Chinese Palace Oranienbaum. Two interiors with Utrecht armchairs, design by Gerrit Rietveld, Cassina. In what interior do these chairs look best? Visiting information

Chinese Palace, pearl palace and park ensemble"Oranienbaum", part of the State Museum-Reserve "Peterhof", is the only surviving monument of architecture in the Rococo style in Russia. He is celebrating his 250th birthday, and the gift to the hero of the day was a multi-year restoration. This year, three halls were opened after restoration: the damask bedchamber, the boudoir and Pavel’s office.

The Chinese palace was erected in 1768 by order of Empress Catherine II and was a building for short-term recreation. The gardener Lamberti was invited to plan the park, and the Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi, the founder of the Rococo style and early classicism in Russia, who had recently arrived in St. Petersburg, was invited to design the palace.

Interest in China first arose in Rus' at the end of the 15th century, when merchants began to bring Far Eastern fabrics to Moscow. And by the middle of the 18th century, all more or less wealthy St. Petersburg houses were furnished with Chinese things. The royal court set the tone for this fashion for “chinoiserie”, the Chinese style. The Chinese Palace got its name from the decoration of some of the rooms. There was a large collection of Chinese decorative arts and Japanese porcelain.

Fragment of the southern facade. The sculpture “Cupid and Psyche” is a copy of an ancient original from the Capitoline Museum in Rome.
The facades of the palace are decorated with pilasters and semi-columns with Ionic capitals and garlands. On the southern façade there are two lovely gardens with marble sculptures and flowering flower beds. The palace is laid out in the shape of a “P” and has three enfilades: the Front Enfilade, sixty-five meters long, and two short residential ones, located perpendicular to it.
Over two centuries, due to changes in owners, the palace underwent a number of reconstructions, and a second floor was added. Until the 1917 revolution, Oranienbaum was the property of the Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

The halls are decorated with picturesque panels, inlaid parquet floors, gilded carvings, embroideries and furniture inlaid with natural colored stones. The interiors with unique decorative decoration of the 18th century have been preserved. It is known that from 1765 to 1768, French merchants François Rembert and Billiot supplied the palace with furniture and bronze “in the latest taste” to furnish it. Famous artists Stefano Torelli, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, brothers Serafino and Giuseppe Barozzi, sculptor Marie-Anne Collo, mosaic artist Giacomo Martigny and Russian craftsmen from the Peterhof Lapidary Factory were involved in decorating the interiors.

Glass bead cabinet. Mirror in a carved gilded frame
The main attractions of the palace are the glass cabinet and unique parquet floors. The walls of the office are decorated with 12 panels - these are canvases on which embroidery is made with glass beads and multi-colored fleecy silk - chenille. The unique parquet floors of the palace are made of mahogany and ebony, amaranth, boxwood, Persian walnut, and maple. "A true miracle" full of wonders eighteenth century,” wrote Igor Grabar about the Chinese Palace.

Glass bead cabinet
In the 18th century, the glass bead cabinet was called the Mosaic Chamber. It had a floor made of smalt glass, made according to the recipe of M.V. Lomonosov at the neighboring Ust-Ruditsk factory. Due to dampness, it was not preserved and in the middle of the 19th century it was replaced with inlaid wooden parquet, repeating the pattern of the mosaic floor. The walls of the cabinet are divided by carved gilded frames in the form of trunks with leaves and flowers into separate panels with glass beads. There are twelve of them - ten on the walls and two desudeports. Depending on the lighting, the panels shimmer in lilac, pink, blue and silver shades. On top of the glass bead background, fantastic scenes with landscapes and birds are embroidered with special silk threads - chenille - a unique work of Russian goldsmiths under the direction of the Frenchwoman Marie de Chelles.

Hall of Muses
The picturesque decoration is by Stefano Torelli. Venus and the Graces are depicted on the ceiling, and Apollo with cupids and nine muses, personifying the arts, are depicted on the walls and arch.

Damask bedchamber
“We managed to return many original objects to the palace and reveal for viewing the paintings that were hidden under layers of paint,” Tatyana Syasina, curator of the Chinese Palace, shows the Shtofnaya bedchamber. “Although we purchased many items anew.” Inventories from the 18th century have not survived; they appeared only in the 20th century. But there are descriptions of things that were bought by the last owners of Oranienbaum - the Mecklenburg-Strelitzskys.

The damask of the 19th century has been preserved - the upholstery of the bedchamber was recreated based on its model. The mirror, the fireplace screen, and other original things were returned here. Friends of the museum donated porcelain vases produced by the Meissen manufactory - similar ones stood here 250 years ago. A lampshade by Maggiotto has been installed in its original place. On the wall panels under the windows, authentic paintings from the 18th century are revealed.

Wardrobe

The Chinese Palace can rightfully be called the treasure of the park in Oranienbaum. The name “Chinese” appeared for the reason that in the 18th century, during the time of Catherine II, the art of the Celestial Empire (chinoiserie style) became popular in Europe and several halls of the palace were decorated using oriental motifs. However, the art of China was interpreted very freely by the artists of that time.

The value of the palace lies in the fact that it has preserved original 18th-century interiors (unlike other royal residences in St. Petersburg, which were destroyed during the Second World War). Perhaps this is why the Chinese Palace is open to the public only in the summer; the rest of the time it is closed, since cold and wet air has a detrimental effect on the interior materials.

Opening hours of the Chinese Palace - summer 2019

• Open from May 25
• From 10:30 to 18:00
• Individual visitors are allowed from 12:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 16:45
• Days off - Monday and last Tuesday of the month
• Box office closes an hour earlier
• The museum may be closed during high humidity or rain.

Ticket prices to the Chinese Palace - summer 2019

• For Russian citizens
  • adults - 300 rub.
  • children under 16 years old - free
  • schoolchildren (from 16 years old), students and pensioners - 200 rubles.
• For citizens of the CIS
  • adults - 300 rub.
  • children under 16 years old - free
• For foreign citizens
  • adults - 500 rub.
  • children under 16 years old - free

Chinese Palace - description

The Chinese Palace was erected in the Upper Park in 1762 - 1768. Initially, the building was one-story, and its originality lay in the fact that the external design, as well as the internal decor, were made by one outstanding master - the Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi.

The building was built in the Rococo style, which (in contrast to the more magnificent and pompous Baroque) is characterized by sophistication, sophistication and delicate taste. The Chinese palace was created not for official receptions, but for rest and entertainment of Catherine II and those close to her.

The external design of the building was quite restrained and in appearance it looked more like a summer pavilion than a palace. At the same time, the interior decoration surprised with its beauty and luxury.

In total, there are 17 halls in the Chinese Palace, where people danced, played cards and held feasts. Moreover, each room was decorated in its own way and was different from all the others. Gilding and mirrors, stucco molding and painting were used as decoration.

The front suite (the main axis of the building) includes the Hall of Muses, the Blue Living Room and the Glass Bead Study, the Great Hall and the Lilac Living Room, the Small and Large Chinese Study.

Two wings are located perpendicular to the front enfilade. In the eastern wing there were the chambers of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich (the Pink Drawing Room and the Damask Bedchamber, the Boudoir and the Study), in the western wing there were the chambers of Catherine II (the Chinese Bedchamber and the Portrait Room, the Dressing Room and the Kamerungfer - a room for duty of the court lady).

To decorate the halls in oriental style many pieces of art came from China and Japan. The palace displays objects of art of the 18th century - paintings and porcelain collections brought from the east and from Europe, carved gilded furniture created by Russian carvers and gilders based on drawings by Rinaldi.

Particularly noteworthy is parquet, which is distinguished by its variety of patterns and colors. Initially, the floor in the rooms was made of marble, and in 1770 it was replaced by inlaid parquet, which was created using more than 20 types of trees, including red, black and brown wood, as well as boxwood, amaranth and Persian walnut.

Halls of the Chinese Palace

In 1850, the entrance to the building was moved to the eastern side, where the Great Anti-Chamber, which served as the Front Chamber, was added. The excursion to the Chinese Palace begins from this room, a kind of hallway. A monitor is installed here and while the group is gathering, you can watch a film about the history of the palace. At the door leading to the next hall of the Muses, there are cast iron floor lamps, made in the 19th century in Paris, and previously they stood on the porch at the entrance to the Anti-Chamber.

Hall of Muses

Following the Anti-Chamber is the Hall of the Muses, which is often called the Picturesque Gallery. Its walls are decorated with paintings by the Italian painter Stefano Torelli, depicting Apollo with cupids and nine muses, personifying art. On the ceiling you can see the goddess of beauty and love, Venus, and her companions, the Graces.

Glass bead cabinet

The decor of the Glass Bead Cabinet is the most original. The hall is decorated with twelve panels embroidered with glass beads (long tubular beads). The glass bead base is embroidered with fuzzy threads, depicting exotic plants and birds against the backdrop of fabulous landscapes. Each panel is separated from the neighboring one by a carved gilded frame. There are no analogues to the Glass Bead Cabinet in the world.

Blue living room

Initially, the walls of this hall were decorated with blue silk, which is why the Living Room is called blue. Later, the dilapidated material was removed, and canvases by the St. Petersburg artist Alexander Beideman, created in 1862-1868, were placed on the walls.

Pink living room

The ceiling of the Pink Living Room with the image of Diana was painted by the Venetian painter Gasparo Dizziani. The living room is also decorated with two picturesque panels depicting cupids. Previously, the room was decorated with ceremonial and chamber portraits of Catherine II. According to legend, little Pavel, the empress’s son, often played in this room.

Wardrobe

In former times, the dressing room was decorated with elegant furniture and paintings. Now you can only see a fireplace and pale blue walls, decorated with carvings and stucco.

Great Hall

The Great Hall is the main room of the Chinese Palace, it was also called the Reception and Oval Hall (the room has the shape of an ellipse). The hall is located in the center of the main front enfilade. The large hall was used to receive guests and therefore its design is distinguished by severity and solemnity. The height of the room is 8.5 meters; artificial marble of various colors and paintings, stucco molding and mosaics are used in its decoration. The presence of columns makes the interior somewhat classic.

Front

The front hall originally served as a vestibule; guests entered from the central entrance. Their admiration was aroused by everything around them - the parquet floor, similar to a carpet, the walls painted by Stefanno Torelli and the picturesque ceiling “Apollo and the Arts” (its authorship is attributed to Serafino Barozzi and Stefanno Torelli),

Chinese Palace - from history

The Chinese palace was summer residence Empress Catherine II and formed part of a complex called “Own Dacha”.

The structure was originally planned as a secluded pavilion in a secluded place and therefore it was not visible from afar. The alleys leading to it were arranged in such a way that the palace, surrounded on all sides by greenery, appeared before the guests completely unexpectedly.

As a rule, Catherine II came to Oranienbaum’s Own Garden with a retinue of noble guests who toured the halls, admiring their interiors.

At the same time, the palace building was not comfortable, since all the rooms in it were located at ground level and felt damp. The fireplaces were made of artificial marble and could not be heated too much.

The halls of the Chinese Palace were not suitable for long-term stays of guests, but were used only for informal receptions. Usually, after visiting Oranienbaum, guests returned to Peterhof - the ceremonial residence, and if someone stayed overnight, they occupied rooms in the Menshikov Palace. The bedchambers of Catherine and Pavel Petrovich were also not used for sleeping.

In the middle of the 19th century, the Chinese Palace changed its appearance - the building became one floor higher, a gallery was built, connecting two risalits (protruding side parts of the building). The interior decor has also changed, but despite all the transformations, the building has retained its originality and originality.

In 1922, a museum was organized in the Chinese Palace, open to the general public. During the war, Oranienbaum was not occupied and therefore in the post-war period it was the first of the suburbs of St. Petersburg to open.

In 2009, large-scale restoration of the architectural monument began. The restoration of fragments of the unique decor is carried out thanks to inventories and watercolors preserved from 1901.

Antonio Rinaldi built the structure almost on the ground, and high humidity constantly destroyed the decoration of the rooms. To preserve the unique interiors, during the reconstruction the building was heated for the first time in 250 years, and special sensors were installed in all restored halls. With their help, the temperature and humidity of the air are controlled. Now the interior is not afraid of changes in outside temperature - in winter time The Chinese palace is heated and maintains optimal air humidity and a temperature of 4.5 degrees.

The Chinese Palace is the only monument of the Rococo style in Russian architecture. The architect Alexander Nikolaevich Benois compared the decoration of the building - its patterns and ornaments, paintings and architectural details, with the sonatas of Haydn and Mozart.

Catherine II called the Chinese Palace a “jewel box.” With the completion of the restoration, the unique architectural monument will become a real tourist pearl of Oranienbaum.

St. Petersburg is famous for its palaces and parks, located not only in itself, but also in its surroundings. Thus, one of the architectural attractions of this region is the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum, interesting for its history, external and internal decoration.

Where is the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum?

The settlement of Oranienbaum no longer exists since 1948, so those who want to visit the Chinese Palace will face the problem of how to get there. In fact, everything is very simple, you should go to the city of Lomonosov. Since this town is one of them and is located only 40 km from it, tourists should first come to the northern capital, and then take a bus, train, minibus or ferry to the Oranienbaum palace and park ensemble.

There are several options:

• from the Avtovo metro station - bus No. 200 and minibuses No. 424a and No. 300;
• from the Baltiysky railway station - by train;
• from the Prospekt Veteranov metro station - minibus No. 343;
• from the port: ferry St. Petersburg – Kronstadt – Lomonosov.

You can find the Chinese Palace in the western part of the Upper Park (or Own Dacha), at the end of the Triple Linden Alley.

This elegant structure was created as the personal residence of Empress Catherine II and her son Paul. The Chinese Palace was built in 1768 according to the design of Antonio Rinaldi in the Rococo style, but using Chinese motifs and works of art from this country in the interior, for which it received its name.

The northern part of the facades was almost completely preserved in its original form, despite the addition of the second floor, while the southern side was completely changed.

Externally, the Chinese Palace is quite simple, but its interior amazes visitors with its diversity and richness. Among the interior spaces, they are of great interest.

Plan
Introduction
1 History of creation
1.1 Ensemble of the Own Dacha
1.2 Architecture of the Chinese Palace

2 The fate of the palace after 1917
3 Restoration work in the palace
4 Interiors
4.1 General characteristics interior decoration
4.1.1 Stacked parquet floors

4.2 Front
4.3 Dressing room
4.4 Pink living room
4.5 Damask bedchamber
4.6 Boudoir
4.7 Pavel's office
4.8 Hall of Muses
4.9 Blue living room
4.10 Glass bead cabinet
4.11 Great Hall
4.12 Plaster rest
4.13 Small Chinese Cabinet
4.14 Great Chinese Cabinet
4.15 Chinese bedchamber
4.16 Camerjungfer
4.17 Portrait
4.18 Cabinet of Catherine II

References
Chinese Palace

Introduction

The Chinese Palace is a palace located in the southwestern part of the Oranienbaum palace and park ensemble (Lomonosov). It was built according to the design of the architect Antonio Rinaldi in 1762-1768. for Empress Catherine II. It is part of the ensemble of the Own Dacha in Oranienbaum. It got its name due to the fact that several of its interiors were decorated in Chinese style (chinoiserie), which was very fashionable at that time.

In 1852-1853 the southern facade was rebuilt (a second floor appeared) according to the designs of A. Stackenschneider and L. Bonstedt. The palace was opened as a museum in 1922.

Of all the buildings of Oranienbaum in the mid-18th century (the palace of Peter III, the Rolling Hill pavilion), it was in the Chinese Palace that the Rococo style (which was not widespread in Russia anywhere except Oranienbaum) manifested itself most fully. In this, along with the absolute authenticity of the palace (Oranienbaum during the Great Patriotic War was not captured by the Nazis, unlike other suburbs of St. Petersburg), lies in its uniqueness.

The palace is currently being restored in time for 2011, the 300th anniversary of Oranienbaum. By September 2011, it is planned to open 4 halls - the Large Anti-Chamber, the Hall of Muses, the Blue Living Room and the Glass Bead Cabinet.

1. History of creation

Oranienbaum, the estate of Prince A.D. Menshikov, after his disgrace in 1727, was under the jurisdiction of the Office of Buildings. In 1743, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna donated these lands, along with all the buildings, to her nephew and heir, Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich, the future Emperor Peter III. It's being built for him here funny fortress Peterstadt, and in the fortress there is a palace (designed by Rinaldi). After the marriage of Pyotr Fedorovich, a small grand-ducal court was established in Oranienbaum.

While still a Grand Duchess, the future Catherine II was planning to build a summer house for entertainment in Oranienbaum.

Having become empress, on September 1, 1762 (that is, 2 months after accession to the throne), she issued a decree to release money for the construction of her own dacha, the architect of which was Antonio Rinaldi. The main work was completed in the mid-1770s.

1.1. Ensemble of your own dacha

According to Rinaldi's plan, the ensemble of the Own Dacha should consist of two parts - regular and landscape. In the eastern regular part there were the main park structures (Stone Hall, Chinese Palace, Rolling Hill pavilion). Big western part was close to the landscape “English” park. With all this, there was no clear boundary between them; one part seemed to smoothly pass into the other.

The composition of the eastern part indicated a departure from the type of regular parks characteristic of the 17th-18th centuries. In such parks there was always one or several central alleys leading to the central part of the main palace. The triple linden alley, the main axis of the Own Dacha, extending from the Stone Hall, faces the Chinese Palace not to its center, but to the eastern part. Thus, the perspective of the palace from the central alley is not visible. In the western part there was a labyrinth of shaped ponds with sixteen small islands connected by drawbridges. There were five small gazebos on the islands.

In 1766, sculptures made by Italian masters D. Marchiori, I. Morleitr and Giuseppe Toretti were received from Venice for the Own Dacha (the works of these sculptors can also be found in the Great Gatchina Palace (high reliefs) and in the Gatchina Palace Park (sculptures))

Thus, if in the regular part there were features that made it similar to the landscape park, then in the landscape part it is easy to find features of the regular style. This is due to the fact that in the middle of the 18th century there was a gradual transition in architecture from Baroque to Classicism. This was reflected not only in the appearance of Oranienbaum’s palaces, but also in the layout of his park.

The manifestation of the Rococo style in the Oranienbaum buildings of A. Rinaldi appears not in individual details, but in the totality of the features of this style. It is clearly expressed both in the facades and plans of palaces, and in the decor of the premises.

· Contrast between exterior and interior decoration

All of Rinaldi's buildings are distinguished by their severity and simplicity of appearance and at the same time luxury, sophistication, and variety of interior decoration.

· Large glazed door and window openings

Connection between interior and surrounding nature- a proven technique of the Rococo style.

· Differences in interior treatment

The shape and decoration of each room are different depending on its purpose. Moreover, furniture and other objects of decorative and applied art are part of the decor of this particular interior. It is not for nothing that in the Chinese Palace the furniture was most often made specifically for a particular room according to the sketches of Rinaldi (an architect and at the same time a room decorator).

These three features to some extent explain the amazing harmony of the interiors of the Chinese Palace, its connection both with the external appearance and with the nearby pond and park.

1.2. Architecture of the Chinese Palace

The Chinese palace stands on a low protruding stylobate, which forms a kind of terrace. It is lined with Pudost stone and granite. From the west and east, parterre gardens adjoin the residential premises located in the projections. They are fenced with openwork metal bars.

The palace stretches along the west-east axis and is shaped like the letter P in plan. Its facades have different architectural designs. Only the northern façade has remained unchanged to this day (a second floor was built on the southern façade in the 19th century).

The northern facade looks more solemn and elegant. Its center is highlighted in the form of an oval risalit with four pilasters. The projection is completed by a pediment and a figured attic of the Baroque type. Three white decorative sculptures are installed on it (in the 18th century, the roof of the palace was bordered by a balustrade with vases and statues). Along the axes of the three sculptures there are windows and doors with semi-circular endings. The same doorways are located in the side projections of the palace. They are completed with sandriks with a relief ornament - a shell and garlands.

The southern facade, facing the pond, looks completely different. Two strongly protruding projections were attached to the building, which were intended for residential quarters. In the 18th century, risalits formed a miniature courtyard, in the center of which was the entrance to the palace. However, in the 50s of the 19th century, a second floor was built on the southern facade according to the designs of architects A. Stackenschneider and L. Bonstedt. At the same time, a glass gallery appeared on the first floor. Small rooms - anti-chambers - were attached to the end parts of the palace on the inlet and west.

2. The fate of the palace after 1917

In 1925, the palaces and parks were transferred to the Museum Department of the Leningrad Branch of the Main Science and were subordinated to the Administration of Peterhof Palaces, Museums and Parks. The Chinese Palace is the only one of Oranienbaum's buildings that was turned into a museum before the war. The remaining buildings were rented out to the Forestry Technical College, Zagotzern and other offices. In 1935, Oranienbaum was taken under state protection as a unique historical and cultural complex. The park was subject to a restricted zone regime - it was almost impossible to enter its territory. In 1940 this regime was lifted and Oranienbaum received his own administration.

During the Great Patriotic War, Oranienbaum, located on the territory of the so-called Oranienbaum bridgehead, was not destroyed by the Nazis, unlike other suburbs of Leningrad. The 48th Order of the October Revolution Red Banner Ropshinskaya Rifle Division named after was located on the territory of the park. M.I. Kalinin under the command of General Safonov, who took over the protection of the entire palace and park ensemble.

During the war, the Chinese Palace was mothballed, museum valuables were evacuated (some to Novosibirsk and Sarapul, some to Leningrad, which was already in the besieged ring along the so-called “little road of life” (Oranienbaum - Bronka - Kronstadt - Lisiy Nos), where the exhibits were stored in St. Isaac's Cathedral. In particular, glass bead panels were stored in the basements of St. Isaac's Cathedral. Later, because of them. poor condition they were moved to the Hermitage for storage.

The Chinese Palace itself did not receive any serious damage from shelling during the war, with the exception of a shell that hit the second floor of the palace. The exhibition premises and interiors were not damaged by this shell. However, according to eyewitnesses, the condition of the palace was quite deplorable:

In 1946, after minor restoration work, the palace reopened as a museum. This was of great importance for the post-war suburbs of Leningrad - while other palaces lay in ruins, the Chinese Palace received visitors and instilled faith in the restoration of other suburbs.

3. Restoration work in the palace

From the very first time of its existence, the Chinese Palace constantly suffered from dampness. Antonio Rinaldi probably failed to accurately assess the harsh northern climate and high humidity, or did not count on the long existence of the palace and built it more as a park pavilion than a living space. Since the 1770s, numerous restoration work has been carried out in the palace. The artificial marble floors were the first to suffer from dampness. They were replaced with the parquet ones that currently exist. A decade later, the paintings located in the palace were restored.

Room Front originally served as a vestibule; here in the center of the southern part of the palace, and today the entrance to the building is located. After the addition of a covered glass gallery to this room in 1853, it began to be used as a dining room. In the 18th century, the walls of the Front Hall were decorated with paintings by the Italian decorative painter Stefano Torelli, a student of the famous Neapolitan artist Francesco Solimena. Torelli arrived in Russia in 1758, leaving his service at the Saxon royal court. In 1764, the painter worked on the design Winter Palace, and in 1765 he began work in Oranienbaum, and after a short time the interiors of the Chinese Palace were decorated with his talented works. In the 1850s Torelli's wall paintings in the Front were replaced with architectural landscapes by an unknown artist of the 19th century. "Diana and Actaeon" and "Landscape with Ruins". In the Front Hall a picturesque ceiling by S. Torelli “Apollo and the Arts” has been preserved. One of the walls of the Front Hall has preserved ornamental paintings of remarkable beauty in design by another Italian master, Serafino Barozzi, who, like Torelli, worked directly in the Chinese Palace. The interior decoration is complemented by stucco decoration of the hoops and ceiling: shells, acanthus leaves and other plants, flower garlands. The front room is decorated with inlaid parquet from the 18th century, composed of several types of wood - walnut, amaranth, birch, sandalwood, apple, rosewood and mahogany; its drawing, created by Rinaldi, seems to be reflected in the stucco decoration of the ceiling, which adds completeness to the interior design. The fireplace, made of artificial marble, was created in the 18th century. “plasterer master” Italian Alberto Giani, who worked hard on the production of the original marble floors.

Great Hall, the central room of the palace, in documents of the 18th century is also called the Reception, Round, Oval or simply the Hall. Decorated in the spirit of solemn elation, it was intended for official receptions and meals. Most visits to Catherine II's own dacha ended with dinner in the large hall. Unlike other rooms of the palace, the interior of the Great Hall bears the features of a new style - classicism - and anticipates subsequent interiors created by Rinaldi in St. Petersburg, Tsarskoe Selo, and Gatchina. The appearance of this main hall is strict and majestic, its decor is exquisitely noble and laconic. The walls and three-quarter Corinthian columns are decorated with artificial marble of different shades. The large hall is covered with a low dome, cut through by round windows - lucarnes, which serve as a source of natural light. Through large doors, glazed all the way to the floor, a picturesque view of the parterre garden and meadow opening into the park opens up. Above the doors are white marble bas-reliefs depicting Peter the Great and his daughter Elizaveta Petrovna. They were made by Marie-Anne Collot, a famous French sculptor, student and assistant of E.-M. Falcone. On the ceiling there is a lampshade by S. Torelli “Day expelling night”. The painting was painted for the Marble Palace in St. Petersburg, where it remained until it was transferred to the Chinese Palace in the 1960s. Previously, this place housed the plafond of the famous Venetian artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo “The Rest of Mars” - a true masterpiece of decorative and monumental painting. In July 1941, the lampshade was dismantled and taken to Peterhof, where it disappeared during the war. In November 2014, Wintershall entered into a sponsorship agreement with the Peterhof Museum for the restoration of part of the premises of the second stage of the Chinese Palace, which will complete the restoration of the Great Hall and will allow for a new organization of the excursion process, avoiding U-turns and oncoming traffic of groups.

Interior Blue living room one of the most rich in architectural and stucco decoration. Due to high humidity and capillary suction, the lower part of the walls was completely destructured and many losses were observed. When dismantling the frames of the paintings “Nymph and Triton emerging from the reeds” and “The Rape of Europa”, complete destruction of the plaster corner ornamented compositions was discovered. The wooden elements of the frame were dismantled with appropriate markings, models were removed from the corner compositions, after which they were also dismantled. The modeller-restorer Kholod A.Kh. (honorary restorer of St. Petersburg) restored all the stucco decoration and recreated the lost elements. The Large Anti-Chamber was added to the eastern facade of the palace in 1850. The construction of the new premises was carried out according to the design of the architect A. I. Stackenschneider, and is associated with the renovation of the Chinese Palace, carried out by its new owner, the wife of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich - Elena Pavlovna. After the reconstruction of the palace, the entrance was moved here, and the room was called the Front Room. The interior has retained its original decoration, made using the grisaille technique (decorative painting imitating bas-relief, done in different shades of the same color).

Hall of Muses, which has preserved its original decoration, belongs to the best interiors of the 18th century. Large windows and doors give it a resemblance to a park pavilion. Initially, the hall was called the Picturesque Gallery and was intended for musical concerts, and received its current name in the 19th century. Painting plays a leading role in interior decoration. The painting of the walls and ceiling arches was done using tempera in 1768 by the Italian artist Stefano Torelli (1712-1784). In the spaces between the windows there are large-figure compositions depicting nine muses - patrons of the arts. The padugas depict groups of cupids with attributes of ancient gods, alternating with ornamental modeling. The ceiling is decorated with a picturesque lampshade by Stefano Torelli “The Triumph of Venus”. The inlaid parquet was made according to a drawing by A. Rinaldi in 1772 by a group of Russian carpenters under the direction of I. Petersen. The parquet set uses several types of wood, including mahogany, walnut, rosewood, rose gold, birch, and maple. Work on installation of anti-capillary waterproofing and reconstruction of underground areas was carried out by GEOIZOL LLC. In the Hall of Muses and the Blue Living Room, a technical underground with a height of 80 cm was made, where all the utility networks were laid. Work on laying and commissioning of utility networks was carried out by Stroyservis LLC.

On November 20, 2014, in the Ballroom of the Great Peterhof Palace, a trilateral cooperation agreement was signed between the Peterhof State Museum, Wintershall Holding GmbH (Germany) and Petersburg Restoration Company LLC. The agreement provides for priority emergency and selective work in three halls of the Chinese Palace - the Boudoir, the Study of Paul I and the Shtofnaya Bedchamber. As well as the restoration of the interior of the Great Hall of the Chinese Palace, portraits of Peter and Elizabeth Petrovna, as well as the restoration of the Gallery. Large-scale restoration of the palace began in 2009, after the Oranienbaum palace and park ensemble became part of the Peterhof State Museum. The first stage was completed in 2011 at the expense of charitable funds from OJSC Gazprom, when four halls were presented - the Big Anti-Chamber, the Hall of Muses, the Blue Living Room and the Glass Beads Cabinet. In July 2014, the opening of two more halls of the Chinese Palace - the Pink Living Room and the Dressing Room - completed the first stage of the second stage of restoration. The second stage will include work in the Front, Great hall, Gallery, third - in the Shtofnaya bedchamber, Boudoir, Pavel's office and the premises of the second floor. These halls are planned to open in 2016. In 2017, the last stage of restoration will begin, within which eight halls will be restored: the Lilac Living Room, the Small and Large Chinese Cabinets, the Small Anti-Chamber, the Chinese Bedchamber, the Dressing Room, the Portrait Room and Catherine’s Study. Wintershall is the largest oil and gas producing company in Germany, employing over 2 thousand employees from more than 40 countries. Wintershall has 25 years of close partnership with the world's largest natural gas producer, the Russian company Gazprom. The company's management believes that promoting culture is not a luxury, but a form of expression of social activity. Therefore, no matter where in the world Wintershall operates, the main asset is not only oil and gas, but also connections between people, between nations.