Catherine palace – the official summer imperial residence of three Russian empresses: Catherine I, Empress Elizabeth and Catherine the Great. One of the studies of this luxurious palace in baroque style surely merits special attention as it is often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world. In 1716 the king of Prussia presented the Amber room to Peter the Great, but the magnificent panels were only used for decorating of interiors of the Winter Palace during the reign of Empress Elizabeth, who consequently decided to transfer the amber murals to the Palace in Tsarskoye Selo. The hall of residence being rather small, though, additional details were to be added. Thus, several paintings simulating amber mosaics, gilded carved panels and other elements. Also, several mosaic pictures of agate and jasper with allegoric depictions of sensory organs: of hearing, vision, taste, touch and smell were produced in Florence. Certain additions were also implemented during the reign of Catherine the 2nd.

During the Great Patriotic War the Amber Room was dismantled by the German soldiers and moved to be an ornament in the King’s palace in Köningsberg, although it eventually failed to reach the destination point. Subsequently the researchers keep hoping to eventually recover the original details of the exuberant ensemble in the hidings of German troops. The restauration works on the historic interior started in the 1980-s and they had lasted for approximately 20 years. Today the world-renowned interior, created and designed by architect J-F Eosander is fully restored and open to the public.