Welcome to Sims Petersburg Imperial Palace!! A private tour Palace State Apartments!!
(sorry in advance for the very long post 😅 I’m the worst on selecting photos!! Hope you like it as much as I’m loving rebuilding it)
The visit of Sims Petersburg Imperial Palace (renovated versions) will start… Their Imperial Majesties granted you access to tour their official residence.
This tour will be dedicated to the Palace state apartments
Passing through the inner Courtyard and climbing the grand ramps we enter The Imperial Palace through the main vestibule into the Jordan Gallery, a grand space composed of three corridors that lead all distinguished guests into the Palace Main stairCase, The Jordan Staircase. We invite you to follow us climbing the stair case to continue your exclusive tour.
Upon arriving in the main floor of the Imperial palace through the grand StairCase you will have access to the tow state apartment wings, in one side you find the Neva Enfilade (composed by the Fore-Hall, Nicholas Hall, the Concert hall and the Malachite room) and in the other side you find the Great Enfilade (composed by the Fields-Marshals Hall, the Small Throne room, the Armorial Hall, the war Gallery of 1812 and the Large Throne room)
We will start our tour in the Neva Enfilade, a beautiful set of rooms overlooking Neva River…
The first hall of this grand enfilade is the Fore Hall, a grand pink marble hall that sets the mood for the grandeur of the the palace…
Normally used to receive guest for state banquets and balls, when they do not happen in the Large Throne room, next if you wish to follow me, we will proceed to the…
… Nicholas Hall, the main hall of the Neva Enfilade, intended for official state cerimonies and balls with and astonishing view over the lake. Today you have the rare chance of seeing the first Christmas decorations being hung… it is still a long way until the palace is ready for Christmas… Next we can find the…
… Concert Hall, the final hall of the Neva Enfilade of state rooms, this hall has the name indicates is used for Imperial Concerts and to place the orchestra in for the grand ball in the Nicholas Hall.
This amazing state room is also used as a ball room for smaller events known as the “concert balls” and for small private evenings hosted by the Imperial Family. Attached to this room we find…
… the Malachite room, its name comes from the amazing stone used on the decorations, the columns, pilasters, fireplaces and vases…
This room serves, mainly, as the the Dowager Empress apartment formal drawing-room but it is also opened for the Neva Enfilade for grand occasions. Following our tour we will find a more private family rooms the...
... the Small Dining Room. This room is normally used by the Imperial Family for family dinners, tea and serves also as HIM the Dowager Tsarina Private dining room.
If we continue though the door ahead we will find the...
...Moorish Dining room. Normally used for large family gatherings, small banquets and for private dinners with visiting dignitaries and friends.
This large room connects the Neva enfilade, the Dowager Tsarina apartments, the Simnov Dynasty Portrait Gallery and the Tsar Private apartments.
now lets continue our tour and see one of them most...
interesting room of the palace, The Rotunda. This amazing and large circular room connects the private apartments of the Palace with the Neva Enfilade State rooms. from one side we enter the Moorish Dining room and from the other the dark corridor, the part of the Imperial couple private apartments.
This room as been used for various events such as dinners, balls, concerts and receptions. It has become one of HIM Tsarina Alexandra favorite spaces within the Imperial Palace.
Now we will start our way to the Great Enfilade state rooms,…
… we will take the Simnov Dynasty Portrait Gallery, this large corridor connects the private apartments wing to the state apartments of the Great Enfilade, stretching behind the Neva Enfilade state rooms. In the wall we can find portraits of all member of the dynasty. As we make our way through the gallery, if you look to your right…
…we find the Imperial Winter garden. Right in the center of the palace and overlooking the interior courtyard, it was created in order to showcase a grand collection of exotic plants. Her Imperial Majesty loves to spend the long winter in this room, using it as a afternoon tea drawing room.
Continuing our visit, in the end of the gallery we find the…
… Fields-Marshals Hall, this great hall is the first of the Great Enfilade. This set of room runs perpendicular to the Neva Enfilade, connecting the grand staircase with the Great Church of the palace (unfortunately still under construction).
The hall also connects the state rooms to the Ministry of the Court apartments, offices and the small Hermitage building.
In religious festivals and important court occasions, members of the Imperial Family process ceremonially from the private apartments, through the Neva Enfilade and the Great Enfilade state rooms to arrive at the Great Church or the Large Throne room.
As we continue the tour of this grand Hall we pass through the central door, framed by an enormous portico paired by columns, to enter the…
… Small Throne room of the Imperial palace. It is in this richly ornamented room where His Imperial Majesty receives foreign ambassadors credentials and where guests great the Imperial Family when grand state occasions are held in this enfilade.
The throne in this room was created for the Tsarina in the XVIII century. It is usually used in the Large Throne room for state occasions. Today this throne is here replacing the grand imperial throne that is being restored.
Next to this room we will find the…
… Armorial Hall. This grand hall completely decorated with gold is one of the biggest in this enfilade.
Once the place of the large throne room and where grand balls and state occasions where held, when the palace was enlarged it lost its role and as a new Large Throne room (the St. George hall) was created.
According to the complicated court etiquette, this hall situated perpendicular to the new Throne room, became a Fore-Hall. Today it is still the place where the guests wait before entering the Large throne room in formal occasions. As we continue our visit we enter the…
… War Gallery of 1812. This large gallery is placed between the Armorial Hall and the Large Throne room and was build by converting a set of small rooms to celebrate the victory against Willow Creek Kingdom in 1812…
… in the walls we find a collection of 300 paintings depicting all the generals and important people that helped in the winning of such war. By passing this grand gallery we enter…
… the Large Throne room or the St. George hall. This grand and majestic room was created during the palace enlargement to be the grandest and most important hall in the entire palace. Is in this room where the Imperial family host grand balls, state banquets and other important cerimonies.
In the center of this majestic room decorated with gold, marble and exotic woods, right in the opposite side to the main entrance, we find the Imperial Throne of Windenburg and San Myshuno Simpire. A master piece of the baroque period craftsmanship siting under a grand baldacchino In imperial style with the imperial coat of arms embroiled in gold. If we continue through the doors behind the throne e find the…
…Apolo room. This green marble room that serves as both an anteroom and as a connection between the oldest part of the palace and the new wings of the extension. If you wish to follow me, returning to the Throne room …
… and back to the armorial Hall, we will continue our visit into the …
…Picket room. It is in this white room where the imperial guard would stand to protect the Imperial Family.
It is still in this room, decorated with military themed high reliefs, that the imperial guard waits to receive the Tsar and the Imperial Family. This room connects both the The Alexander Hall from one side, we will visit the hall in a minute, and on the other side the...
...Large church anteroom. This small room lavishly decorated in white and gold connects the Picket room and the War Gallery to the Imperial Palace Great Church, the Cathedral of the Vernicle.
Lets continue our tour and enter the...
...The Imperial Palace Great Church, the Cathedral of the Vernicle. This elaborated and very decorated Church is the main setting for religious celebration of the imperial family.
Throughout the centuries it has been the place for imperial weddings, christening and the last moments of a diseased member of the imperial family.
Lets now return back to the Picket room and follow to the last room of our tour were we find…
… The Alexander Hall. This room was created to commemorate the reign of Tsar Alexander I...
...decorated in an unusual Gothicised version of classicism, it was also made to commemorate Simpire’s victory over the Willow Creek Kingdom. This room, for its significance, is commonly used for smaller events and banquets.
Hope you enjoyed this tour through the state rooms of the Sims Petersburg Imperial Palace remake. Next in the making will be HIM Tsar Nicholas private apartments.
Hope you enjoyed our tour!! (now I’ll still have to finish the private apartments of the Tsar, Dowager tsarina and Tsesarevich for a future posts 😅)
