Winter Palace

About this place

The Winter Palace is a vast palace in Saint Petersburg, the official residence of the Romanov emperors from 1732 to 1917. Today the palace and its neighbouring buildings house the Hermitage Museum, which holds the largest collection of paintings in the world. It is calculated to contain 1,886 doors, 1,945 windows, 1,500 rooms and 117 staircases, figures that give some idea of what lies ahead. The present palace, the fourth on the site, was built and altered almost continuously from the late 1730s until 1837, when it was severely damaged by fire. Several architects worked on it, most notably the Italian Bartolomeo Rastrelli. The Hermitage dates from 1764, when Empress Catherine the Great acquired a collection of paintings, and it has been open to the public since 1852. From Palace Square you see a long pale green front, set with white columns and gold decoration above the windows. Statues and urns line the roof. Inside are marble halls, a grand staircase and gilded rooms, with paintings by Rembrandt and Leonardo da Vinci. On the other side the building faces the broad Neva River. The Church of the Savior on Blood is about 800 metres away in a straight line, and Peterhof about 23 km. The museum is huge, so do not try to see it all, and choose certain sections. Book ahead and check the weekly closing day. Wear comfortable shoes, as the walking is long. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Russia, and non-Russian bank cards may not work, so read the current advice before you plan.