Palace Square
Palace Square (Dvortsovaia Ploshchad’, St. Petersburg)
the Palace Square is the central square of St. Petersburg and is one of the most famous squares in the world. It is located next to the Hermitage Museum and just a few meters away from Nevsky Prospect, the main avenue of the city. The Palace Square took its current shape in the days of Alexander I who wanted to make it a monument to the Russian victory over Napoleon.
The most famous building on the Palace Square is the Winter Palace. Built in 1764, this baroque-style palace has white-and-azure facades and is decorated with statues positioned along the upper perimeter of the building. An ornate gate opens into an inner yard of the Winter Palace where guests of the royal family would arrive in their carriages in olden days. Since its creation, the Winter Palace has served as the official royal residence of Russian monarchs. Following the 1917 Revolution, the Provisional Government of Kerensky was seated there. Nowadays, the Winter Palace is a part of the Hermitage Museum.