The First Antechamber

Passing the staircase, begins the Fourth Suite series of apartments, which consist of the Silver Dining Room, the Great Hall and three Antechambers.

The Silver Dining Room has three windows, overlooking the square. Its walls are colored in lilac and are ornamented with silvered carving, modeling, and sconces. The painted ceiling represents "The family of Darius before Alexander of Macedonia", by Charles Balk. Two mirrors in silvered frames stand between the windows; the furniture is also silvered and covered with yellow silk stuff, in Louis XV style, as is also the whole ornamentation of the room. In the middle of it stands a silver group a present from the Cossacks of the gGuard, to the Emperor Alexander II, in commemoration of the 100 years jubilee of the regiment, celebrated in 1875. The clock is of silvered bronze in the shape of a portico: four figures of women, representing the 4 quarters of the world, decorate the sides, Minerva is sitting on the top, and below is a plated ornament, in the style of Boule, of French work of the 18th century by an unknown maker. Until 1861 this room was gilded, but later the gilding was ordered to be taken off, and the whole was red one in silver.

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The Great Hall

The door of the silver dining-room opens into the Great Hall or Gallery, as it is sometimes called in the fourriers' journal of the 18th century.

The hall is 67 arshins in length and 24 in breadth; each pier has a mirror, set in a rich modeled and carved gilt frame; innumerable gilt sconces increase the beauty of the decorations. The painted ceiling was originally the work of the "architect of the Imperial Academy of Sciences and professor of perspective", Joseph Valeriani in 1753. In 1857 it was replaced by a new painted ceiling, the work of two artists: Wunderlich and Francuoli. The former restored the ancient pattern round the central part, and the latter accomplished the centre, which was badly damaged at the time of the restoration. The furniture in the hall consists of wooden gilt arm-chairs, covered with white brocade; in one of the corners is a clock in a wooden case, made by Conrad Ehrbev in Berlin (Conrad Ehrbev a Berlin), a work of the 18th century. This hall, unique in its kind, was executed from Rastrelli's drawings in the reign of the Empress Yelizaveta, and from that time been maintained in the same condition. The carving is of Russian carvers, and the gilding by Leprince.

In this hall solemn dinners, big masquerades as well as "receptions" always took place. It seems, that no crowned head ever visits the Palace, without being invited to a solemn dinner in this hall. At the present time on reviews' days, dinners and luncheons are served here. The last reception was here in 1908, on the marriage of the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna with the Swedish Duke of Zudermanland.

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Three light doors lead from the Great State Hall into the First Antechamber.

This apartment is also double-lighted, and has 3 windows ,and 3 doors,, opening onto balconies, facing the square and the park; the walls are white with gilt carving and modeling in rococo style; between the doors, against both transversal walls, stand huge carved gilt, glass cupboards with precious Chinese and Japanese porcelain of the 16th and 17th centuries. The painted ceiling represents "The Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne" by father and son Gradizzi. The furniture is composed of gilt chairs, in Louis XV style, covered with white brocade; in the middle of the hall stands a silver group, miniature portraits of the Emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I, by Zichy a present from the Hussars of the guard, to the Emperor Alexander II in 1868.

In that room in 1765, expressly for the Imperial family was built a little theatre, in which for the first time on the 21th of April of the same year, the young court singers gave a performance of the French opera "Le Troqueur". From that time theatrical performances were given almost every week in this theatre, until a stone opera house was built in the upper garden. Here too, on the 9th of August 1772 a performance of "The Brigadier" by Fonvizin was given by the maids-of-honour and courtiers in the Imperial presence.

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Next to the First Antechamber comes the Second Antechamber, which in sometimes called the Cavaliers' Hall.

This is also a double-lighted hall, which, has 3 windows and a door, opening onto a balcony; its walls are ornamented in the same style, as those in the First Antechamber, and there are similar glass cupboards, containing old porcelain. Between the doors, against both walls, stand marble chimneys with mirrors above them. The painted ceiling, representing "Bacchus and Ariadne" is by Peresinotti and Valeriani. The furniture is similar to that of the first Antechamber. In the corner stands a clock, in a case of mahogany, with a carved and gilded ornament of the 18th century.

Since Catherine II removed to her new apartments, this room often served for small evening parties, concerts, and "private balls". In 1845 a theatre for "private theatricals" was arranged in this hall.

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The following room the Third Antechamber or Billiard Room is also a double-lighted hall, with eight windows (four on both facades of the palace), reaching to the floor; the walls are white, adorned with thirty gilded wooden columns. The style of the ornamentation is of the early epoch of Louis XVI; on the longitudinal walls are hanging big carved gilt sconces in the style of Louis XV; the light was augmented by candles, placed along the cornice in big glass candlesticks; against the transversal walls are two marble chimneys with mirrors. The painted ceiling, representing "Olympus" is the work of Ivan Belski in 1755. The mixed style in the decoration of this room is explained by the fact, that during the restoration of the left side of the palace by Cameron, when the Fourth and Fifth Antechambers were demolished, the Third Antechamber suffered considerably, and was renewed in the modern style. Here in the time of the Empress Catherine II stood a billiard-table, on which she sometimes played during the evenings a game of "A la guerre".