Kate’s Travels Continue – The Catherines’ Palaces

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Kate’s Travels Continue – The Catherines’ Palaces

The Hermitage – Catherine’s winter palace

Actually, 2 palaces, 1 theatre, and 1 private art museum, but now all four together make the Hermitage museum
Actually, 2 palaces, 1 theatre, and 1 private art museum, but now all four together make the Hermitage museum
Inside Catherine's Winter Palace
Inside Catherine’s Winter Palace
The Grand Staircase
The Grand Staircase
It's very opulent (just look at the this ceiling!)
It’s very opulent (just look at the this ceiling!)
Throne room
Throne room
More gold
More gold
Some of the grand rooms are used to host art exhibits now
Some of the grand rooms are used to host art exhibits now
Malachite also features prominently in the decor
Malachite 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.
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.
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.
Opulent. Very opulent.
It was hard to capture everything, but the ceilings were especially tricky.
It was hard to capture everything, but the ceilings were especially tricky.
Gold - it's always in fashion
Gold – it’s always in fashion
the dining room
the dining room
this room is decorated in the 'roman' style
this room is decorated in the ‘roman’ style
Pink and green - very Roman
Pink and green – very Roman
One of Elizabeth's gowns
One of Elizabeth’s gowns
Servants 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.
Servants 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.

 

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