page_title: Elizabeth of Russia
section_title: Construction projects
hierarchical_section_title: Elizabeth of Russia / Reign / Construction projects
caption_attribution_description: English: Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg Русский: Зимний дворец в Санкт-Петербурге
context_page_description: Elizabeth Petrovna, also known as Yelisaveta or Elizaveta, was the Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian monarchs because of her decision not to execute a single person during her reign, her numerous construction projects, and her strong opposition to Prussian policies.
  The eldest daughter of Tsar Peter the Great, Elizabeth lived under the confused successions of her father's descendants since her half-brother Alexei's death. The throne was first passed to her nephew Peter II, who died in 1730 and was succeeded by her first cousin Anna. After the brief rule of Anna's great-nephew, Ivan VI, Elizabeth seized the throne with the military's support and declared her own nephew, the future Peter III, to be her heir.
  During her reign, Elizabeth continued the policies of her father and brought a remarkable Age of Enlightenment in Russia. Her domestic policies allowed the nobles to gain dominance in local government while shortening their terms of service to the state. She encouraged Mikhail Lomonosov's foundation of the University of Moscow, the highest-ranking Russian educational institution.
context_section_description: Elizabeth enjoyed and excelled in architecture, overseeing and financing many construction projects during her reign. One of the many projects from the Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli was the reconstruction of Peterhof Palace, adding several wings between 1745 and 1755. Her most famous creations were the Winter Palace, though she died before its completion, and the Smolny Convent. The Palace is said to contain 1,500 rooms, 1,786 doors and 1,945 windows, including bureaucratic offices and the Imperial Family's living quarters arranged in two enfilades, from the top of the Jordan Staircase. Regarding the latter building, Robert Nisbet Bain stated that "No other Russian sovereign ever erected so many churches."
  The expedited completion of buildings became a matter of importance to the Empress and work continued throughout the year, even in winter's severest months. 859,555 rubles had been allocated to the project, a sum raised by a tax on state-owned taverns, but work temporaly ceased due to lack of resources. Ultimately, taxes were increased on salt and alcohol to completely fund the extra costs. However, Elizabeth's incredible extravagance ended up greatly benefiting the country's infrastructure. Needing goods shipped from all over the world, numerous roads in all Russia were modernized at her orders.
caption: Built by her court architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the Winter Palace is Elizabeth's most famous monument and the residence of her successors.
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