The history of the winter palaces. The Imperial Mansions: A History of the Winter Palace. Premises and halls

Winter Palace in St. Petersburg (Palace Square, 2 / Palace Embankment, 38)

Winter Palace - the former imperial palace, now part of the Main museum complex State Hermitage Museum.

The monumental and elegant Winter Palace, built by the architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1754-1762 by the order of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, is a striking monument of the Baroque style. The building is a brilliant example of the synthesis of architecture and decorative plastics. All its facades are decorated with a two-tiered colonnade. Forming a complex rhythm of verticals, the columns rush upward, and this movement is supported by numerous statues and vases on the roof.

The abundance of stucco decorations - fancy cornices and window frames, mascarons, cartouches and rocailles, torn pediments - creates a rich play of light and shadow, giving the building a special splendor. Is an object cultural heritage federal significance and a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of historic center St. Petersburg

From the moment the construction was completed in 1762 to 1904, it was used as the official winter residence of the Russian emperors. In 1904, Nicholas II moved his permanent residence to the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoe Selo. From October 1915 to November 1917, the hospital named after Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich worked in the palace. From July to November 1917, the Provisional Government was located in the palace. In January 1920, the State Museum of the Revolution was opened in the palace, which shared the building with the State Hermitage until 1941.

The Winter Palace and Palace Square form the most beautiful architectural ensemble modern city and are one of the main objects of domestic and international tourism.

History

In total, during the period 1711-1764, five winter palaces were erected in the city. Initially, Peter I settled in a hastily built in 1703 near Peter and Paul Fortress one-story house

First Palace - Wedding Chambers

Peter the Great owned the area between the Neva and Millionnaya Street (on the site of the current Hermitage Theater). In 1708, here, in the depths of the site, a wooden "Winter House" was built - a small two-storey house with a high porch and a tiled roof. In 1712, the stone Wedding Chambers of Peter I were built. This palace was a gift from the Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Danilovich Menshikov for the wedding of Peter I and Ekaterina Alekseevna.

The Second Winter Palace - the palace of Peter I at the Winter Canal

In 1716, the architect Georg Mattarnovi, by order of the tsar, began construction of a new Winter Palace, at the corner of the Neva and the Winter Canal (which was then called the "Zimnedomny Canal"). In 1720, Peter I with all his family moved from a summer residence to a winter one. In 1725, Peter died in this palace.

The third palace - the palace of Anna Ioannovna

Later, Empress Anna Ioannovna considered the Winter Palace too small and in 1731 entrusted its rebuilding to FB Rastrelli, who offered her his project for rebuilding the Winter Palace. According to his project, it was required to acquire the houses that stood at that time on the site occupied by the present palace, which belonged to Count Apraksin, the Naval Academy, Raguzinsky and Chernyshev. Anna Ioannovna approved the project, the houses were bought up, demolished, and in the spring of 1732 construction began.

The facades of this palace were facing the Neva, the Admiralty and the "meadow side", that is, the palace square. In 1735, the construction of the palace was completed, and Anna Ioannovna moved into it to live there. The four-story building included about 70 ceremonial halls, more than 100 bedrooms, a gallery, a theater, a large chapel, many staircases, office and guard rooms, as well as rooms of the palace office. Almost immediately, the palace began to be rebuilt, an extension on the meadow side of technical buildings, sheds and stables began [

Anna and Anton-Ulrich

Here on July 2, 1739, the betrothal of Princess Anna Leopoldovna to Prince Anton-Ulrich took place. After the death of Anna Ioannovna, the young emperor John Antonovich was brought here, who stayed here until November 25, 1741, when Elizabeth Petrovna took power into her own hands.

Fourth (temporary) Winter Palace
It was built in 1755. It was built by Rastrelli at the corner of Nevsky Prospekt and the embankment of the river. Washing. Disassembled in 1762

Fifth Winter Palace
From 1754 to 1762, the construction of the existing and currently building of the palace, which at that time became the tallest residential building in St. Petersburg, was underway. The building included about 1500 rooms. The total area of ​​the palace is about 60,000 square meters. Elizaveta Petrovna did not live to see the end of construction, Peter III took over the job on April 6, 1762. By this time, the facades were finished, but many of the interior rooms were not yet ready. In the summer of 1762, Peter III was dethroned, and the construction of the Winter Palace was completed under Catherine II.

The original color of the palace was yellow, like Versailles and Schönbrunn

In the middle of the 19th century, red shades appeared in the coloring of the palace.

First of all, the empress removed Rastrelli from the work. The interior decoration of the palace was carried out by architects Y. M. Felten, J. B. Vallin-Delamot and A. Rinaldi under the leadership of Betsky.

On January 1, 1752, the Empress decided to expand the Winter Palace, after which the neighboring plots of Raguzinsky and Yaguzhinsky were bought out. At the new location Rastrelli added new buildings. According to the project drawn up by him, these buildings were to be added to the existing ones and be decorated with them in the same style.

In December 1752, the Empress wished to increase the height of the Winter Palace from 14 to 22 meters. Rastrelli was forced to redesign the building, after which he decided to build it in a new location. But Elizaveta Petrovna refused to move the new Winter Palace. As a result, the architect decides to rebuild the entire building, the new project was signed by Elizaveta Petrovna on June 16 (June 27) 1754

According to the original, made by Rastrelli, the layout of the palace, the largest ceremonial halls were located on the 2nd floor and overlooked the Neva. According to the architect's plan, the path to the huge "Throne" hall (which occupied the entire space of the north-western wing) began from the east - from the "Jordan" or, as it was previously called, the "Ambassador" staircase and ran through a suite of five avant-halls ( of these, three middle halls later made up the present Nikolaev Hall).

In the south-west wing Rastrelli placed the palace theater "Opera House". Kitchens and other services occupied the northeastern wing, and in the southeastern part, between the living quarters and the "Big Church" arranged in the eastern courtyard, a gallery was thrown.

In 1763, the Empress moved her chambers to the southwestern part of the palace, under her rooms she ordered to place the chambers of her favorite G.G. Orlov (in 1764-1766, the Southern Pavilion of the Small Hermitage will be erected for Orlov, connected to Catherine's chambers by a gallery on the arch ).

In the north-western risalit, the "Throne Room" was arranged, in front of it there was a waiting room - the "White Hall". A dining room was placed behind the White Hall. Adjacent to it was the "Light Cabinet". The dining room was followed by the "State Bedchamber", which became the "Diamond Rest" a year later.

In addition, the empress ordered to equip a library, study, boudoir, two bedrooms and a dressing room for herself. In the restroom, the empress built a toilet seat from the throne of one of her lovers, the Polish king Poniatowski. In 1764, in Berlin, through agents, Catherine acquired from the merchant I. Gotskovsky a collection of 225 works by Dutch and Flemish artists. The paintings were housed in a secluded apartment of the palace, which received the French name "Hermitage" (a place of solitude); from 1767 to 1775 a special building was built for them to the east of the palace.

In the 1780s and 1790s, works on finishing the palace interiors were continued by I. Ye. Starov and G. Quarenghi.

In 1783, by order of Catherine, the palace theater was scrapped.
In the 1790s, by decree of Catherine II, who considered it inappropriate for the public to enter the Hermitage through her own chambers, a gallery was created with the Winter Palace - the Apollo Hall - with the help of which visitors could bypass the royal apartments. At the same time, Quarenghi erected a new "Throne (Georgievsky)" hall, opened in 1795. The old throne room was converted into a number of rooms, provided for the chambers of the newly married Grand Duke Alexander. The "Marble Gallery" (of three halls) was also created.

In 1826, according to the project of K.I.Rossi, a Military Gallery was built in front of the St. In the early 1830s, in the eastern building of the palace, O. Montferrand designed the "Field Marshal", "Petrovsky" and "Armorial" halls.

After the fire of 1837, when all the interiors were destroyed, the architects V.P. Stasov, A.P. Bryullov and A.E. Shtaubert supervised the restoration work in the Winter Palace.

Historical events

On April 7 (according to another version - April 11), 1762, at Easter, the rite of consecration of the palace took place, the next day the imperial court entered it.

C. J. Vernet. Fire in the Winter Palace

On December 29, 1837, a fire broke out in the Winter Palace. They could not extinguish it for three days, all this time the property taken out of the palace was piled around the Alexander Column. The restoration work required enormous efforts, but the palace was revived in two years. The work was supervised by V.P. Stasov, who used new structures of floors and roofs.

Women's shock battalion defending the Winter Palace from the Bolshevik insurrection.

On February 5, 1880, SN Khalturin, a member of the Narodnaya Volya, detonated an explosion in the Winter Palace with the aim of assassinating Alexander II, while eleven soldiers from the guard were killed and fifty-six were wounded, but neither the emperor nor his family members were injured.

On January 9, 1905, during the procession of columns of workers to the Winter Palace, a peaceful workers' demonstration was shot, which was the beginning of the Revolution of 1905-1907. In August 1914, after the outbreak of the Second Patriotic (First World) War, part cultural property from the palace, including the Treasure Gallery, was taken to Moscow, but the Art Gallery remained in place.

In mid-October 1915, a military hospital named after Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich was located in the palace. The halls of the Nevsky and Bolshoi Enfilades, as well as the Picket and Alexandrovsky halls were assigned to the hospital chambers. During the revolution of February 1917, the palace was occupied by troops that went over to the side of the rebels.

Since July 1917, the palace became the seat of the Provisional Government, which announced the nationalization of the royal palaces and formed an artistic and historical commission to accept the values ​​of the Winter Palace. In September, part of the art collection was evacuated to Moscow.

On the night of October 25-26 (November 7-8), 1917, in the days of the October Revolution, the Red Guard, revolutionary soldiers and sailors surrounded the palace, which was guarded by a garrison of cadets and a women's battalion, a total of 2.7 thousand people. The palace was fired upon by the cannons of the Peter and Paul Fortress. By 2 o'clock 10 min. On the night of October 26 (November 8), they stormed the palace and arrested the Provisional Government. In the cinema, the storming of the Winter Palace was portrayed as a battle. In fact, it passed almost bloodlessly - the defenders of the palace offered almost no resistance.

On October 30 (November 12), 1917, People's Commissar of Education A.V. Lunacharsky announced the Winter Palace and the Hermitage state museums... For several months, the People's Commissariat for Education was located in the rooms of the first floor of the palace. Cinematographic screenings, concerts, lectures, and meetings began to be held in the ceremonial halls. In 1919, the palace opened the first after the revolution exhibitions of paintings from the paintings that remained in Petrograd, as well as the exhibition "The Funeral Cult of Ancient Egypt."

The workers of the Kirov plant and young sailors on the bridge. Defenders of Leningrad during the siege. Blockade of Leningrad Russia, Leningrad region
June 22, 1941 after the beginning of the Great Patriotic War in the basements of the palace, twelve bomb shelters were equipped, in which, until 1942, about two thousand people permanently lived. A part of the non-evacuated museum collection of the Hermitage, cultural values ​​from suburban palaces and various institutions of Leningrad were hidden in the palace.

During the war, the buildings of the palace suffered from the shelling of the Wehrmacht artillery and the bombing of the Luftwaffe, a total of seventeen artillery shells and two aerial bombs hit them. The Small Throne (Petrovsky) Hall was damaged, part of the Armorial Hall and the ceiling of the Rastrelli Gallery were destroyed, and the Jordan Staircase was damaged. On November 7, 1944, the palace was partially opened to the public. The restoration of the halls and facades of the palace continued for many years after the war.

Architecture

Facade facing the Neva
A modern three-storey building in the plan has the shape of a square of 4 wings with a courtyard and facades facing the Neva, the Admiralty and Palace Square... The splendor of the building is given by the magnificent decoration of the facades and premises. The main façade, facing the Palace Square, is cut through by the arch of the main passage, which was created by Rastrelli after his work on the renovation of the palace in Strelna, probably influenced by the magnificent architectural solution of Michetti (the forerunner of which was Leblon). Variously arranged facades, strong projections of projections, accentuation of stepped corners, changeable rhythm of the columns (changing the intervals between the columns, Rastrelli sometimes gathers them into bunches, then exposes the plane of the wall) create an impression of restlessness, unforgettable solemnity and splendor.

The clockwork of the Winter Tower clock

The palace building has 1084 rooms, 1945 windows, 117 staircases (including secret ones). The length along the facade from the side of the Neva is 137 meters, from the side of the Admiralty - 106 meters, the height is 23.5 meters. In 1844, Nicholas I issued a decree banning the construction of civil buildings in St. Petersburg above the height of the Winter Palace. They had to be built at least one fathom less.

Despite the restructuring and many innovations, the main planning scheme of the palace preserved the ideas of F.-B. Rastrelli. Palace buildings are formed around the Grand Courtyard. In the northwestern and southwestern wings, instead of the "Throne Hall" and the "Opera House", light courtyards were created, around which enfilades of residential chambers were formed.

The Small Hermitage, built along the "Black passage", adjoins the Winter Palace from the east. The buildings of the St. George Hall, the Great Church, the southeastern and northeastern wings of the palace go out into this passage; the space is divided into a system of courtyards and depressions: "Small" and "Big Church" courtyards (from the Great Church located here, founded back in 1763), "Church" and "Garage" (from the garage located here), "Kitchen Courtyard" ...

Design features

The three-storey building of the palace has a semi-basement floor and numerous mezzanine floors, some of the ceremonial halls of the second floor have two floors. The brickwork of the walls on lime mortar is very massive, the interfloor ceilings are made both in the form of brick vaults and along beams. The massive cornice of the palace is built on a stone foundation, which is supported by iron braces passing through the brickwork of the outer walls, preserved from the time of Rastrelli.

The entire rafter system and all the ceilings over the halls in the 18th century were made of wood (the ceilings were insulated with felt and canvas, the rafters were tarred). There were no firewalls in the attics before the fire. During the restoration of the palace, iron structures began to play the main role. Such a massive use of iron in construction was extraordinary in world practice. Engineer M. E. Clark developed triangular trusses - "roof trusses" to support the roof of the Winter Palace, and "blown elliptical beams" for the ceiling of the palace halls.

The overlapping of the St. George Hall was one of the first examples of the use of rolled steel in domestic construction In 1887, under the leadership of the architect Gornostaev, some deformed and reinforcement of old structures were renewed. Most of them are still regularly serving in the Winter Palace.

When constructing ceilings between the nearest beams, micro-vaults were made from hollow pottery pots on a lime mortar. From below, in the halls, a metal ceiling was fixed or plastered.

In the 1840s, a unique heating system was installed in the building with Ammosov stoves, which were located in the basements, and heated clean air entered the premises through fire channels (later, a water-air system will be created on this basis). Great attention in late XIX the 20th century began to be given to the ventilation system. The sewage was accumulated in the collector built by Rastrelli, which led the sewage into the Neva. After the reconstruction of the embankment, this collector was repaired and the Winter Palace for some time "walked by itself." In 1886, the Winter Palace was electrified.

The rafters above the Great Throne Room.

Brace carrying the cornice

Elliptical I-beam

Pottery pots in the palace vaults

The facades and roof of the palace changed the color scheme several times. The original color had a very light warm ocher color with the emphasis on the order system and plastic decoration with white lime paint.
In the second half of the 1850s - 1860s, under Emperor Alexander II, the color of the palace facades changed. The ocher becomes denser. The order system and plastic decor are not painted with an additional color, but they acquire a very light tonal selection. In fact, facades are perceived as monochrome.

Clearing the historical coloration

In the 1880s, under Emperor Alexander III, the facades were split in two tones: a dense ocher expression with the addition of red pigment and a weaker terracotta tone. With the accession of Nicholas II in 1897, the emperor approved the project of painting the facades of the Winter Palace in the color of the “new fence of the Own Garden” - red sandstone without any tonal highlighting of the columns and decor.

Winter Palace, painted in the second half of the 18th century by B.F. Rastrelli

Winter Palace, painted at the turn of the 18th - 19th centuries.

All buildings on Palace Square were painted in the same color - the headquarters of the Guards Corps and the General Headquarters, which, according to the architects of that period, contributed to the unity of perception of the ensemble. In 2011, during the restoration of the Hermitage garage, to paint it

Winter Palace. Painting of the first quarter of the XX century.

The terracotta-brick color of the palace was preserved until the end of the 1920s, after which experiments and the search for a new decoloration began. In 1927, an attempt was made to paint it gray, in 1928-1930. - in a brown-gray scale, and a copper-gouged sculpture on the roof - in black.

Winter Palace, painted in the 1880s - 1890s.

In 1934, for the first time, an attempt was made to paint the palace with orange oil paint, highlighting the order system with white paint, but the oil paint had a negative effect on stone, plaster and stucco decoration. In 1940, a decision was made to remove the oil paint from the façade.

Winter Palace. Coloring present

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, in order to disguise, the palace is painted with reversible glue gray paint.
Since the 1960s, instead of lime paints, synthetic dyes have been used to paint the facade, which negatively affect stucco decoration, plaster and natural stone. In 1976, on the recommendation of the All-Union Central Research Laboratory, a decision was made to clear the surface of the sculptures from the paint coating to form a natural layer of patina, which at that time was considered a natural protection against aggressive environmental influences. Currently, the copper surface is protected with a special paint compound containing a copper corrosion inhibitor.

For sixty-five years, the public and city authorities have developed a certain stereotype in the perception of the color scheme of the palace, however, according to the Hermitage researchers, the currently existing color scheme of the facades does not correspond to the artistic image of the palace, and therefore it is proposed to recreate the color scheme of the facades as close as possible to the volumetric-spatial composition of the palace, created by Bartolomeo Rastrelli.

The sculptures and vases installed above the cornice along the entire perimeter of the building give elegance and splendor to the silhouette of the building. They were originally carved out of stone and replaced with metal ones in 1892-1902 (sculptors MP Popov, DI Jensen). The “revealed” composition of the Winter Palace is a kind of Russian reworking of the type of closed palace building with an inner courtyard, which is widespread in the architecture of Western Europe.

To be continued

Where did the tradition of dividing the houses of monarchs into winter and summer ones come from? The roots of this phenomenon can be found in the times of the Muscovy. It was then that the tsars first began to leave the walls of the Kremlin for the summer and go to breathe the air in Izmailovskoye or Kolomenskoye. Peter I carried this tradition into new capital... The Emperor's Winter Palace stood on the site where the modern building is, and the Summer Palace can be found in Summer garden... It was built under the direction of Trezzini and is, in fact, a small two-story house with 14 rooms.

From house to palace

The history of the creation of the Winter Palace is no secret to anyone: Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, a great lover of luxury, in 1752 ordered the architect Rastrelli to build for herself beautiful palace in Russia. But it was not built from scratch: before that, on the territory where the Hermitage Theater is now located, there was a small winter palace of Peter I. The wooden palace of Anna Ioannovna, which was built under the leadership of Trezzini, replaced the house of the Great. But the building was not luxurious enough, so the empress, who returned the status of the capital to St. Petersburg, chose a new architect - Rastrelli. It was Rastrelli Sr., the father of the famous Francesco Bartolomeo. For almost 20 years, the new palace became the residence of the imperial family. And then the very Winter one, which we know today, appeared - the fourth in a row.

The tallest building in St. Petersburg

When Elizaveta Petrovna wanted to build a new palace, the architect, in order to save money, planned to use the previous building for the foundation. But the empress demanded to increase the height of the palace from 14 to 22 two meters. Rastrelli redesigned the building several times, and Elizabeth did not want to move the construction site, so the architect had to simply demolish the old palace and build a new one in its place. Only in 1754 the empress approved the project.

It is interesting that for a long time the Winter Palace remained the most tall building In Petersburg. In 1762, a decree was even issued prohibiting the construction of buildings in the capital above the imperial residence. It was because of this decree that the Singer company had to abandon its idea to build a skyscraper for itself on Nevsky Prospekt, like in New York, at the beginning of the 20th century. As a result, a tower was built over six floors with an attic and decorated with a globe, giving the impression of a height.

Elizabethan Baroque

The palace was built in the style of the so-called Elizabethan baroque. It is a quadrangle with a large courtyard. The building is decorated with columns, platbands, and the roof balustrade is lined with dozens of luxurious vases and statues. But the building was rebuilt several times, at the end of the 18th century, Quarenghi, Montferrand, Rossi worked on the interior decoration, and after the notorious fire of 1837 - Stasov and Bryullov, so that baroque elements were not preserved everywhere. Details of the magnificent style remained in the interior of the famous Jordanian front staircase. It got its name from the Jordan passage, which was nearby. Through him, on the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, the imperial family and the higher clergy went to the ice hole in the Neva. This ceremony has traditionally been called the "walk to the Jordan". Baroque details are also preserved in the decoration of the Great Church. But the church was ruined, and now only a large ceiling by Fontebasso with the image of the Resurrection of Christ reminds of its purpose.

In 1762, Catherine II ascended the throne, who did not like Rastrelli's pompous style. The architect was dismissed, and new craftsmen took over the interior decoration. They destroyed the Throne Room and erected a new Nevskaya suite. Under the leadership of Quarenghi, the Georgievsky, or Great Throne Hall, was created. For him, a small extension had to be made to the eastern facade of the palace. At the end of the 19th century, the Red Boudoir, the Golden Living Room and the library of Nicholas II appeared.

Hard days of the Revolution

In the early days of the 1917 Revolution, sailors and workers stole a huge amount of treasures from the Winter Palace. Only a few days later, the Soviet government guessed to take the building under protection. A year later, the palace was given to the Museum of the Revolution, so that part of the interiors was rebuilt. For example, the Romanov Gallery was destroyed, where there were portraits of all the emperors and members of their families, and in the Nicholas Hall they began to show films at all. In 1922, part of the building was transferred to the Hermitage, and only by 1946 the entire Winter Palace became part of the museum.

During the Great Patriotic War, the palace building suffered from air raids and shelling. With the beginning of the war, most of the exhibits exhibited in the Winter Palace were sent for storage to the Ipatievsky mansion, the same one where the family of Emperor Nicholas II was shot. About 2000 people lived in the Hermitage bomb shelters. They did their best to preserve the exhibits remaining within the walls of the palace. Sometimes they had to fish for china and chandeliers floating in flooded basements.

Furry guards

Not only did the water threaten to spoil the art, but also the voracious rats. For the first time, a mustachioed army for the Winter Palace was sent from Kazan in 1745. Catherine II did not like cats, but she left striped defenders at court in the status of "guards of art galleries." During the blockade, all the cats in the city died, because of which the rats multiplied and began to spoil the interiors of the palace. After the war, 5 thousand cats were brought to the Hermitage, which quickly dealt with the tailed pests.

St. Petersburg is a northern city, it is used to amaze with its luxury, ambition and originality. The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg is just one of the attractions, which is an invaluable masterpiece of architecture of the past centuries.

The Winter Palace is the abode of the ruling elite of the state. For more than a hundred years, the imperial families lived in this building in winter, which is different unique architecture... This building is part of the State Hermitage Museum complex.

History of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg

The construction took place under the leadership of Peter I. The first structure erected for the emperor was a two-storey house covered with tiles, the entrance to it was crowned with high steps.

The city grew larger, expanded with new buildings, and the first Winter Palace looked more than modest. By order of Peter l, another one was built next to the previous palace. It was slightly larger than the first, but its distinguishing feature was the material - stone. It is noteworthy that it was this monastery that was the last for the emperor; he died here in 1725. Immediately after the death of the tsar, the talented architect D. Trezzini carried out restoration work.

Another palace, which belonged to Empress Anna Ioannovna, saw the light of day. She was unhappy with the fact that the estate of General Apraksin looked more spectacular than the royal one. Then the talented and savvy author of the project F. Rastrelli added a long building, which was named “The Fourth Winter Palace in St. Petersburg”.

This time the architect was puzzled by the project of a new residence in the shortest possible time - two years. Elizabeth's wish could not be fulfilled so quickly, so Rastrelli, who was ready to take on the job, several times asked for an extension of the term.

Thousands of serfs, artisans, artists, foundry workers worked on the construction of the building. A project of this magnitude has not been put forward for consideration before. Serfs, who worked from early morning until late at night, lived around the building in portable huts, only some of them were allowed to spend the night under the roof of the building.

The sellers of nearby shops caught a wave of excitement around the construction, so they significantly raised food prices. It so happened that the cost of food was deducted from the worker's salary, so the serf not only did not earn, but also remained in debt to the employer. Cruel and cynical, on the broken lives of ordinary workers, a new "home" was built for the tsars.

When the construction was completed, St. Petersburg received architectural masterpiece, which amazed with its size and luxury. The Winter Palace had two exits, one of which was facing the Neva, and from the other one could see the square. The first floor was occupied by utility rooms, higher were the ceremonial halls, gates winter garden, the third and last floor was for servants.

I liked the building of Peter III, who, in gratitude for his incredible architectural talent, decided to assign Rastrelli the rank of Major General. The career of the great architect ended tragically with the accession to the throne of Catherine II.

Fire in the palace

A terrible misfortune happened in 1837, when a fire started in the palace due to a malfunction of the chimney. Through the efforts of two companies of firefighters, they tried to stop the fire inside, laying the door and window openings with bricks, but for thirty hours it was not possible to stop the evil tongues of flame. When the fire ended, only the vaults, walls and ornaments of the first floor remained from the previous building - the fire destroyed everything.

The restoration work began immediately and was completed only three years later. Since the drawings were practically not preserved from the first construction, the restorers had to experiment and give it a new style. As a result, the so-called "seventh version" of the palace appeared in white and green tones, with numerous columns and gilding.

With the new look of the palace, civilization came to its walls in the form of electrification. A power plant was built on the second floor, which fully covered the needs for electricity and for fifteen years it was considered the largest in all of Europe.

Many incidents fell to the lot of the Winter Palace during its existence: fire, assault and capture of 1917, attempt on the life of Alexander II, meetings of the Provisional Government, bombing during the Second World War.

Winter Palace in 2017: its description

For almost two centuries, the castle was the main residence of the emperors, only 1917 brought it the title of a museum. Among the expositions of the museum there are collections of the East and Eurasia, samples of painting and decorative and applied art, sculptures, presented in numerous halls and apartments. Tourists can admire:

• George Hall.
  
• Boudoir.
  
• Gold living room.
  
• Malachite living room.
  
• Concert hall.
  

Exclusively about the palace

In terms of the wealth of exhibits and interior decoration, the Winter Palace is incomparable to anything in St. Petersburg. The building has its own unique story and the secrets he never ceases to amaze his guests with:

• The Hermitage is immense, like the lands of the country where the emperor ruled: 1084 rooms, 1945 windows.
• When the property was at its final stage, main square was littered with debris that would have taken weeks to clean up. The king told people that they can take any item from the square absolutely free of charge, and after a while the square is free of unnecessary items.
• The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg had a different color scheme: it was even red during the war with the German invaders, and it acquired its current pale green color in 1946.

Tourist memo

Numerous excursions are offered to visit the palace. The museum is open every day, except Mondays, opening hours: from 10:00 to 18:00. Ticket prices can be checked with your tour operator or at the museum box office. It is better to purchase them in advance. The address where the museum is located: Palace Embankment, 32.

Even in 1752, FB Rastrelli drew up several projects for rebuilding the existing Winter Palace during the time of Anna Ioannovna. These projects clearly showed that the possibilities for expanding the old building are completely exhausted. In 1754 it was accepted final decision build a new palace in the same place.

In terms of size and splendor of architectural decoration, it had 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, when addressing the Senate through the architect FB Rastrelli: “The construction of that stone Winter Palace is a builder for the glory of the All-Russian Empire and, by circumstance, it follows the Governing Senate in all cases to consistently try to ensure that it is non-stop to the end ".

The new Winter Palace was conceived as a closed quadrangle with an extensive ceremonial courtyard. 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 a large square, in the center of which he proposed to install equestrian statue 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, on the side of the modern Small Hermitage. These plans were never implemented.

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

On the eve of Easter 1762, the solemn consecration of the house church of the Winter Palace took place, marking the end of construction, although many rooms were still unfinished. Elizaveta 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, some of the interiors of the Winter Palace were designed 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 furnishings to ashes. Its restoration in 1838-1839 was carried out by 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 platbands (you can count two dozen of their types), abundant stucco molding, many decorative vases and statues on parapets and pediments create a decorative decoration of the palace of extraordinary splendor and splendor. The bright contrasting colors of the walls and architectural decorations enhance the overall pictorial impression. Its original range was somewhat different in comparison with the modern one - the palace was “painted on the outside: the walls were painted with sandy paint with the most subtle projection, and the ornaments with white lime”.

The southern facade of the palace is cut through by three entrance arches leading to the front yard. In the center of the northern building was the central entrance. Through the long lobby one could go to the front Jordan staircase, which occupied an entire risalit in the northeastern corner of the building. On the second floor, along the Nevsky façade, a solemn enfilade ran from the staircase, which ended with the grandiose Throne Hall. None of the currently existing halls of the Winter Palace can be compared with its size: FB Rastrelli, keeping the width of the Throne Hall of the times of Anna Ioannovna (28 meters), increased its length to 49 meters.

Along the eastern façade of the Jordan Staircase, there was a second suite, ending in a palace church. Behind the church, in the southeastern projection, the 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 in original form the Jordan Staircase and the palace church were restored. The latter suffered again in Soviet times - in 1938 the magnificent carved iconostasis was dismantled. The interior of the church was restored in 2014.

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

Winter Palace in St. Petersburg: history and modernity. Who created the projects and built, why did not all the owners like to lodge in the palace?

The main and largest residence of the Russian tsars, Winter Palace, - the creation of the architect Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli (1700 - 1771). An Italian Parisian who gave St. Petersburg such a recognizable ceremonial look.

The imposing building of the palace, with one facade reflected in the smooth surface of the Neva, and with the other overlooking a huge one, inspires awe with a gigantic scale. The Russians, when looking at him, feel legitimate pride in their Motherland! The square stretches along the embankment for 210 meters - its width is equal to 175 meters!

Short description

The surviving complex of the Winter Palace was built in the middle of the 18th century in architectural style baroque. Notable for its splendor and richness of detail. Initially, the interiors were designed in exactly the same style. Looking excessively pretentious today.

In the 70s of the century, under Catherine II, more modestly decorated rooms appeared inside. But, however, more graceful and stylish - they were created by architects Ivan Yegorovich Starov and Giacomo Quarenghi.

The exact number of internal halls is not reported anywhere: there are approximately 1,100 of them. Do not think that this is not suitable for, say, Madrid royal palace... Just the area and height (2 floors) of the ceremonial halls of the royal residence have no precedents in Europe ... and the world.

• The total area of ​​the premises is approximately 60,000 m2

Note that the palace was not always painted turquoise-white. After the fire of 1837, for example, it was repainted in sandy ocher. Initially, the white columns and architectural decor stood out against the background of the walls, but later everything was painted over “like sandstone”.

During the construction of the General Staff building, the architect Karl Ivanovich Rossi proposed to paint all buildings on Palace Square in austere gray, highlighting the decor and columns in white. It should have turned out extremely solemnly ... but the project was not approved.

Today, the Winter Palace has returned to its historical color: turquoise walls with white columns and yellow architectural decor.

• I wonder what until the second half of the XIX For centuries, no buildings were built in St. Petersburg that were higher in height than the Winter Palace, that is, 23.5 meters!

What can be seen

Collections are located in the Winter Palace, as well as in the Small, Old and New Hermitages attached to it later. And one of the largest in the world, of course. The collection has over 3 million items!

In addition to a gigantic collection of paintings and sculptures, tapestries and vases, jewelry (Gold and Diamond storerooms - separate tickets and only with a guided tour!), The Egyptian collection, visitors can see the original decoration of the ceremonial and residential enfilades. As well as halls for receptions and balls, chamber rooms for work and Everyday life royalty, their relatives and guests.

History and architecture

Initially, on the site where the Winter Palace is located, the mansion of Admiral Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin was located. Which is quite logical, because the Admiralty, which built the Russian fleet, is also located nearby.

According to the memoirs of contemporaries, the admiral's estate was the largest and most beautiful in all of St. Petersburg. After the death of the naval commander, the buildings and lands were transferred to the young emperor Peter II, since the Apraksins were relatives of the Romanovs.

First Winter Palace

in St. Petersburg was erected in the depths of the site between the Neva and Millionnaya Street. In 1712, a two-story wooden building was rebuilt in stone. Alexander Danilovich Menshikov presented it to the Tsar as a wedding gift.

In 1716-1720, the residence was rebuilt and expanded according to the project of the architect Georg Mattarnovi. The construction was carried out, including on the bulk territory reclaimed from the Neva.

The Second Winter Palace was located where the Hermitage Theater stands today. It is interesting that during the rebuilding of 1783-1787, the private chambers of Peter I and Ekaterina Alekseevna on the first floor were carefully preserved.

Peter moved to his winter residence from his own in 1720. And here in 1725 the first emperor of Russia died (28.01 -8.02 in the new style).

In 1732-1735, a third palace was built for Empress Anna Ioannovna. Designed by Francesco Rastrelli's father, Carlo Bartolomeo. He was much broader than the Peter's residence. And it was located mainly on the other side of the Winter Canal, closer to the Admiralty.

The era of Elizabeth Petrovna

At the time of the daughter of Peter, who adored luxury, outbuildings and service buildings were attached to the palazzo with might and main. The complex grew beyond any general plan. And he looked more and more like some Istanbul Topkapi, rather than a European residence. In the end, they decided that it was unworthy. great empire and began to build a new palace.

The complex, which has survived to this day, was built according to the project of the architect Rastrelli-son. It was laid down under Empress Elizabeth Petrovna (1754) and basically finished (1762) only under Catherine II.

The surviving building is considered the fifth Winter Palace. Since at the time of its construction a fourth wooden one was built for Elizaveta Petrovna's residence.

It was located a little further away: on Nevsky Prospect, between Moika and Malaya Morskaya Street. The construction of the temporary residence was carried out in the spring and summer of 1755 and was completed by November.

The tsarina's private chambers were located along the Moika, the windows overlooked Stroganov Palace... Standing on the other side of the river

The wing in which the heir to the throne, the future Peter III, lived with his wife Ekaterina Alekseevna (future Catherine II), stretched along Malaya Morskaya Street.

Under Catherine II

In 1764, Empress Catherine II bought the collection that laid the foundation for the world-famous Hermitage collection. Initially, the canvases were housed in the private chambers of the palace and were not available for inspection. And the name comes from the French l'Ermitage, that is, "secluded".

• Completion, alteration (Catherine did not favor the "golden" splendor of her predecessor) and the expansion of the palace continued throughout the reign of Catherine the Great (1762-1796)

Little has survived from the time of this empress - under Nicholas I, the interior interiors were thoroughly rebuilt. The preferences and tastes of the brilliant Catherine's era are evidenced only by

• the magnificent Loggias of Raphael, created according to the most exact copies that arrived from the Papal Palace in the Vatican;
• and the magnificent Great Palace Church, exactly recreated by Stasov after the fire of 1837.

A special building for the Loggias along the Winter Canal was created by Giacomo Quarenghi.

Elizabeth moved into her new winter residence long before finishing the finishing works. But the building was "put into operation" by its heir, Emperor Peter II. Settled in a new apartment in April 1762.

The suite of ceremonial halls occupied the entire length of the northern, Nevsky facade of the palace. And in the northeastern projection there is the Ambassadorial or Jordanian stairs. Opposite her on the Neva on Epiphany, according to tradition, an ice-hole was cut in which water was consecrated.

Empress Catherine II, like her predecessor, was not very fond of the Winter Palace. Rastrelli was immediately dismissed, and the work was entrusted to the architect Jean-Baptiste Wallen-Delamot. In 1764-1775, in collaboration with Yuri Matveyevich Felten, he created the Small Hermitage.

In which Catherine organized private evenings and kept art collections. The Hanging Garden was arranged for the Empress to walk.

The luxurious Pavilion Hall at the end of the building overlooking the Neva was created later, in the middle of the 19th century, according to the project of Andrei Ivanovich Stakenschneider. Today it houses the famous peacock clock and a unique ancient Roman mosaic.

From Paul to Nicholas II

Paul I was forced to live in the Winter Palace while they were building his own residence, Mikhailovsky Castle. But two subsequent emperors, Alexander I and Nicholas I, lodged mainly here.

The first loved to travel and therefore did not see much difference where he lived. The second one literally personified himself with the power of Russia. And he could not imagine living in any other, smaller, palace. Most of the preserved ceremonial and residential interiors date back to the reign of Nicholas I.

In the first third of the 19th century, according to the project of the architect Karl Ivanovich Rossi, the Military Gallery was created in memory of the heroes of the Patriotic War, and a number of other premises.

Fire of 1837 and restoration

By the way, it was under Nicholas I, in 1837, that a grandiose fire took place in the Winter Palace. After which the residence was restored literally from scratch. The tragic incident happened just before Christmas, on the evening of December 17 (29 new style). The reason was presumably a fire in the chimney.

During the restoration, innovative construction solutions were used for that time. In particular, iron beams in the ceilings, and new chimney systems. And, perhaps, that is why the palace, after the renovation, remained unchanged - the ceremonial interiors turned out to be too luxurious ...

The restoration work was supervised by Vasily Petrovich Stasov and Alexander Pavlovich Bryullov. By the way, the brother of the famous painter who wrote the epic "The Last Day of Pompeii." More than 8 thousand people worked at the construction site every day.

Most of the halls received a different decoration in the style of the mature Russian Empire style. The interiors are much more luxurious than before.

During the reign of Alexander II, the living rooms of the Winter Palace were thoroughly redesigned, decorated in the fashion of that time.

The next two kings chose not to live here. Alexander III and his family left the city for security reasons. And when he left the Great Gatchina Palace, he stopped at Anichkov on Nevsky Prospekt.

His eldest son, Nicholas II, mainly used the Winter Palace for sumptuous balls. Although on the second floor of the western suite, the personal apartments of the last emperor have also been preserved.

Foreign sovereigns who visited St. Petersburg usually lived here as in a hotel. Whole enfilades of halls were assigned to the needs of the next guest. Also, the great dukes were quartered in the imperial residence - there was enough space for everyone.

Winter Palace: halls

The interiors were often rebuilt in accordance with the wishes of the new kings, but the main halls, the main purpose of which was to splurge on foreign sovereigns and envoys, as well as their own subjects, remained unchanged.

The Jordanian Staircase, recreated on the site of Ambassadorial Rastrelli, received a luxurious design: a marble balustrade, giant twin columns of Serdobol granite on the second floor, a picturesque plafond "Olympus" with an area of ​​200 m2 on the ceiling by the Italian painter Gasparo Diziani ...

Neva front suite

It begins with the Nikolaevsky entrance hall, followed by the stately and austere Big Nikolaevsky hall. This is the largest room in the palace, its area is 1103 m2! Today the premises are mainly used for exhibitions.

Behind Nikolaevsky are the Concert Hall and (with windows on the Neva) the famous Malachite Lounge. The interior, in the design of which 125 pounds of Ural malachite was used, was created by the architect Alexander Bryullov, he once opened the personal suite of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas I.

Alexandra Fedorovna, the bride of Nicholas II, was also dressed here for the wedding. Festive family breakfasts were also held here before the family moved to the Alexander Palace.

The following rooms were later used as residential ones by Nicholas II - the apartments of the last emperor were located on the second floor opposite the Admiralty building.

Eastern suite

The ceremonial rooms (from the Jordan Staircase perpendicular to the Neva) are opened by the Field Marshal Hall, created even before the fire of 1837 by the project of Auguste Montferrand (the author of St. Isaac's Cathedral). It is decorated with portraits of great Russian commanders: Suvorov, Rumyantsev, Kutuzov.

Next comes the Petrovsky or Small Throne, followed by the majestic Heraldic Hall, created by Stasov in 1837. On the left: the Military Gallery of 1812 and the luxurious Georgievsky or Great Throne Hall, all faced with Carrara marble.

Practical information

Address: Russia, St. Petersburg, Dvortsovaya nab. 32
Working hours: 10:30 - 18:00: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday; 10.30-21.00: Wednesday, Friday. Monday is a day off
Ticket prices: 600 rubles - adult (400 - for citizens of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus), children under 18, students and pensioners of the Russian Federation are admitted free!
Official website: www.hermitagemuseum.org

You can get to the Winter Palace on foot from the metro stations "Admiralteyskaya" or "Nevsky Prospect": 5-10 minutes: we look.