Why Europe's Most Opulent Palace Almost Burned To The Ground (Then Restored): The Winter Palace скачать в хорошем качестве

Why Europe's Most Opulent Palace Almost Burned To The Ground (Then Restored): The Winter Palace

The Winter Palace of St. Petersburg houses three million pieces of human genius, where Rembrandt masterpieces catch light streaming through 2,000 windows and a mechanical golden peacock still marks time in perfect silence. --------------------------------- Why Europe’s Largest Royal Palace Was Abandoned (and Restored): The Palace of Caserta --    • Why Europe’s Largest Royal Palace Was Aban...   --------------------------------- TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Introduction 1:29 Chapter 1: Birth of an Imperial Dream 5:15 Chapter 2: The Great Fire 9:11 Chapter 3: The Great Restoration 12:42 Chapter 4: From Imperial Residence to Public Museum --------------------------------- Built in 1754 under Empress Elizabeth of Russia, the palace was designed by Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli to create a Baroque masterpiece that would establish St. Petersburg among Europe's most impressive capitals. The statistics spoke to its immensity: more than 1,000 rooms, 117 staircases, and a 215-meter façade along the Neva River, combining Russian and European artistic traditions in a display of architectural virtuosity that announced Russia's arrival as a European power. On December 17, 1837, this treasure house of civilization transformed into an inferno that lit up the Russian sky, as firefighters watched helplessly while their water turned to sheets of ice in the minus thirty degree temperature. Emperor Nicholas I, arriving from the Mikhailovsky Theatre, immediately took command of the emergency response, directing both firefighting efforts and the desperate race to save the building's priceless contents. The Preobrazhensky Guards regiment emerged as heroes, methodically evacuating precious artifacts, furniture, and imperial treasures, while local citizens joined soldiers in their rescue efforts as the flames created an apocalyptic glow visible for miles. By daybreak, the fire had gutted much of the palace interior, yet Emperor Nicholas I made an impossible demand: the Winter Palace would be fully restored to its former glory within fifteen months. Under architects Vasily Stasov and Alexander Bruillov, the restoration project drew upon the vast resources of the Russian Empire, mobilizing materials and expertise to recreate both structural elements and intricate decorations. By spring 1839, slightly beyond Nicholas I's deadline but still remarkably fast, the Winter Palace stood restored as a monument to Russian determination and skill. The palace witnessed another pivotal moment on November 7, 1917, when the Bolshevik Revolution transformed this symbol of monarchy into what would become one of the world's greatest public museums. During World War II's 872-day siege of Leningrad, the palace's massive cellars served as bomb shelters while staff evacuated precious artifacts to secure locations, maintaining a flame of civilization in the besieged city. Today, the Winter Palace forms the core of the State Hermitage Museum, housing an astounding collection spanning human cultural achievement, from the world's oldest surviving knotted-pile carpet to masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt. The Jordan Staircase, St. George's Hall, and the Malachite Room tell stories of Russia's imperial past, while the museum's collection includes an extensive array of Western European art and classical antiquities. Among its most remarkable treasures remains James Cox's golden Peacock Clock, a marvel of 18th-century craftsmanship that continues to delight visitors just as it did centuries ago. Millions now walk halls where Russian history pivoted from monarchy to museum, exploring chambers where precious stones line entire rooms and doorknobs once required white gloves to polish. The Winter Palace stands today as both architectural masterpiece and cultural treasury, where treasures once reserved for emperors now belong to everyone, and where three centuries of history continue to inspire visitors from around the world.