The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-11-04
TEE PALACES OF 81. ptrEssBURs


80 eaPhsl IN ihe world can boast OF 90
usenncent an ass nolage OF royal residences
Hs 81: reiersourR. All that taste. architecture
al ski and decoration cSuid contribute tn
Ienoer tntm Imposing objects have been
isVisneo upon the bones OF the CEars,
TER WINTER PALACE
foremost among them stands the Winter
rAiace Inls was originals built In I754
ron cesiRrs OF Count Rssbretti by the Em
press EpZaoeth, and is said taat 10 600
:, we're en- mp'oye ed 10 the constI uction-
II occu pies an area VI ACC, 900 square feet ana
1ss mont on the grantees m bank od river
wa q 81 ieet The iuperlal aps rtmenis
are OF tne second story, commaudlu9 tbe
tMost magnificent view OF the citv sno m
k&isLnid river. The grand staircase 4 one
ties prlncpsl features OF this superb editice
Hnt styerai OF the state apartmsnts are mar
kseEou-ly splendid. :.
fit s6s Fsald Il "a "a sslt = IN aasai
ny %. surrounded By 40 huted marple pillars
supporting gaileTS along wnicn rus a bal
ustfa-e OF gilt br-uZe o. exquisite design. Al
ne Extremity OF the hall stsuds The imperial
nfose winch Is approached hy eight steps
| covered rltn rich yelvet tu broid.red win
| Soic. Anothet beau,ifGi reception room Is
me Willie saloon. remarkable Tor the laste-
MSS VI lts ctcOrations and the absence OF rich
ornament. The diamond room coorails tn,
rexAiA. Ihis palace is the Ordinary re idence
II
y = est'in t'ed that more than 2,00J persons
n side within its walls.
| such Is Lne description OF the famous Winter
| ia ace IS II was, but ore nigut changed il as
Gu c u dly as one night changed Chicago.
! towards mldnlght on tue 29.n OF December
1871 me- suddenly oroSe at in this imperial
4 rclnce The Emperor ard q press we're at
be theatre, and immeoisteiy FASTENED To the
spo'. The thermometer s;Ooi at hity four
| degrees below freez ~ pO.ut of FahrenheIt
and the jets would have frozen bad not
| engines with Gppara. Us for beating bern used
| Inls precautIon Sas, hoxever soon reu~
dered Us less Dy the rapid extension on the
nAmrs, the heat OF which was 60 intense that
tue hcz-n surface Of tue Nvva lear tue palace
! was thawed.
In one Jear this palace rose again from its
| ruins. IL order 10 complete tie work at the
tine appointed ~ be Em,,er unueard D.
en)ris were used, ana il is commonly report
cd that great scr fee OF LIFE am 1ng tee
| WOrkDen was the result lhat Toe walls
might dry more quickly, q fright fuliy high
temperature was maintained in rooms where
men were employed, VITO. o. Ten rx,f from
them, were compelled TO eEcUuEter 4 cold
many degrees below zero. The p.esel' p4lscs
rs nearly third larger than tBa- st Viel na.
| and Is a. large as the Tulerlss anc Louvre
combined Ths white saloon was repreduced,
as were most Of the other famous rooms, N
the new structure.
Kohl, in bis account OF the origira' 3 13ce.
says that the suites Of apartments were per
feet lsbyrlnths. and that even the cdiet on tbe
imp erial household, 1ho bad dll,d that post
Tor IL years. was not yet fully acquainted with
Su Its hooks and corners. The par lie, given
ON great occasions In this paiac, Tar exceed
in spendor any entertainments n tee worlc
TIE HsRMrAeEs.
The Great and Little Hermi.ayes ro-m =
continuation 0, the Winter Paace, aud arc
connected with Il, thereby forming line of
palacts uncquAltd in uQth These two
palaces contain splendid suites OF apartments.
| nlltd with paintings, Crna nelts aud o!her
valuib-e objects. 10 Ole Of hem is 6 ca e.
brated musical clock, oy S.r0sser, coGtaipipg
combination OF Instruments cepa0 j. reps
resentlng two oTcLtstIds. Among rbg treas
ures OF this palace are the celebrated cDIiec-
uon OF pictures fOrne1 by Sir Robert Wat-
pole, the famous English p.emi=r. ana
purchased from bis teirs hy CathaIire Near
the Hermitage, and slso present ting .rout 70
the Nsva, stands the Marble Palsce, hned
| throughout with black aud kray marble 1t
was originally erected for al IrnperisI favor
| lie OF Catharine's, Couu: Ofutf, and is
| somewhat gloomy structure, composed far
more Of granite aud iron than OF marble. The
v lDdow frames are OF gilced copper.
4The Tsurida palace was aso sail. oy Cath
| arine for favorite, tne celebrated PJtemkip.
and 1t was here that be entertained her with
fetes of extraordinary splendor. This palact
contains ball room 800 feet long By 20 vide,
opening on ore side to the enterance ball and
| on the other to an extensive CONSERVATORY
from which 1t Ia separated only " 4 row Of
lofty marble columns-running the whole
length Of the palace. The columns are en-
circled by rows OF lights coiled around them
like serpents, while three enormous chande>
hers are suspended from the ceiling. Twenfy
thousand wax lights are needed to illuminate
this room, and the splendor OF q ball there
may be easily conceived. The beautiful Queen
Louisa, Prussia, at one time resided nere
THE OLD MICHAMoFF PALACE
What is known as the old Michailoff Palace.
q vast gloomy pile with gloomy associations.
was built by the Emperor Paul, who succeed :
ed the great CstharIne, and reigned from
| 1796 to 1901. Il was here that Paul an impe-
rial nuisance, who had by Ills caprices exss-
perateC a powerful party Of his mobiles, was,
at their hands, assassinated.
THE NEW MIcHAILoFF PALACE
The new MIchaiIof Palace, presented BY the
late Gear Nicolas to his brother Michael, is
among the most agreeable residences OF its
kind in the Russian metropolis 1t was built
in 1920, ana both without and within il .
model Of taste and excellent desigu. The
duke died. in lS49. leaving q widow and an
only daughter, married to the Grand Duke
George, OF Mecklen burg -Strelitz-
DcoluCe al luCcC palhCcc WIlulL 6b. refers
burg, there are about q dozen imperial abodes
scattered about within q circuit OF fifteen
miles OF 1t. The Principal OF these are
TZarsko SelG and peterhoi The former is
full oil splendid apartments on which Cstha
rine, whose expenditure must have been
greater than any one before or since, We
should imsgine, lavished millions. The
wonder OF tue palace Ia the fam Jus ambe
room the walls Of which are panDelled with
this material in various architectural designs
An Interesting feature in the residence are
the rooms OF the late Emperor Alex ander
whose apartments have, In conform with 4
custom common amongst royalties aIC
grandees in Russia, DeeR kept exactly a. hs
left them when ne departed for rAgADr x
where be diCd-
Peterhof was originally built BY Peter & ,
GIeaf. H. Is about Is miles from the capita
which be created. The situation Of the palac,
Is beautiful. II commands the whole * = ~
OF the Neya rom CrOnstadt to St P-teFsOurL
WITH the Islands and shore ~ Finland heyonc
The water works on the gardens rival thos,
at Versailles, and the summer fe:es gwen her
are lovely. Half these palaces are never use1
and the expense Of maintaining them must bt
simply enormous, and such Us could be born,
by no other reIgning family. But In Russii
not only can the Car take precisely what b,
pleases for the public treasury. but be pos.
sesseS estates Welding an enormoua revenue