The Malachite Room at the Hermitage
The Malachite Room is one of the most sumptuous interiors of the Winter Palace and a rare example of a state room built entirely around a single stone — malachite. It is Room 189 on the first floor.
Malachite and the “Russian mosaic”
The room’s chief glory is the deep-green Ural malachite that faces its columns, pilasters and fireplaces. Single blocks of that size do not exist in nature, so the craftsmen used the technique of the “Russian mosaic”: thin plates of stone were matched by pattern and glued to a base so that the veining runs unbroken and a column appears carved from a single mass. Combined with gilded bronze, a white ceiling and a parquet floor, the green stone creates an impression of fairy-tale luxury.
The decoration consumed a vast amount of stone — several tonnes of Ural malachite from the famous Demidov mines near Nizhny Tagil. In that era malachite was prized like a semi-precious stone, and a whole state room “dressed” in it was a display of the wealth of the Urals and the empire. Besides the columns and fireplaces, vases and tabletops of malachite complete the ensemble.
The empress’s drawing room
The room served as the state drawing room of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas I — a place where the family and court gathered between official ceremonies. The decoration was carried out by the architect Alexander Bryullov after the fire of 1837, when the palace’s earlier interiors were lost. It was Bryullov who proposed to “clothe” the room in malachite — a bold and, for its time, innovative choice.
A place in history
It was in the Malachite Room and the adjoining chambers that the Provisional Government met in 1917 — and in the neighbouring Small Dining Room its ministers were arrested on the night of 25–26 October. So the elegant drawing room became a witness to great history too — before the Winter Palace passed to the new authorities and then to the museum.
Today the Malachite Room is one of the most photographed rooms in the palace: the rich green stone set against gold looks almost theatrical. Nearby are other state interiors — the Jordan Staircase and the halls of the Great Enfilade.
What to look for
- The columns and pilasters — look at the pattern of the malachite: the plates are matched so the veining flows from one element to the next, as if carved from a single piece.
- Green and gold together — the rich malachite, gilded bronze and white ceiling give the “precious” effect the room was made for.
- Malachite vases and tabletops — separate objects, also of Ural stone.
The Malachite Room is small but dense in impression: it is worth pausing a couple of minutes to study the detail rather than walking straight through.
How to find it
Room 189 sits in the enfilade of state rooms on the first floor, not far from the Jordan Staircase. It fits easily into the one-day itinerary; find your bearings with the floor plan.
FAQ
Which room number is the Malachite Room? Room 189, on the first floor of the Winter Palace.
What is the “Russian mosaic”? A facing technique in which thin plates of malachite are matched by pattern to look like a single solid stone.
Who designed the room? The architect Alexander Bryullov — after the 1837 fire, for Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.
Where was the malachite from? From the Ural (Demidov) mines; several tonnes of stone went into the room.
This is an unofficial, informational website. The availability of rooms changes — confirm details on the official museum website.