OVAL SALON The Oval Salon is the most impressive hall in the palace. It is ornamented in molded and carved white plaster with 16 Ionic half columns. Atop the columns rests a lovely and crisply carved egg-and-dart band crowned with an alternating bracket and rosette cornice. This cornice is surmounted by an elliptical cupola of unusual and daring design; it is decorated with caryatids and reliefs of maidens embracing torcheres. At the center is a superb gilt bronze chandelier - made in the Schreiber factory of St. Petersburg, which was renowned at the time for its skill and artistry. Arched mirrors reflect interesting vistas of the room, making it seem larger and creating the illusion of long corridors opening off the room.

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