St George's Hall and Apollo Room of the Winter Palace, Throne room in Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
St George's Hall and the Apollo Room are two connected state rooms inside the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The first served as the official throne room of the tsars, while the second acts as a passage leading toward the surrounding museum galleries.
Both rooms were completely destroyed in the fire of 1837 that swept through the Winter Palace and were rebuilt by architect Vasily Stasov. The reconstruction took about two years and followed a neoclassical design that gave the hall its current look of white marble and gold.
The room served as a setting where the imperial court gathered for official ceremonies and state functions. The golden decorations and soaring ceilings reflect the power and wealth that once centered here.
Both rooms are accessible as part of a visit to the Hermitage Museum, which is open Tuesday through Sunday. The museum is very large, so comfortable shoes and enough time are worth planning for before you arrive.
The floor of St George's Hall is made from a parquet pattern assembled using 16 different types of wood. This detail is easy to miss while looking up at the marble walls and gold ceiling above.
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