Winter Palace

The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg is an 18th-century Imperial residence on Palace Square that served as the principal home of Russian emperors. It was designed in the lavish Baroque style by Bartolomeo Rastrelli and completed in the mid-1700s.

Tourists commonly visit for the palace interiors and the large museum collections now housed there. High-profile interior features include the formal staircases and the sequence of state rooms and ceremonial halls; the building forms the central part of the State Hermitage Museum complex. Guided tours and museum itineraries cover many of the named rooms and showpieces.

The present palace replaced earlier royal residences and was constructed under imperial patronage in the mid-18th century. It remained the principal imperial residence through the 19th century and became a focal point during the 1917 revolutionary events that ended imperial rule.

Located on Palace Square in central St. Petersburg, the Winter Palace sits on the southern bank of the Neva River a short walk from the Admiralty and other central landmarks. It is in the historic city centre and is easily reached from central transport hubs.

• Architect and period: Designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli and built in the mid-18th century, it served as the main imperial residence of the Russian tsars until 1917.
• Museum association: The palace is part of the State Hermitage Museum, which holds one of the world's largest art and antiquities collections housed across several connected buildings.

What to See #

• Jordan Staircase: A grand ceremonial staircase and principal entrance constructed in the mid-18th century that links the palace's state rooms and is a well-known interior feature.
• State rooms and galleries: The main state halls and imperial reception rooms, many richly decorated and part of the public route within the larger museum complex.