Petersburg Palaces

Description

This subcollection from the William C. Brumfield Collection -- Photographs of Russian Architecture contains photographs of imperial palaces in St. Petersburg. The ruling dynasty saw the construction and development of large-scale palaces to maintain their stronghold in the capital. The preeminent palace is the Winter Palace and its accompanying complex, built in the Baroque and Neoclassical styles to emphasize the power of its inhabitants, the Romanovs. Monuments such as the Mikhailovskii Palace, Mikhailovskii Castle, and Marble Palace feature similarly grand, classicized facades but on a smaller scales. Other noble residences are located among eclectic mid-19th century mansions and businesses. As the architectural styles developed and perfected in palaces outside of St. Petersburg became well-known by lesser nobility, they sought to replicate them within the confines of the city.