Palace Square, St. Petersburg (must see)

Palace Square is the principal ceremonial square of the former Russian imperial capital and one of the city’s most important architectural ensembles. Its present form developed gradually from the eighteenth century and was largely completed during the nineteenth century, when Carlo Rossi reshaped its southern side. The square takes its name from the Winter Palace, whose southern façade faces the open space.

The northern side is dominated by the Winter Palace, the Baroque imperial residence designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli and completed in 1762. Opposite it stands Carlo Rossi’s General Staff Building, constructed as part of the square’s reconstruction in 1819–1829. Its long curved façade is joined by a monumental triumphal arch crowned by the Chariot of Glory, created to commemorate Russia’s victory over Napoleon in the campaigns of 1812–1814. At the center rises the Alexander Column, designed by Auguste de Montferrand and unveiled on August 30, 1834 in honor of Emperor Alexander I and Russia’s victory over Napoleon. The shaft is made from a single piece of polished red granite and supports a bronze angel designed by sculptor Boris Orlovsky. The angel holds a cross, while the entire monument stands without mechanical fastenings, relying on its own weight for stability.

The square has also been the setting for major political events, including Bloody Sunday in 1905 and the revolutionary events of 1917, when Bolshevik forces surrounded and entered the Winter Palace during the October Revolution. Today, Palace Square continues to serve as a setting for public ceremonies, concerts, festivals, and other large gatherings, while both the Winter Palace and the eastern wing of the General Staff Building form important parts of the State Hermitage Museum.