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The Oval Anteroom can be reached from the Passageway to the Blue Drawing Room. This room was designed by the architect Vasily Stasov in 1817. Throughout its history, this room never changed its name: the Oval Room, the Front Room, the Oval Room with the iron staircase. All of these names point to the room's use as an official room. The Oval Room was the first chamber in the suite of Emperor Alexander I and linked this suite with the rooms of the palace's formal enfilade, which was created at the end of the 18th century by the architect Charles Cameron and were occupied in the early 19th century by the wife of Alexander I, Elizabeth Alexejevna. This small Oval Room has no windows, and its walls are almost completely occupied by four doors, two of which are mirrored. One of the mirrored doors leads to a wrought iron spiral staircase connecting the former suite of the Emperor with a room on the third floor occupied by Alexander I's personal chamberlain.

The Oval Room is decorated very simply. The walls are covered in imitation marble of a warm pale-yellow tone, the ceiling is covered in ornamental painting in the grisaille technique, the inlaid floor pattern consists of various types of precious wood, and is a collection of copies. In 1820, most of the Catherine Palace was damaged by fire, including the Oval Room. The room was restored to its original state in 1821 - 1822. The imitation marble work was performed by master P. Blokhin, the painting by artist F. D. Brandukov. The room's furnishings consisted of two small chairs by the Petersburg furniture maker Heinrich Gambs, and the room was illuminated by four gilded bronze wall sconces. During World War II, the interior suffered greatly. The furniture was destroyed (with the exception of one chair that was evacuated), the lighting fixtures and inlaid floor were destroyed, and the marble seriously damaged. The room was restored in 1974. The chairs were recreated according to the surviving piece, new sconces were made, the inlaid floor recreated, and the paintings and imitation marble redone.