Catherine Palace

Catherine Palace is in the city of Tsarskoye Selo which is about 25 km from St. Petersburg, Russia. The palace was built in the 17th century by the Empress Catherine I and later on the palace served as the official residence for the Tsars of Russia.

Catherine’s Place was built in 1773 as a summer residence for the empress. It was designed by Johann-Friedrich Braunstein and the palace was expanded by Andrei Kvasov and Mikhail Zemtsov. The exterior of the palace contains over 100 kilograms of gold according to the dying wishes of Empress Elizabeth.

The interior of the palace was built in Neo-Classical style and the wing was built in Neo-Palladian style. The palace also featured a number of personal residences for the empress. The rooms are linked with Cold Baths, Hanging Gardens and Cameron Gallery that houses the collection of bronze statues.

The entry into the palace is through the Hall of Lights that features a number of ornamented rooms and painted ceiling. This hall was designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli and it was built in a Russian baroque style. The hall measures about 1000 square meters and it features 15 chandeliers and 696 lamps that are being lit in the evening which is one of the major attractions here.

The dining room in the palace was designed by Rastrelli and it was built in a baroque style. The hall is ornamented with stylized flowers and the hall features a number of windows with mirrors that provides brightness to the hall. The dining hall was used for the evening meals and formal meals by the emperors and the entry into the dining room is through the main staircase.

The Portrait Hall in the palace is another major attraction that measures about 100 meters. This hall features a number of paintings of the Empress Catherine I, Empress Elizabeth and Natalya Alexeyevna.

The Drawing Room in the palace was one of the formal rooms of the Emperor Alexander I and the walls here are wrapped with Chinese silk. The other interiors in the palace include the waiter’s room, Chippendale card-tables, Carrara marble chimneys and silk wallpapers.

The palace is one of the major tourist spots; it is also visited by Bill Clinton, Sting, Naomi Campbell and Tina Turner. In addition Elton John’s concert was also held here in the year 2001.