A turquoise facade, white columns, golden moldings—1,500 rooms, 117 staircases, 1,786 doors. The Winter Palace is the residence of Russian emperors, now the main building of the Hermitage. This isn't just architecture—it's imperial power visualized in stone and gilt.

History

Five Winters

This is the fifth Winter Palace. The first four couldn't satisfy the empire's growing ambitions. Empress Elizabeth ordered Rastrelli to build a palace "to surpass Versailles." Construction lasted from 1754 to 1762, but Elizabeth died without seeing its completion.

Rastrelli

Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli ...