Alexander Palace

Welcome to the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoye Selo. As you stand before the elegant, palladian columns of this grand structure, it is crucial to temper your expectations of imperial bombast. …

We begin our journey in the Corner Drawing Room, a space where the intimate family life of the Romanovs collided violently with the fate of the Russian Empire. Originally part of Quarenghi's grand enfilade, this room became the…

Step through the doorway and cross the threshold into a brilliant expression of Russian Art Nouveau: The Maple Drawing Room. This space marked the beginning of Empress Alexandra’s deeply private apartments. …

We now enter the Palisander Drawing Room, named for the rich, dark rosewood that dominates its panels, cornices, and furniture. The upper walls are draped in pale yellow silk, providing a warm, contrasting glow. …

Moving deeper into the private wing, we arrive at the Lilac Study, arguably the Empress’s most cherished room. The walls are covered in silk of a delicate lilac hue, bordered by a frieze of painted irises. …

A startling departure from the cozy English aesthetics of the drawing rooms is the Moorish Bathroom, constructed during the grand renovations of 1896. Nicholas II commanded the installation of a massive swimming pool holding…

The final night the Romanov family spent in this palace was in August 1917. They waited in the Semicircular Hall, looking out the windows at the moonlit park and the rooftops of the idealized, faux-medieval Feodorovsky village…

As you exit the Alexander Palace, take a moment to look back at its pale, classical facade. You have just walked through the spatial epicenter of one of the twentieth century's greatest tragedies. …