Floorplans of the Alexander Palace

[Douglas]

Tsar's Bath:

In the basement area under the Tsar's bath we can see a very large boiler tank that was used to heat the water for the bath.

Douglas

[londo954]

Good call Douglas I thought thats what that was but I wasn't sure...but it still doesn't answer the question of how far into the basement the tub went

[BobG]

As I understand it was removed after the war when it was decided not to restore the Palace as a Romanov museum, also as Bob has explained the Palaces, Peterhof et.al were not restored to show them as home but as historical monuments thus the removal of provate baths, waterclosets, kitchens and pantry facilities etc. As a historian I can say an true interest in social history has only flowered since World War II.
Robert if you look at some of the paintigns done fo rooms on the Winter Palace website you can get an idea of what it might have looked like there is a bath done in the Imperial style. Considering Nicholas's simple taste I kind a enviosn a toned down version of this resembling more a "sauna" that we would be familiar with today, with lots of wood and tile work.
Just my thoughts too I too would like to see a decent picture of it .

There are pictures and discussion of the Tsar's bathroom on the main AP site.  Here's the link:

http://www.alexanderpalace.org/palace/bathroom.html
BobG

[londo954]

The pictures and description are good but there are little details concerning the tub as well as the tub area and the photo only shows the fireplace!!!
I was merely speculating on what it might have llooked like in the areas one cannot see.

Below in the basement room if you match is up with the tub there is a load bearing wall in the way so the tub must have sloped down on an angle with the deep part being in the room next to the boiler.

As for teh tub area on the ground floor we know it was raised about two feet above the main floor and therre were thigns hanging on the wall...and it was done in a turkish style.

[Douglas]

The floor of the tub in the Tsar's bath would have been flat.  The depth of those kinds of tubs was approx. three & one-half or four feet.

There is usually a seat at one end so that you can sit down, with your head above the water.

Yes, Londo,  you are correct, the bathroom of the Tsar was done up Turkish style.  It was like entering another world.

Turkish baths were the rage in those days so I am sure the Tsar thought the whole affair was most up to date.

Douglas

[londo954]

Thank you for the info !!!
Much appreciated!!!! I bet it was a wonder to see if it came anywhere close to the turkish styles of some of the baths at the winter palace

[hikaru]

Turkish bathes was popular in Russia since 18th century,
since Potyomkin took the Crimea from Osmans.
Not only in the beginning of the 20th century.


I wonder, how they utilised the garbage in AP?
Did they have some kind of a small garbage-burning plant?

[Joanna]

The pictures and description are good but there are little details concerning the tub as well as the tub area and the photo only shows the fireplace!!!
I was merely speculating on what it might have llooked like in the areas one cannot see.

I have a photograph of the tub and area surrounding it. For all the references to the Moorish style, there is very little of it in the tub area itself. From the sofa to the left (along top is width to hold photographs and knicknacks), there is a little step (height of dark tiles) up into the tub. Around the rim of the tub, there is a plain pattern with a width of a tile. To the right is the railing with a shower curtain and rod to close off the tub. When standing at the tub, the far wall has what appears to be a repititious pattern almost like bricks with a bas relief motif higher up and then a valance. The tub is plain white tiles.

Joanna

[Reco]

I cleaned the plan of Wladimir. I corrected the dimentions by rectifying the original drawing. It is closer to reality. For an impression of quality, one needs 300 dpi at least. The original has only 72 dpi.

[Reco]

The basement floor :

[Reco]

The main floor :

[Reco]

The entresol ( Mezzanine ) floor :

[Reco]

The second floor :

[Reco]

The main floor with color :

[BobG]

Reco,
You've done a great job of recreating these floorplans.  They are really clear and can help us all with scaling the palace and understanding it more.
Thanks for the effort and for sharing it with us.
Bob G