal Court's traditions, exhibiting the Romanov Tsars' astonishing opulence.
The original State Rooms were built by the court designers such as Rastrelli and Quarenghi. But they owe their current appearance to Vasiliy Stasov, who was in charge of their revival after a massive fire in 1837.
The Armorial Hall
The Armorial Hall of the palace is a large chamber that was originally constructed for official functions.
After the ancient hall was ruined by an enormous palace fire in 1837, Vasily Stasov constructed the present hall in the late 1830s. The hall's corners are adorned with massive stucco panoplies. A lapidary vase fashioned rests in the hall's middle.
This chamber, which is now part of the State Hermitage Museum, has been preserved in its original condition.
The Malachite Room
The Malachite Room of the palace was constructed by architect Alexander Briullov in the late 1830s to be used as a ceremonial reception area. The usage of malachite for the chamber's pillars and fireplace gives it its title.
During the Tsarist period, the Malachite Parlor functioned as a meeting area for the Ruling family during and before important functions and a royal sitting room for the Tsars.
The Nicholas II's Library
Tsar Nicholas II's Renaissance Library is among the most stunning interiors to have existed.
Alexander Krasovsky, a Russian designer, built this library. Krasovsky's interior reflected the reserved attitude of old English palaces, with an excess of wood paneling, a roof with pilings and latticework chandelier, bookshelves along the walls, and a big fireplace. The architect used the English Renaissance architecture extensively in its décor.
The Hermitage Museum
This large, erratic, and very affluent collection, which sprawls across the joined buildings of the Winter Palace, the Small Hermitage, and the Historic Hermitage, is the most popular attraction for tourists to St. Petersburg.
The Hermitage archive is extremely diverse, spanning from antique Siberian artifacts to post-impressionist masterworks by Matisse and Picasso. It was established by Catherine the Great, adorned by each of her descendants, and then vastly enhanced by Bolshevik encroachments and Red Army seizures in colonized Germany.
When To Visit The Winter Palace & St. Petersburg
- The ideal season to visit Russia is from November to September.
- The Winter Palace suffers a steady decline in tourist numbers during these months due to the blanket of snow that covers the country.
- Entrance Ticket Charges- $8
- Students of any nationality can enter free of charge.
- The Winter Palace is accessible between 10.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. On
- Wednesdays, it's accessible till 9 p.m.
Getting To The Palace
Via Train
- Nearest Train Station - Admiralteiskaya Station
- It is a 9-minute walk to the palace from the station.
Via Bus
- Nearest Bus Stop - Ermitazh Bus Stop
- It is a 6-minute walk to the palace.
The Hermitage not only houses one of the world's finest art collections, but it is also worth visiting for its opulent interior. The Winter Palace is especially remarkable with its gorgeous architectural design and dazzling elegance of the many state chambers. The museum features works by well-known painters, making it a top stop for budding artists and art lovers. The place is a must-see for history, architecture, and art buffs, as well as anyone interested in seeing the opulent house of Russian Tsars.