BLUE SALON

The Blue Salon joins the Oval Salon to the Empress's study. Its doors are built of mahogany and it has a lovely chimney with mirror and a spectacular ceiling painted by Scotti. The chimney adornment, the bronzes, the vases and jardinieres filled with flowers and plants have give this salon the feeling of relaxed, elegant comfort, which was greatly sought after by aristocratic St. Petersburg households at the start of the 19th century. Over time, this salon underwent many changes which altered its appearance. In 1909, when all of these photographs were taken, the furniture and the gaudy blue floral wall hangings - which are of the Second Empire style - had been added during the reign of Alexander III. They clash with the original decoration of the room and the overall effect was disturbing to purists who preferred the more artistic styles of an earlier age over the middle class tastes of the last Tsars.



tour the palace | visiting the palace | other st. petersburg palaces | about this website