Actually, 2 palaces, 1 theatre, and 1 private art museum, but now all four together make the Hermitage museumInside Catherine’s Winter PalaceThe Grand StaircaseIt’s very opulent (just look at the this ceiling!)Throne roomMore goldSome of the grand rooms are used to host art exhibits nowMalachite also features prominently in the decor
Catherine’s Palace – outside of St Petersburg
The Gates – the Catherine Palace was taken by the Nazis during the siege of Leningrad, and was very, very badly damaged. It’s been mostly restored since then.Many assume the palace is named for Catherine the Great, but it’s actually for Catherine the 1st, Catherine the Great’s grandmother-in-law. Her mother-in-law, Elizabeth razed the original palace and rebuilt it to her own taste. Catherine the Great thought the decor was old-fashioned.Opulent. Very opulent.It was hard to capture everything, but the ceilings were especially tricky.Gold – it’s always in fashionthe dining roomthis room is decorated in the ‘roman’ stylePink and green – very RomanOne of Elizabeth’s gownsServants never lived in the palace. They had their own quarters. Interestingly, the Royal Family often used these palaces for entertaining only – when they were on their own, they’d stay in much more modest surrounds.