St
Petersburg(2018)
The Hermitage Museum and "Winter Palace"
The Hermitage Museum and "Winter Palace"
The Winter Residence of the
Czars was constructed over 8 years (1754-1762) on the orders of Empress Elizabeth who wanted a palace that would surpass all the royal palaces of Europe |
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Only a fraction of the 460
official state and private family rooms are open to the public The amount of gold, marble, crystal and other precious materials is overwhelming |
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The "Small" Throne Room |
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The private chapel is as ornate as the palace
itself |
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An icon of the "Black Madonna" |
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The intricate design continues on both the
floors and ceilings |
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The
original inlaid flooring has survived the test of time |
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Even
upon close examination it is hard to tell that this is composed
of tiny pieces of stone artistically arranged and polished |
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The "Great" Thone Room |
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Two more examples of the mosaic designs throughout
the palace |
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The Peacock Clock - 3 singing birds (owl, peacock
& rooster) sing out the time of day. It is now the only large example of 18th century robotics to have survived unaltered into the 21st century |
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First the clock chimes and the
owl turns its head.
The peacock turns its neck, lifts its tail and turns to display its fan of golden feathers. Finally a rooster crows. The cycle respresents the end of night and the rise of the sun - the continuity of life. The mechanism is hidden among the other creatures and folliage of the display |
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The Greek and Roman Influence is evident in the sculpture throughout the palace  |