Study of Alexander I
You have reach the Formal, or Marble Study of czar Alexander
I, created according to plans by the architect Vasily Stasov in
1817. This study was part of the private suite of czar Alexander
I. The room is decorated to combine austere finishing with effective
architectural solutions. This rectangular room has two windows
extending to floor level and looking out on the Catherine Park.
A deep half-round niche called an exedra, marked off from the
remaining space of the interior by two Ionic columns, served as
the entrance to the room. The wall opposite the entrance was decorated
in a similar way: using two Ionic half-columns on either side
of a marble fireplace. The walls of the study are smooth and without
decoration, faced with light pink imitation marble, which lent
the interior its second name, the Marble Study. The ornamental
painting executed in "bronze" oil paint is an important
element of the room's decor. This painting consists of a frieze
depicting antique trophies with cupid figures, and thematic compositions
based on the myth of Eros and Psyche.
When the room was decorated in 1817, the imitation marble was
created by the master Schennikov, the painting done by artist
F. Toricelli, the marble fireplace constructed by sculptor F.
Triscorni, and the inlaid floor and mahogany doors by master carpenter
A. S. Tarasov. The Persian wood furniture set was made according
to sketches by Vasily Stasov by the well-known Petersburg furniture
maker Franz Grosse. In 1820 the Catherine Palace was damaged by
fire, and the Study of czar Alexander I was not left untouched.
Restoration work was conducted in 1821 - 1822 under the direction
of the architect Vasily Stasov. The marble was restored by master
P. Blokhin, the artist F. Brandukov recreated the painting, and
the furniture was restored at the Heinrich Gambs workshops.
This interior was seriously damaged during World War II. The
marble and paintings suffered significant damage, the inlaid floor
was destroyed, and the furnishings almost completely lost. Restoration
work on this room was carried out between 1968 and 1974. As a
result of this work, the room now greets visitors in its original
state. The Formal Study of czar Alexander I was used for important
official audiences. The Study is typical for rooms decorated in
the Russian Empire style. The Formal Study is accented by a vase
produced by the Imperial Porcelain Factory in St. Petersburg and
decorated with a painting depicting the arrival of czar Alexander
I in Paris in 1814, and also a hearth clock of French make with
a statuette of Julius Caesar. The Emperor's desk contains a desk
set produced by the Peterhof lapidary factory from the first quarter
of the 19th century and made of Urals malachite mounted in gilded
bronze. The set consists of a number of pieces: a writing set,
lamp, paper presses, candelabra, decorative vases and a number
of other objects.
