How much did the Amber Room cost?

Probably every educated person knows or has heard about the Amber Room. You may have no idea where it is, but you have definitely heard about its beauty and value. I remember back in school, during history class, we were told about Tsarskoe Selo, including the Amber Room. They talked about her uniqueness, incredible beauty and much more. But imagining from stories is one thing, seeing with your eyes is something else entirely. It is a pity that the original was lost during the Great Patriotic War. But, in my humble opinion, the “modern remake” is in no way inferior to its original. Amber craftsmen and restorers seriously tried to convey the appearance of the room as it was before. My first visit to the Catherine Palace was the most exciting. As soon as I entered the Amber Room, I was overcome by the feeling that it was burning, but not with a bright flame, but smoldering with coal! This impression is made by the combination of the shine of amber, mirrors and sunlight. The walls play with all sorts of shades: from light yellow to dark, lemon and honey. Such rich colors, I think, are not found anywhere else in such volume and combination. Moreover, the eye clearly separates the artificial, “dead” color of the gilded carvings of the interior and the natural living color of the stone. What struck me most was how unusual and beautiful amber looks in such huge quantities. I had seen works made of amber before, but these were boxes, inserts as jewelry, small figurines or jewelry. The very history of the creation of the Amber Room and its subsequent fate is unusual and very interesting. The mystery of the disappearance is covered in a veil of mystery, which cannot be solved even today.

A bit of history

In the 18th century, Prussia was considered the European center for the extraction and finishing of amber. The best amber craftsmen lived and worked here. The Prussian king Frederick I, having ascended the throne, gave the order to build residences for himself and his wife Queen Sophia-Charlotte. The interior design was entrusted to the court architect Johann Eosander. The best amber and ivory carvers worked under his leadership. Amber panels were to decorate the office of the queen’s residence in Litzenburg (later renamed Charlottenburg). But after her death in 1709, it was decided to install the panel in Oranienburg. It was planned that the palace would have a whole amber gallery. Frederick I strived so hard to be the best in everything that sometimes it cost a pretty penny for the country’s budget. He passionately wanted to outdo the French king Louis XIV (Sun King, Louis the Great). After all, before this, amber was used only to decorate expensive gifts for royals and close associates. It was used to make figurines, caskets, and decorative elements for furniture. Amber is a soft material in its structure. It is ideal for making small decorations, but not for architectural decoration of premises. In addition, amber was expensive at that time and was worth its weight in silver. In 1713, Frederick I died. His idea of ​​creating an amber gallery was never completed. The king’s son, Frederick William I, was less wasteful than his father. He immediately calculated how much it would cost the treasury to complete the design of the amber gallery, and abandoned this idea. The existing panels were installed in one of the offices of the new king. Even during the reign of his father, Russian Tsar Peter I came to Prussia on a visit. He was impressed by the beauty of the amber panels and said that he would like to have them himself. King William I, remembering this, presented the panel to Peter I as a sign of friendship during his visit in 1716. The Russian Tsar was incredibly happy. In response, he sent the Prussian king 55 excellent, best grenadiers and an ivory cup. In 1717, amber panels arrived in Russia. But Peter the Great was not destined to admire their beauty. He died before he could do it. But his daughter, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, found a use for the panel. She ordered them to decorate the office in her residence – the Third Winter Palace. Later in 1755, by order of the Empress, the amber cabinet was transported to Tsarskoye Selo, to her new country residence. The room was much larger than before. Architect F.B. Rastrelli faced the difficult task of decorating his new office. He used the same trick as in the Winter Palace. It was decided to decorate the lower tier, where amber panels were missing, with mosaic images made on canvas. As before, mirror pilasters were built between the panels. The picture was complemented by carved gilded jewelry and candles. Later, already under Catherine II, the canvases were replaced with amber mosaics. Amber craftsmen from Prussia were hired to maintain the cabinet. Their job was to monitor the safety of the room’s interior, carry out minor repairs and restoration. In 1770, the decoration of the room was completed. The magnificent interior of the room amazed all the guests staying at the Catherine Palace.

Interior of the Amber Room

The room is decorated with amber decoration on three walls. The fourth wall is made up of huge windows. The panels are arranged in three tiers. The middle or central tier consists of 8 panels. They depict allegories using the Florentine mosaic technique: Hearing, Sight, Taste, Touch, Smell. This entire amber space is covered with gilded carved decorations and mirror pilasters. In the corner of the room there is a small table on one elegant leg, attached to the wall. Also in the office there is a stacked chest of drawers made by Russian craftsmen.

The Disappearance and Search for the Amber Room

When the German authorities were planning an attack on Europe and Russia, they organized a special group of Kunstkomission to seize art objects. Its task was to confiscate and deliver to Germany everything that, in the opinion of the fascist authorities, was of value. During the Great Patriotic War, much was removed from Tsarskoye Selo even before the arrival of German troops. But it was decided not to evacuate the Amber Room. The amber panels are so fragile and massive that it was not possible to dismantle them without destruction. The walls were carefully protected from shelling with wooden shields. After the Germans occupied Tsarskoe Selo, they removed all the panels and took them to Konigsberg. According to the inventory book of the Koenigsberg Museum, the room was installed there. But after the city was captured by Allied forces, the room was never found. Since then they have been looking for her for many years. There was no result. The official search for the room was stopped long ago, but enthusiasts do not lose hope today. In 1979, by decree of the USSR Government, it was decided to recreate the Amber Room in Tsarskoe Selo. Work began in 1983. The project was led by architect A. A. Kedrinsky. In 2003, the room was ready for the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg.

When is the best time to visit the Amber Room?

St. Petersburg welcomes guests all year round. It is traditionally believed that its famous suburbs are best visited in the summer. Winter in the city on the Neva can be quite cloudy, warm and wet. Frosts infrequently and for a short time pamper city residents. A maximum of a week or two of severe frosts, and that’s where winter ends. This is for the best, since due to the high humidity the frost here is felt like nowhere else, probably. And, of course, stormy winds! They happen so often that you no longer always pay attention to thoughtful SMS messages from the Ministry of Emergency Situations with warnings. As a rule, little snow falls. In general, to admire the winter views of Tsarskoye Selo, you need to guess the weather. If you manage to catch some sunny winter days, you won’t regret visiting! Enjoy the view of the Catherine Palace, wrapped in a white blanket. You can take a leisurely stroll through the park on foot. Friendly squirrels will definitely come over and wait for you to treat them with something tasty. All tourists love them, no one remains indifferent. You can ride a horse-drawn sleigh, just as empresses rode around their residence in the 18th century. Another important advantage when visiting the Catherine Palace in winter is that the queues for excursions are much shorter. In a day you can visit many more places than if it were in the summer. In summer, Tsarskoe Selo welcomes its guests with beautiful views of parks and the Big Lake. Dense green alleys, ponds and canals, many plants and all kinds of flowers will not leave you indifferent, as will the museums. As for me, in my last review I said that the best time to travel to Tsarskoe Selo is early autumn. The air is so warm, the leaves on the trees have not yet fallen, but have changed color. The park is simply buried in all sorts of shades of red, yellow and green. There are not so many tourists in autumn, because the time for summer holidays and holidays has ended. There are no huge queues, nothing prevents you from calmly and thoughtfully wandering through the halls of the palace, admiring the views, and examining the details.

Getting there

The State Museum-Reserve Tsarskoe Selo is located at the address: St. Petersburg, Pushkin, st. Sadovaya, 7. You can get to the place in the following ways:

• By electric train from Vitebsky station you get to the Tsarskoye Selo station in the city of Pushkin. The ticket costs about 40 rubles and the travel time is about 30 minutes. From the station to the museum you can take minibuses No. 371, 377, 382, ​​buses No. 371, 382. You can walk to the museum.
• By minibuses No. 286, 287, 342, 347, 545. They depart from the Moskovskaya metro station. The stop is located behind the House of Soviets. The fare is about 40 rubles. Travel time is approximately 30-40 minutes if there are no traffic jams. They go straight to the museum.
• By minibus No. 545, 286, 287, 347, bus No. 186 from the Kupchino metro station. Travel time is less than an hour. They also go to the museum.

Helpful information

Mode

The Catherine Palace in Tsarskoe Selo can be visited any day except Tuesday and the last Monday of the month.

Museum opening hours: 10:00–18:00 (entrance to the museum is open until 16:45).

The sightseeing tour of the palace includes a visit to the Amber Room.

Cost of tickets to the palace

Ticket price for adult visitors is 400 rubles.

Pensioners of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus – 200 rubles.