Winter Palace - St Petersburg

From the 1760s onwards the Winter Palace was the main residence of the Russian Tsars. Magnificently located on the bank of the Neva River, this Baroque-style palace is perhaps St. Petersburg’s most impressive attraction. Many visitors also know it as the main building of the Hermitage Museum. The green-and-white three-storey palace is a marvel of Baroque architecture and boasts 1,786 doors, 1,945 windows and 1,057 elegantly and lavishly decorated halls and rooms, many of which are open to the public.

The Winter Palace was built between 1754 and 1762 for Empress Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great. Unfortunately, Elizabeth died before the palace’s completion and only Catherine the Great and her successors were able to enjoy the sumptuous interiors of Elizabeth’s home. Many of the palace’s impressive interiors have been remodeled since then, particularly after 1837, when a huge fire destroyed most of the building. Today the Winter Palace, together with four more buildings arranged side by side along the river embankment, houses the extensive collections of the Hermitage. The Hermitage Museum is the largest art gallery in Russia and is among the largest and most respected art museums in the world.

Inside the museum in the Winter Palace

Suzanne inside the museum

Suzanne outside the Winter Palace

Marina and Jenni - standing beside one of the sculptures

The detail on the exterior roof of the Winter Palace.

Jenni, Suzanne and Marina inside the Winter Palace Museum

A beautiful sculpture

Jenni, Marina and Suzanne in the grounds of the Winter Palace.

Suzanne and Marina outside the Winter Palace.

Marina in the grounds of the Winter Palace

Some interesting artwork.

Suzanne and Marina beside the fountain in the grounds of the Winter Palace.

Jenni outside the government buildings.

Look at all the gold on the roof.

Lots of marble sculptures.

Another beautiful marble sculpture.

Roof paintings inside the museum at the Winter Palace

Roof paintings inside the museum at the Winter Palace