Winter Palace. People and Walls. The History of the Imperial Residence. 1762—1917

The Winter Palace was not only the main ceremonial residence of the Russian monarchs but also a repository of priceless national treasures that Catherine II began to collect. It performed a multitude of functions: representative, residential, cultural, and administrative-economic, to which special attention is also paid in the book.
Over the years of its existence, the Winter Palace has witnessed much: human happiness and sorrow, deaths, the rise and fall of state figures, sieges, changes in interiors to please the new authorities, and survived the blockade of Leningrad... The spirit of this place was woven from the events that took place within it, the people who lived in it, and the secrets that surrounded it. It is associated with a vast number of legends, and it itself is a legend.
In this book, the author has attempted to open the doors of the Winter Palace to the reader and showcase those old walls where the lives of people, who greatly influenced the fate of the country, unfolded: from risalits to facades, encompassing all three floors. The narrative is accompanied by paintings, photographs, and documents.