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The Portrait Hall was created according to plans by the architect Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli in the 1750s. This formal apartment occupied almost 100 square meters of space. During World War II the hall's decor, which had survived for two centuries, was completely lost. Conservationists recreated not only the interior, but also partially recreated the hall's furnishings according to photographs. Currently the walls of the Portrait Hall are covered in white printed damask framed by carved gilded frames. The door panels are decorated with gilded carvings.The composition of the painted mural "Mercury and Glory" by the artist of the Venetian School G. B. Tiepolo has been placed in an oval. The walls of the room boast large formal portraits of Empress Catherine I by the 18th-century Russian artist I. Adolsky, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, by the 18th century German artist Heinrich Bucholtz, and also portraits of Natalya Alexeevna, sister of Emperor Peter I, and Empress Catherine II by an unknown master. The inlaid floors of the Portrait Hall contain precious woods. Rooms like this enhanced the magnificence of the ruler and impressed Russians as well as foreign ambassadors with the power and wealth of the Russian State.