Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-10-16
THE WINTER PALACE.
An Interesting Account OF One of the Cars
Homes-Its Building, Cost, Etc,

Ar Interesting Account of One of the Czar's
Homes-Its Building, Cost, Etc.
The Winter Palace, although con-
structed by Empress Elizabeth, was
not completed until Peter III. assembled
the throne, and the square in front of
it was still covered with the shops and
huts of the workmen. Heaps of stone,
brick and rubbish INSTRUCTED the APP
p,roaches to the palace. In order to
clear the place Baron Kortf. who then
filled the post of Chief of Police at st.
Petersburg, proposed to the Emperor
to give permission to the poorer
inhabitants to carry away these Unused
materials. The plan pleased the En-
peror, and orders were Immediately
given to carry it out. The Emperor
witnessed from his windows the opera
ton, which was completed by the
evening. The Emperor, on installing
himself in his new palace, occupied the
part looking onto the square and the
corner of the Millionaire. This por-
ton of the palace bore the name of the
King of Prussia's apartments. The
occupation of the palace was accom-
panied by no extraordinary ceremony.
The room occupied by Peter had been
decorated by the architect Tcheva-
kinsky, a pupil of Rastrelli, and the
flooring and gilded cornices were
brought from Italy. Peters bedroom
was in the extreme wing, and beside it
was his library. Above the entrance door
he caused the gallery to be constructed
which he turned into his working
cabinet and furnished at a cost
of more than three thousand five hun
dred rubles. The Empress Cath
crime occupied the rooms afterwards
known by the name of the Empress
Marie Feodorovna. The day the court
occupied the Winter Palace 9th of
April, 1902 was marked by the conse-
Grafton of the Palace Church under the
name of the Resurrection. Later on,
in 1863, on the occasion of an ancient
image of Christ being removed to the
church, it was consecrated afresh by
order of Catherine II. as that of the
Savior. The establishment of the in
terror and the furnishing of the palace
were continued under Peter and only
completed by Catherine. The total
outlay up to the year 1868 was esti-
mated at two million six hundred and
twenty-five thousand and twenty ru-
bles, or about four hundred thousand
pounds. The principal director of the
works in the interior was the celebrat-
ed amateur Jean Betzky. In 1867 the
annexe of the palace destined to be the
Hermitage was commenced, the archi-
tect Delamotte being intrusted with its
execution. This building, oblong in
shape, extended from the Millionnaia
to the Quay. Four years later a Sec
ond building was erected on a plan Of
the architect FELTON,. In 1880 several
fresh wings were added, and the En-
press ordered the architect Guaranghi
to build a theater, which was at the
latest to be completed by August,
1884. The same architect erected the
arch connecting the Hermitage with
the theater, and with the part of the
palace containing the Raphael CALLER
les. In 1856 the marble gallery (con-
tanning the Hall of St. George and the
Throne-room) was commenced, and in
1894 a superb throne was placed in the
former. This throne was the master
piece of the architect Starow.-Novoe
T1.oo11nr