The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg - in the past the main Imperial Palace of Russia, located at Palace Square, 2 / Dvortsovaya Embankment, 38. The current building of the palace (the fifth) was built in 1757-1762 by the Italian architect BF Rastrelli in a lush style Elizabethan baroque with elements of French rococo in interiors. Since the Soviet era, the main exposition of the State Hermitage has been housed in the palace.

Since the end of construction in 1762 to 1904 was used as the official winter residence of Russian emperors. In 1904, Nicholas II moved his permanent residence to the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoe Selo. From October 1915 until November 1917, a hospital named after Tsarevich Alexei Nikolayevich was working in the palace. From July to November 1917, the Provisional Government was located in the palace. In January 1920, the State Museum of the Revolution was opened in the palace, dividing the building from the State Hermitage up to 1941.

The Winter Palace and the Palace Square form the most beautiful architectural ensemble of the modern city and are one of the main objects of domestic and international tourism