Winter Palace
Categories: Saint Petersburg | Palaces in Russia | Royal residences
Located between the bank of the Neva River and the Palace Square, the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia was built between 1754 and 1762 as the winter residence of the Russian tsars.
| Image:WinterPalaceAndAC.jpg View of the palace from the Palace Square |
| Image:WinterPalaceNevaSide.jpg Winter Palace from across the Neva River |
Designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the Baroque-style, green-and-white palace has 1786 doors and 1945 windows. Catherine the Great was its first royal lodger.
The Palace is now part of a group of magnificent buildings that is called the State Hermitage Museum which holds one of the world's greatest collections of art. As part of the Museum, many of the Winter Palace's 1057 halls and rooms are open to the public.
After the February Revolution in Russia, the Winter Palace was the headquarters of the Russian Provisional Government.
The assault of the Winter Palace by Bolshevik forces was the official milestone of the October Revolution.
See also
- The movie, Russian Ark, an incredible single shot walkthrough with period reenactments spanning three hundred years of court meetings, balls, and family life in this building.
- Palace Square - where the palace is situated
- Catherine Palace - the summer residence of Catherine the Great
- Hermitage Museum - the present use of the Winter Palace with the largest collection of art in the world
- Summer Palace - predecessor of the Winter Palace as the chief royal residence in St Petersburg
- Peterhof - the Tsar's summer residence outside St Petersburg
- Tsarskoye Selo - the Tsar's winter residence outside St Petersburghe:ארמון החורף
it:Palazzo d'Inverno (San Pietroburgo) pl:Pałac Zimowy ru:Зимний дворец fi:Talvipalatsi sv:Vinterpalatset