St George Hall at the Hermitage
St George Hall, or the Great Throne Room, is the principal state hall of the Winter Palace and the heart of the Great Enfilade. It is Room 198: here the empire’s most solemn ceremonies took place — receptions, the presentation of ambassadors, the most important acts of state.
Architecture and decoration
The hall is striking for its severe, cool grandeur. Its decoration is built on a pairing of white Carrara marble and gilded bronze: rows of marble columns carry a balcony, while the ceiling and the parquet echo one another in an intricate symmetrical pattern. At the far end, on a dais, stands the throne dais, above which is a marble relief of St George slaying the dragon — the hall takes its name from him.
It is the largest state hall in the palace — around 800 square metres. Its inlaid parquet is made of sixteen kinds of wood and exactly mirrors the pattern of the moulded ceiling, so the floor seems to reflect the ceiling above. Two tiers of white marble columns give the room a severe, almost temple-like solemnity.
Quarenghi and Stasov
The first Great Throne Room was created in the late 18th century by the architect Giacomo Quarenghi. That interior perished in the fire of 1837, and the hall was rebuilt by Vasily Stasov, who gave it its present white-and-gold appearance. Restoring the state rooms after the fire was one of the largest restoration projects of its time — for more, see the Winter Palace.
Ceremonial role
St George Hall was the throne room of the Russian emperors. Here the monarch received congratulations and envoys, here the most important decisions were proclaimed, here the grandest receptions were held. On a dais beneath a canopy stood the imperial throne — the symbol of supreme power. Even today, empty, the hall keeps its air of state solemnity, and it is one of the essential stops on a tour of the palace.
Together with the neighbouring 1812 War Gallery and the Field Marshals’ Hall, St George Hall forms the ceremonial “axis” of the palace, along which solemn processions once moved.
After the revolution the hall, like the whole palace, became part of the museum; over the years it has also hosted major exhibitions. But even without throne and retinue it remains the most solemn room in the Winter Palace. Stasov’s white-marble decoration, which replaced the earlier finish, called for a vast amount of Carrara marble and many years of work — but it gave the hall the cool, ceremonial look we see today.
How to find it
Room 198 closes the Great Enfilade, reached through a sequence of state rooms — the Field Marshals’ Hall (193) and the 1812 War Gallery (197). Find your bearings with the floor plan; for a ready order see the one-day itinerary.
FAQ
Which room number is St George Hall? Room 198, on the first floor of the Winter Palace, at the end of the Great Enfilade.
Why is it called St George Hall? After the marble relief of St George above the throne dais.
Who built it? Originally Giacomo Quarenghi; after the 1837 fire it was rebuilt by Vasily Stasov.
How big is the hall? It is the largest state hall in the palace — about 800 m²; the parquet is made of sixteen kinds of wood.
This is an unofficial, informational website. The availability of rooms changes — confirm details on the official museum website.