Great Hall of Catherine's Palace
This opulent Great Hall was designed by Rastrelli for Empress Elizabeth 1st, (daughter of Catherine 1 and Peter the Great). It is filled with gilded gold mirrors and the ceiling is a painting of the Triumph of Russia.
This palace upon completion was a baroque masterpiece and was 300 meters (980 feet long) and the longest palace in the world. In 2002 President Putin approved allocation of 140 kilograms of gold for restoration.
© Emile Abbott
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