.Above: A bust of Rastrelli in front of the Catherine Palace.
Above: Catherine Palace as it looked prior to WWII.
The Catherine Palace had suffered damage from two major fires, in 1820 and 1863, and was subsequently restored. But the most devastating damage from fire occurred at the end of WWII when, as the Germans were retreating, the palace was burned almost to the ground. Fortunately, a lot of the artwork and décor was saved by dedicated curators, but much still perished.
Below: German missiles were found in the cellar of the Catherine Palace in 1944:
Above: The Grand Hall as it was found in 1944.
Below are some archival photos taken during the post WWII restoration of the Catherine Palace.
Below: the Catherine Palace today.
Below: The Grand Hall today.
Above: The Amber Room - probably the best-known recently reconstructed room at the Catherine Palace.
To learn more about the Amber Room reconstruction, visit the Amber Room Workshop.
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Next: The Amber Workshop
