Russia - Saint Petersburg

Dmitry - Russia - 02.05.2012

Le palais d'Hiver - The Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg

The Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg was, from 1732 to 1917, the official residence of the Russian monarchs. Situated between the Palace Embankment and the Palace Square, adjacent to the site of Peter the Great's original Winter Palace, the present and fourth Winter Palace was built and altered almost continuously between the late 1730s and 1837, when it was severely damaged by fire and immediately rebuilt. The storming of the palace in 1917 became an iconic symbol of the Russian Revolution.

 Today, the restored palace forms part of the complex of buildings housing the Hermitage Museum.