PRESENTATION OUTLINE
WINTER PALACE, HERMITAGE MUSEUM, AND THE TAJ MAHAL
Who built the Winter Palace?
It was designed by many architects, most notably Bartolomeo Rastrelli, in what came to be known as the Elizabethan Baroque style.
Palace uses
The palace was constructed on a monumental scale that was intended to reflect the might and power of Imperial Russia. As the formal home of the Russian Tsars, the palace was the setting for profuse, frequent and lavish entertaining. The dining table could seat 1000 guests, while the state rooms could contain up to 10,000 people—all standing, as no chairs were provided.[49] These rooms, halls and galleries were heated to such a temperature that while it was sub-zero outside, exotic plants bloomed within, while the brilliant lighting gave the ambiance of a summer's day.
When built/rebuilt
Winter Palace was built and altered almost continuously between the late 1730s and 1837, when it was severely damaged by fire and immediately rebuilt.
Where?
In Saint Petersburg, Russia, was, from 1732 to 1917, Situated between the Palace Embankment and the Palace Square
Style of the Palace
The architectural theme continues throughout the interior of the palace. The first floor, being the piano nobile, is distinguished by windows taller than those of the floors above and below. Each window is divided from its neighbour by a pilaster. The repetitive monotony of the long elevations is broken only by symmetrically placed slightly projecting bays, many with their own small portico. This theme has been constant during all subsequent rebuilding and alterations to the palace. The rebuilding of 1837 left the exterior unchanged, but large parts of the interior were redesigned in a variety of tastes and styles, leading the palace to be described as a "19th-century palace inspired by a model in Rococo style.
Size/#of rooms/other stats
From the palace, the Tsar ruled over 22,400,000 square kilometres (8,600,000 sq mi) (almost 1/6 of the Earth's landmass) and over 125 million subjects by the end of the 19th century. It was designed by many architects, most notably Bartolomeo Rastrelli, in what came to be known as the Elizabethan Baroque style. The green-and-white palace has the shape of an elongated rectangle, and its principal façade is 250 m long and 100 ft (30 m) high. The Winter Palace has been calculated to contain 1,786 doors, 1,945 windows, 1,500 rooms and 117 staircases.
Who founded?
It was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been open to the public since 1852.
What was it used for?
It's one of the largest and oldest museums in the world. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display, comprise over three million items, including the largest collection of paintings in the museum. The Western European Art collection includes European paintings, sculpture, and applied art from the 13th to the 20th centuries. It is displayed, in about 120 rooms, on the first and second floor of the four main buildings. Drawings and prints are displayed in temporary exhibitions.
When built/opened
In 1764, Catherine commissioned Yury Felten to build an extension on the east of the Winter Palace which he completed in 1766. Later it became the Southern Pavilion of the Small Hermitage. It was built in 1764 and has been open to the public since 1852.
Where?
The State Hermitage is a museum of art and culture that is located in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Styles/sections/size
The collections of the museum occupy a large complex of six historic buildings along Palace Embankment, including the Winter Palace, a former residence of Russian emperors. The museum acquired 4,000 paintings from the old masters, 38,000 books, 10,000 engraved gems, 10,000 drawings, 16,000 coins and medals and a natural history collection filling two galleries. The neoclassical building was completed in 1787 and has come to be known as the Large Hermitage or Old Hermitage. Originally, the only building housing the collection was the 'Small Hermitage'. Today, the Hermitage Museum encompasses many buildings on the Palace Embankment and its neighbourhoods. Apart from the Small Hermitage, the museum now also includes the 'Old Hermitage', the 'New Hermitage', the 'Hermitage Theatre', and the 'Winter Palace', the former main residence of the Russian tsars. In recent years, the Hermitage has expanded to the General Staff Building on the Palace Square in front of the Winter Palace, and the Menshikov Palace.
Who built?
The construction was entrusted to a board of architects with Ustad Ahmad Lahauri believed to have assumed the role of chief architect.
What was it used for?
In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, a Persian princess, died during the birth of their 14th child, Gauhara Begum. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632. The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief illustrate the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal. The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal. It is a large, white marble structure standing on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with an iwan topped by a large dome and finial.
When built?
Construction began sometime around 1632 and was completed in 1653, taking nearly 22 years to build while employing around 20,000 artisans and craftsmen throughout the empire.
Where?
The Taj Mahal is located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Style
The Taj Mahal combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architectural styles.
Size/design
The Taj Mahal complex is bounded on three sides by crenellated red sandstone walls, with the river-facing side left open. Outside the walls are several additional mausoleums, including those of Shah Jahan's other wives, and a larger tomb for Mumtaz's favourite servant. The Taj Mahal was constructed using materials from all over India and Asia and over 1,000 elephants were used to transport building materials. The translucent white marble was brought from Makrana, Rajasthan, the jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China. The turquoise was from Tibet and the Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, while the sapphire came from Sri Lanka and the carnelian from Arabia. In all, twenty eight types of precious and semi-precious stones were inlaid into the white marble.
