The Catherine Palace was the summer residence of the Russian tsars until 1916. Created under Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine the Great between 1744 and 1796, the palace was a vast baroque marvel, designed by Rastrelli and named after Peter the Great’s second wife. It was a remarkable edifice in the Russian Baroque style, with richly decorated interiors including the world-famous Amber Room. Nearly every Romanov added something to the beauty and history of this palace.

During the early 2oth Century, the Romanov royal family was exiled to Siberia where they were executed. Nevertheless, following the October Revolution of 1917, the Catherine palace and park complex were spared. The Soviet government declared them as a museum and national property. Then, during the siege of Leningrad during WWII, Nazis took control of the royal palace and used it as an army barracks. When the German forces finally retreated in 1944, they intentionally destroyed the residence. Only a hollow shell of Catherine's Palace remained.

Fortunately before the war, soviet archivists had managed to document a fair amount of the palace interior; plus to also hide some original artifacts. Starting immediately after the war, the Russian government (armed with amazingly talented craftsmen and women) used these historical sketches to restore many of the rooms. The work took decades. Work on recreating the famed Amber room was commissioned by Vladimir Putin in the early 1980's. Still a work in progress 70 years later, Catherine Palace was reopened to the public in 2003 for the 300th anniversary of the founding of what is once again St. Petersburg. Nevertheless, today in 2019, it is now estimated that work will still take another 25 years to completely restore all that was lost to WWII.

In Catherine Park are the smaller Alexander Palace and many pavilions, statues, and monuments, including the Hermitage. Catherine Park also has numerous ponds, a lake, and two formal gardens. In the grand halls of Catherine Palace today, you will feel the spirit of Empress Elizabeth’s and Catherine the Great’s ages.

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