Private rooms of the Winter Palace

[Antonio_P.Caballer]

Hello Joanna,

I´ve just read that some interior decoration of the Empress´bathroom in the WP is preserved, and that the room has now showcases with museum exhibits. I´m amazed with this information since i never saw anything of the kind when i visited those rooms...
Also read that the children´s rooms were in the first floor, and that in the Empress´corner drawing room is still preserved something she scratched(?) with her ring in a window pane(I didn´t notice that either...).

Next time i´ll try to look more carefully...if i find these rooms opened, for one never know...

[Janet_Ashton]

Many many thanks Antonio, Janet & Daniel!

I will search for Baedeker 1914 and Russia A Handbook for Travelers. Janet I will write you of my success or not ok!

Also seeing Daniel's comments of Alexander II's study opened after the revolution, I am wondering if Baedeker published any guidebooks during the 1920's or 30's? Up to 1933 I know that the Russians were enthusiastic in showing foreigners the AP as it was part of the itinerary for visiting dignataries and VIP's but of guidebooks in English I would love to find out.

Yes, please do let me know if you find the Baedeker! (original or reprint)

I think the private rooms of Alexander II were also occasionally open before the revolution - certainly I have an account written by a Henry Norman ("All the Russias", published London: Heinemann, 1902) which describes his own visit. He was one of those who had ambassadorial permission to get in, and I think he was an MP, so he may have had special privileges, but the blood-stained bed on which Alexander died was being shown then as very much a holy relic of the state. I wonder what spin the Soviets put on it...?

Janet

[pers]

Greg,
What is the title of the book on the Winter Palace?  I have a very large book that I bought in the Winter Palace in 2000 that is 560pp.  It is called "Ermitazh - Istoria stroitelstva i architektura zdanii" by BB Piotrovsky (1991).  The English title is Hermitage - History of Buildings and Erection and Architecture, though the book is basically in Russian, only the photos and drawings have english next to them...
If it is this book, on what page is the plan you are referring to?

[Greg_King]

The book is called something similar to (I have been looking round here for it but it must be buried so am relying on memory) "The Imperial Family in the Winter Palace" (but in Russian), published in 1993 I think-it's not the one Pers mentions, nor the book "The Winter Palace in the Reign of Nicholas II."  However, I do have the Boris Piotrovsky book, Pers-if you look at the plan for the apartments of Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas I, they basically represent the layout of N/A's rooms except that the rear rooms (bathrooms) overlooking the small inner court were different, and the staircase/hanging garden in the corner of the projection was replaced with N's Study.  I believe the Piotrovsky book also has a plan for N's tub, does it not?

Greg King

[pers]

Hi Greg,
You are right.  It has the plans for the tub.  I am too computer illiterate to do it, but I can make a copy of it and mail it to you to post.  Please check for my private e-mail address under members and contact me, and I'll send it to you.

[Greg_King]

Hi Pers-

Actually I'm in the same boat as you-I have no scanner, so am unable to post any pictures or upload them to a page to do so (which is what I gather the procedure is).  So I'm afraid mailing them to me wouldn't do any good!  But-I did find a less detailed plan of the private apartments at the WP under Nicholas II, and have it as a JPEG, so if anyone wants a copy, please email me at my home email listed under my profile and I will be happy to forward a copy to you.

Greg King

[Forum Admin]

From Greg:

A.  Malachite Hall
B.  Empire Drawing Room
C.  Silver Drawing Room
D.  Alexandra's Drawing Room
E.  Nicholas and Alexandra's bedroom
F.  Alexandra's Dressing Room
G.  Alexandra's Boudoir
H.  Nicholas's Study
I.  Nicholas's Bathroom
J.  White Dining Room
K.  Blackamoor Hall or Arabian Drawing Room
L.  Nicholas's Gothic Library
M.  Rotunda
N.  Private Chapel
O.  Nicholas's Billiards Room
P.  Nicholas's Reception Room

Alix's bathroom is almost directly behind her dressing room-just not marked
on this

Best,

Greg

[Nick_Nicholson]

Hi everyone,

I just sent about six or seven pictures of the Winter Palace Apartments to the Forum Admin for posting.  Hopefully, they will go up so that everyone can see them and compare them to Greg's terrific map.

Best,

Nick

[Forum Admin]

A.F.'s Boudoir:


A.F.'s Study:

[Forum Admin]

Empire Salon:


Silver Drawing Room:

[Forum Admin]

N. & A.'s Bedroom

N.'s Library:

[Janet_Ashton]

Many many thanks Janet_Ashton for your kind offer to post the descriptions of Tsarskoye Selo from Baedeker 1914!!!! I have found the book that Antonio and Daniel described as a reprint "Russia A Handbook for Travelers" in the main reference library here! I will diligently spend my quarters on the copier machine!!

Again my many thanks!
Joanna

Glad you've managed to find one! Have fun with the photocopier...:-)

Janet

[ChristineM]

With reference to Empress Alexandra's etching on a window of the private apartments in the Winter Palace - you will find this high  on one of the windows in Alix's Drawing Room.   If I recall correctly it reads -

'1902  Watching the Hussars   Alix'

I understand the reason it appears to have been written out of arm's length is because a small, raised platform ran beneath the windows of the Drawing Room.  Alix must have been standing on this, watching a parade on the Quay below when she scratched this legend.

tsaria

[amy]

Thank you so much for the map you provided for the Winter Palace, Greg King! It was invaluable on my recent trip.

Since the orientation of your map doesn't match the map that the Hermitage provides, I reoriented it to match the Hermitage's layout. I also went ahead and updated your key to match the Hermitage's key. (Thank you!)

First image: King's map reoriented


Second Image: Portion of the Hermitage's map that complements King's.


A.  Malachite Hall [189]
B.  Empire Drawing Room [187]
C.  Silver Drawing Room [186]
D.  Alexandra's Drawing Room [185]
E.  Nicholas and Alexandra's bedroom [184]
F.  Alexandra's Dressing Room [183]
G.  Alexandra's Boudoir [182]
H.  Nicholas's Study [180-81]
I.  Nicholas's Bathroom
J.  White Dining Room [188]
K.  Blackamoor Hall or Arabian Drawing Room [155]
L.  Nicholas's Gothic Library [178]
M.  Rotunda [156]
N.  Private Chapel [Closed. Can't Access. I repositioned the stairs on the Hermitage map and "created" a new room to show where it can be located!]  
O.  Nicholas's Billiards Room [177]
P.  Nicholas's Reception Room [175-76?]

Note: Rooms O-P have changed. Whereas King's map has 2 rooms, there are now 3 rooms occupying this same space. If I can remember correctly, O [177] is quite small and P [175-76] is quite large.  I think I IDed them correctly, but I'm not 100% positive.  Perhaps a future traveler can confirm this point.

Amy

[brnbg aka: liljones1968]

it's the moorish bathroom that's situated behind the room marked 'F' on the above plan (they have a communicating door)

i've always wondered what this room looks like now.   since it's not open to the public, it could be in any condition.   it may have even escaped destruction....who knows?