Malachite Room of the Winter Palace
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Malachite_Room_by_Konstantin_Ukhtomsky.jpg/300px-Malachite_Room_by_Konstantin_Ukhtomsky.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4b/Malachite_eastwall.jpg/300px-Malachite_eastwall.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/27/Malachiteroomlocation.jpg/175px-Malachiteroomlocation.jpg)
The Malachite Room of the Winter Palace, St Petersburg, was designed in the late 1830s by the architect Alexander Briullov for use a formal reception room for the Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna, wife of Nicholas I. It replaced the Jasper Room, which was destroyed in the fire of 1837.[1]
The room obtains its name from the use of malachite for its columns and fireplace. This large salon contains a large malachite urn as well as furniture from the workshops of Peter Gambs (1802-1871), son of the famous furniture maker , which were rescued from the 1837 fire.
During the Tsarist era, the Malachite Room, which links the state rooms to the private rooms, served as not only a state drawing room of the Tsaritsa, but also as a gathering place for the Imperial family before and during official functions.[2] It was here that Romanov brides were traditionally dressed by the Tsarina before proceeding from the adjoining Arabian Hall to their weddings in the Grand Church.[3]
From June to October 1917 this room was the seat of the Russian Provisional Government. When the palace was stormed during the night of 7 November 1917, the members of the Government were arrested in the adjoining private dining room.[4]
Today, as part of the State Hermitage Museum, this room retains its original decoration.
References[]
Citations
- ^ "The Malachite Room", The State Hermitage Museum, archived from the original on 13 May 2015, retrieved 13 May 2015
- ^ Sitwell, Sacheverell, "Valse des fleurs", Alexander Palace, archived from the original on 12 May 2015, retrieved 12 May 2015
- ^ Maylunas & Mironenko (1996), p. 109
- ^ "How the Bolsheviks took the Winter Palace", The Guardian, 27 December 1917, archived from the original on 12 May 2015
Bibliography
- Maylunas, Andrei; Mironenko, Segei (1996), A Lifelong Passion, Orion, ISBN 0-297-81520-2
External links[]
Media related to Category:Malachite Room in Winter Palace at Wikimedia Commons
- The Malachite Room today Flickr. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
- Hermitage Museum
- Russian Provisional Government
- Individual rooms