Inside The Romanov Family’s Most Opulent Palaces

The Romanov family built palaces for three centuries that touched divinity, where single rooms could cost more than modern skyscrapers and engineering marvels operated without electricity - creating a world of unlimited wealth and artistic genius in Russia's imperial capitals.

------------------------------------

------------------------------------

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Introduction
0:58 #1 Winter Palace, St. Petersburg
4:50 #2 Catherine Palace, Tsarskoye Selo
8:33 #3 Peterhof Palace, St. Petersburg
12:17 #4 Alexander Palace, Tsarskoye Selo
15:48 #5 Gatchina Palace

------------------------------------

The Winter Palace stands as their crowning achievement, spanning 233,345 square meters with 1,500 rooms along the Neva River in St. Petersburg, featuring 1,886 doors, 1,945 windows, and an intricate baroque facade stretching 215 meters.

The Catherine Palace transformed from modest beginnings into spectacular grandeur, housing the legendary Amber Room - considered the "Eighth Wonder of the World" - where six tons of amber and semi-precious stones created an amber-hued sanctuary valued at $142 million today.

Peterhof Palace rises along the Gulf of Finland as Russia's answer to Versailles, featuring an astonishing network of 140 fountains operating entirely through natural gravity, including the Grand Cascade where 64 fountains and 200 bronze statues create mesmerizing displays.

The Alexander Palace served as the final imperial residence, where Nicholas II and Alexandra created intimate spaces that reflected personal tastes rather than traditional grandeur, before becoming their gilded prison following the 1917 revolution.

Gatchina Palace uniquely blends medieval fortress with classical palace, featuring pentagonal towers and limestone walls that housed Russia's most modern imperial residence, complete with indoor heating, electric lighting, and telephone networks under Alexander III.

Each palace tells its own story of power and prestige: the Winter Palace's Jordan Staircase welcomed foreign diplomats, the Catherine Palace's Golden Enfilade exemplified Rococo style at its zenith, and Peterhof's fountains demonstrated Russian engineering prowess.

These residences witnessed history's pivotal moments, from the first Russian State Duma opening in the Winter Palace to the Bolshevik Revolution ending three centuries of Romanov rule.

War brought devastation: German forces dismantled the Amber Room in 1941, while Peterhof suffered extensive damage during World War II, though dedicated restoration efforts have since revived their splendor.

Modern visitors can explore this imperial legacy: the Winter Palace houses the State Hermitage Museum's vast collection, the Catherine Palace showcases its reconstructed Amber Room, and Peterhof's fountains still perform their gravity-defying dance.

The Alexander Palace reopened in 2021 after extensive renovations, revealing 13 meticulously reconstructed rooms that offer intimate glimpses into the private world of Russia's last imperial family.

These palaces demonstrate how architecture became the Romanovs' ultimate expression of power, creating spaces where luxury knew no bounds and artistic achievement reached unprecedented heights.

Through halls longer than Olympic pools and past engineering marvels that defied their era, these residences stand as testaments to an age when Russian emperors shaped the destiny of one-sixth of Earth's landmass.

Some chambers remain exactly as their last imperial occupants left them, while others required generations of modern masters to resurrect their splendor, preserving this extraordinary legacy for future generations.

These five imperial palaces, each unique in its grandeur, combine to tell the complete story of Russian imperial might and artistic achievement during the Romanov dynasty's three-century reign.

[oldmoneymansions]

COMMENT: Which of these palaces is your favorite - and, have you had a chance to visit?

[JaimeB-xg]

Peteroff Palace is my favorite with the fountains ⛲️ are just amazing. With no electricity used to create it is so mind blowing.

[lesamisdelacuisineprovenca]

Most of these palaces were designed and built by italian
Pure exquisite....

[mbrawthen]

I liked The Winter Palace the best! Its size and Grandeur are just so unbelievably unique!

The Winter Palace stands as the crowning achievement! Spanning 233, 345 square meters with 1, 500 rooms along the Neva River in St. Petersburg, featuring 1, 886 doors, 1, 945 windows, and an intricate baroque facade stretching 215 meters. Just so Stunning! 😱

[johnowen]

I am lucky enough to have visited them all. Each is special but Peterhof is probably my favourite.

[Monitschka]

Never visited. Thanks for taking me along. Splendid. 💖

[jflan]

Tsar Nicholas II & Tsarina Alexandra lived mostly at the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoe Selo but their living quarters there weren't as opulent as the other Romanov palaces. It was because of Tsarina Alexandra's simple taste for decorating & furnishing their rooms the English way as she saw it. Some of the furniture came from Maple & Co the English company.

[DarlaHamilton-qi]

I was thinking how I would love to visit each mansion! Thank you so much for this

[James-hjd]

have visited The Winter Palace, Peterhoff, and the Catherine Palace, Peterhoff is my favorite.

[kaloarepo]

Most of the palaces in Imperial Russia were designed by Italian or Swiss Italian architects. They used the baroque and rococo styles - the baroque style originated in 16th-17th century Rome and spread to most of Europe.It explains why the palaces are so vibrant and colorful.

[bingbong]

I loved our two trips to St Petersburg’s, it’s a fascinating city and easy to walk around, we were lucky and had glorious weather . The Winter Palace / The Hermitage Museum is amazing . Catherine Palace is also a favourite, gardens and Amber room but I think my favourite has to be Peterhof and that fountain and an amazing engineering feat in those days . We did the tour of the fountains engineering which was fascinating and with a surprise as you go outside in the fountain . No didn’t get wet . It has so much history and is wonderful to walk around .
Hope one day the city will be open to worldwide visitors again . I agree with the comment below Versailles is not a patch on St Petersburg Palaces, the hall of mirrors was very disappointing .

[christian-michaelhansen]

The Winter Palace and the Hermitage would be the top of my list for a visit. The others mentioned here would each be interesting to see. My question is: If all these grand palaces are each so close together, why did all these different Royals feel the need to build a home so equally grand?

[theon]

I visited the Winterpalace in (then) Leningrad in 1978. It's a lasting memory of almost 50 years in my mind's eye that this video has provoked and refreshed. Superb!
At that time, although it was an all-day tour, only parts of the Palace could be visited since much of it needed repair and maintenance. As well, the USSR provided for only limited and carefully monitored tourist visits, arranged by 'Intourist' which watched us closelu and restricted movement. 
My strongest lasting memories were of fabulous public rooms such as the stunning malachite throne room, and the vast collection of art in the Palace, including masterpieces of Western European art (such as Rembrandt) that I did not know existed.
I would love to revisit it, as well as the other palaces which I did not visit. 
Leningrad itself impressed as a superb Imperial city.
Thanks for the beautiful video!

[Cat-bgge]

They are all opulent and quite beautiful and unique.

[ashlynworkman]

This is the trip of my dreams! I’ve dreamt about going to St. Petersburg since I was a little girl….one of these days I’ll be able to go.

[gordonzill]

All are wonderful, but the winter palace is breathtaking!

[Djtiger]

September 2018 visited Moscow and st Petersburg beautiful palaces. Place I wanted to visit as a youngster. Glad I’ve been.

[monichat]

Is it any wonder there was a Revolution - The romanov's living in palaces while peasants and workers were living in misery

[notyourdaddy]

i hope you continue this series of most opulent residencies of royal households

[jericjames]

the winter palace and the alexander palace are my favorite