Author Topic: Private rooms of the Winter Palace  (Read 711944 times)

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Offline brnbg aka: liljones1968

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Re: Private rooms of the Winter Palace
« Reply #30 on: September 29, 2004, 01:49:29 AM »
Quote
The private apartment of Nicholas II & Aleksandra Fyodorovna was not the same private apartment or apartments of Alexander II & Maria Aleksandrovna.  Nicholas & Aleksandra's private apartment occupied what was once the private apartment of Nicholas' great-grandmother, Aleksandra Fyodorovna, the wife of Nicholas I.  Their decor & decorations replaced hers, which had been designed principally by the architect Bryllov among others.  I have, somewhere, a picture of the dressing room from that apartment, and it was very beautiful before it was destroyed, with an order of Corinthian pilasters lining the walls.
 
Alexander II & Maria Aleksandrovna occupied different quarters in the Winter Palace.  Their rooms were located  farther along in the same wing, on the same floor, beginning roughly where N & A's rooms stopped, and continuing all the way to the end of the building.  If I remember correctly, the "family" rooms were the suite of rooms facing onto the Palace courtyard.  The dining room was the room in the exact centre of the courtyard facade.  I think this is the room the assassin from "People's Will" planted a dynamite bomb beneath in an earlier attempt to assissinate the Emperor.  He survived the attempt, because he was in another room when the bomb went off, but I believe something like a dozen others were killed.
 
Alexander's wife's rooms began at the Palace Square end of the building and contiuned onward until they ended with the Emperor's rooms.  There isn't a plan of that section of the palace on site, so I will walk you through the first part of her rooms verbally.  Beginning at the SW corner of the Palace is the Golden Drawing Room, followed by the Raspberry Drawing Room.  These 2 rooms take up the entire breadth of the pavilion, where the pavilion at the other end of the Palace (N & A's apartment) is divided into 5 rooms.  Turning the corner, the facade recedes.  The first room here is the Empress' boudoir.  Next this, forming a pivot between the corner pavilion & the long march of the centre part of this wing of the Palace, marching down to the North end, where N & A lived, is the Empress' bedroom.  I presume her more private & intimate rooms were behind the bedroom, in one direction or the other.  The decor of the principal rooms of the suite, which is by the architect Stakenschneider, is largely intact, although these rooms were, the last I knew, used for display.
 
Just beyond what was once Nicholas' Private reception room, there is a staircase, which serves to separate the last Imperial Family's private rooms from those of Alexander II.  Going up this staircase to the next floor, it pretty much debouches onto a long corridor, which was once known as Freylinskiy Koridor [I may not have transliterated that correctly], the "Corridor of the Maids of Honour".  In the rooms along this corridor -- although I do not know whether it was on the courtyard side or the outer, Admiralty side, or both, Alexander installed the Princess & their children.  Logically, it would seem that the Pss' rooms would come first, and that the children's rooms would be beyond hers, but adjoining them.  This would put them near enough over the private rooms of the Empress & in the vicinity of her bedroom, that she quite possibly may have heard the "noise" from the children on more than one occasion.





KEY:

A-P = Nikolai II & Aleksandra Feodorovna's private apartments

A II = the private apartments of emperor Aleksandr II

MA = the private apartments of empress Mariia Aleksandrovna

1 = the First Reserve Apartment
       -- (formerly the private apartments of Mariia Nikolaevna & her
           husband, the duke of Leuchtenburg)
       -- (note: the 5 large rooms facing Palace Square were later  
           diverted for use as the 5 Military Halls, housing a collectiom of
           military paintings)

2 = the Second Reserve Apartment
        -- (formerly the private apartments of the young grand dukes
            Aleksandr, Vladimir, Serge & Pavl Aleksandrovitch)

3 = the Third Reserve Apartment
        -- (formerly the private apartments of the young grand dukes
         Nikolai, Mikhail & Konstantin Nikolaevich)

** -- the Fourth & Fifth Reserve Apartments were located on the ground floor beneath N II & AF's private apartments and part of A II's.
« Last Edit: May 12, 2009, 02:01:19 PM by Svetabel »
"when i die, i hope i go like my grandfather --
peacefully in my sleep; not screaming & in terror,
like the passengers in his car."

-- anonymous
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Offline Greg_King

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Re: Private rooms of the Winter Palace
« Reply #31 on: September 29, 2004, 02:52:01 AM »
To add to the above plan:

The fourth room down under Alexander II was his study/bedroom, where he died.  The rooms furthest left in the projection at the bottom belonging to Marie Alexandrovna are the Crimson Drawing Room and the Gold Drawing Room.  Continuing back up north, the small room with two widows, facing north, is her crimson boudoir, opening to her blue bedroom, overlooking the small, unmarked inner court.

Greg King

James1941

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Re: Private rooms of the Winter Palace
« Reply #32 on: October 11, 2004, 01:18:16 AM »
For anyone who might be interested I would recommend this excellent book: "The Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg."  It was published in 1994 by Alain
de Gourcoff, Editeur, 18, rue d"Aumale, Paris, IXe: and again in 1995 by the State Hermitage Museum. The preface is written by Mikhail Borisovitch Piotrovsky.
It contains the collection of watercolor portraits of the rooms of the Winter Palace commissioned by Tsar Nicholas I, and completed under Tsar Alexander II. The watercolors of the rooms are fantastic. Both the state rooms and the private rooms of the imperial family are here with a good explanation of the rooms and their decor, in English. There is also an excellent floor plan of the rooms in use as of the reign of Alexander II. For any one interested in how the Romanovs used the Winter Palace this book is a must, but it is expensive.

James1941

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Re: Private rooms of the Winter Palace
« Reply #33 on: January 23, 2005, 09:34:55 PM »
 :-/A question concerning Nicholas II's and Alexandra's more intimate rooms in the Winter Palace.
I recently watch the famous film October about the seizure of power by the Bolsheviks. The dramatic climax of the movie is the so-called storming of the Winter Palace. Although the movie is pure propaganda, most of the scenes were shot on location in the palace (the famous shot of Kerensky climbing the Jordan Staircase that seems to go up and up and up). There are many interesting shots of rooms in the Winter Palace. In one scene after the storming a soviet soldier is seen standing over a comode chair, opening the lid of the seat and running his hand around the top of the chamber pot all the while leering and grinning into the camera. The scene is identified as being in the chamber of the empress (Alexandera).
Question: Did the Winter Palace have indoor plumbing--that is flush toliets and like--, or were they still using chamber pots as late as 1917? ???

Offline brnbg aka: liljones1968

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Re: Private rooms of the Winter Palace
« Reply #34 on: February 14, 2005, 08:57:42 PM »
Quote

This report (in five parts) of the rooms of Nicholas & Alexandra in the Winter Palace with various photographs, especially of N's study and library, states that the children's rooms were on the ground floor and their entrance was on the side of the Neva which is no longer there. Alexandra had direct access from her rooms above.

http://schools.keldysh.ru/sch444/projekts/2003-3/Pages/page412.html

Joanna



i've read in several sources that their rooms were on the 2nd floor.   the site you provided the link for says the the children's rooms were on the ground floor with a now non-existant entrance opening onto the neva side of the palace.    given the well-grounded fear of assasination (remember, a bomb exploded under the relative safety
of Aleksandr III's private train, & a bomb had exploded within the realm of the winter palace during the reign of Aleksandr II), i have serious doubts that Nikolai II & Aleksandra feodorovna would have  allowed a direct entrance into the children's rooms, let alone from the street itself.     it seems much more likely, they would have installed their children on the much harder to reach 2nd floor.

i feel safe in saying that the author of the that website confused the children of the first Nicholas & Alexandra with those of the second.   even though the author mentions Nik I's children/daughters having occupied the same rooms as those of Nik.II, it just seems highly unlikely.

but i could be mistaken......
"when i die, i hope i go like my grandfather --
peacefully in my sleep; not screaming & in terror,
like the passengers in his car."

-- anonymous
.

hikaru

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Re: Private rooms of the Winter Palace
« Reply #35 on: February 15, 2005, 12:44:13 AM »
About the Gothic hall on the ground floor
(reference to the Suslov book)
I love this book very very much.
Suslov worked as the account worker in the Winter Palace, then after revolution he became the museum staff but he was killed by the Stalin's order in the late 30ths
(Maybe if somebody will translate this book it could be
bestseller because of the detailed description of the
events during the reign of the Last Tsar)
About Gothic room: it is in very good condition.
this room was made for one daughter of the Nikolay I
and now in this room there is exhibition of the things of primitive era. Because of this the tourists is not going there.

Offline brnbg aka: liljones1968

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Re: Private rooms of the Winter Palace
« Reply #36 on: February 16, 2005, 07:00:08 AM »
Quote
About the Gothic hall on the ground floor
(reference to the Suslov book)
I love this book very very much.
Suslov worked as the account worker in the Winter Palace, then after revolution he became the museum staff but he was killed by the Stalin's order in the late 30ths
(Maybe if somebody will translate this book it could be
bestseller because of the detailed description of the
events during the reign of the Last Tsar)
About Gothic room: it is in very good condition.
this room was made for one daughter of the Nikolay I
and now in this room there is exhibition of the things of primitive era. Because of this the tourists is not going there.





this is the ground floor of the winter palace.  
where is the gothik hall ?
(on this plan, the neva embankment is at the top; N&A's rooms are on the floor above this, and they're in the top left corner wing)
« Last Edit: May 12, 2009, 02:02:52 PM by Svetabel »
"when i die, i hope i go like my grandfather --
peacefully in my sleep; not screaming & in terror,
like the passengers in his car."

-- anonymous
.

Offline londo954

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Re: Private rooms of the Winter Palace
« Reply #37 on: February 16, 2005, 09:26:52 AM »
The only Gothic Hall I have heard of was at Gatchina

hikaru

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Re: Private rooms of the Winter Palace
« Reply #38 on: February 16, 2005, 09:49:07 AM »
This gothic room was made by Architector Brullov for 2 daughters of Nikolay I - Olyga and Alexandra just after the fire of 1837. Now it is room No.16 and call Neolite era hall.
The gothical pillars are marvelouse. All room has military khaki color (very popular now)
The location is just down of the Malakhite room but on the ground floor.
By the way , the private rooms of Nikolay 1 - Alexandra Fyoudorovna on 3rd floor almost without any changes:
but tourists are not allowed there.
Best regards.
(Mr. Londo did not hear about it , because there is not the picture of this room in albums and very limited persons has an interest to the neolite era)
But there is a gothic room in Marble Palace of Konstantine too.
There is a gothic room in the Stanislavsky House too etc.
This room in Winter Palace is quite big - a little smaller than Malakhite or almost the same.





Offline pers

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Re: Private rooms of the Winter Palace
« Reply #39 on: February 23, 2005, 10:47:05 AM »
There was a private entrance for the Emperor and Empress as well as their children on the Palace Embankment right below the Concert Hall.  I'm not sure whether the door led down into the basement or up towards the ground floor (european)/first floor (american).  Quite a number of photographs exist, showing this entrance.  It had a sort of wooden structure around/over it. :)

Bolin

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Re: Private rooms of the Winter Palace
« Reply #40 on: February 27, 2005, 10:11:57 AM »
Does anyone know if there was a Winter Garden connected to the rooms of Nicholas II and Alexandra?
Was it near the White Dining room overlooking a courtyard?

Offline Antonio_P.Caballer

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Re: Private rooms of the Winter Palace
« Reply #41 on: February 27, 2005, 10:39:09 AM »
Hello Bolin,

There was a wonderful Winter Garden relatively near to the White Dinning room. It was off the Portrait Gallery that ran behind the Neva Suit of Parade Halls. This Winter Garden looked on to the main courtyard. Today, thereĀ“s no trace left of its decoration. Last time i visited the museum there were icons and religious objects exhibited in that room.

Here you have a watercolor depicting that Winter Garden. Hope you like it:



Antonio
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Antonio_P.Caballer »

Bolin

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Re: Private rooms of the Winter Palace
« Reply #42 on: February 27, 2005, 11:08:21 AM »
Antonio,

Thanks so much for the quick response and posting the watercolor of the Winter Garden. I asked this question as a result of a photograph that is part of the current exhibit-At home with the Last Tsar and his family depicting Nicholas and his sister-in-law Elizabeth seated at a white draped table and in the background there are tall flowering vines against the walls along with a birdcage with a parrot and the ceiling appears vaulted but this could just be arches and there are columnes that begin at waist level on a balcony wall. The curator described the locale as the Winter Garden.

Bolin

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Re: Private rooms of the Winter Palace
« Reply #43 on: February 27, 2005, 02:21:47 PM »
Thanks to Antonio's help it has been determined that the background to the photo I descibed is a balcony of the New Palace at Peterhof and not the Winter Garden of the Winter Palace.

Offline BobG

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Re: Private rooms of the Winter Palace
« Reply #44 on: March 01, 2005, 07:52:03 AM »
Brian & Hikaru.
My understanding of the location of the Gothic Hall of Nicholas I's daughers is highlighted in yellow on this plan.  Hikaru's response has me a little confused because my Guide of the Hermitage(from 2002) labels this as Room 12.  I have read discriptions of the Gothic Room was on the Neva side, and my guide shows Room 16 as facing the Admiralty.  Any help in clarifying this would be appreciated.





Bob G