Opulence! That is the best superlative to describe the Golden Drawing Room in the Winter Palace, now included in the Hermitage Museum. This was part of the living quarters of Maria Alexandrovna, the wife (consort) of Emperor Alexander II. The vaulted ceiling, etched walls, pilasters and chandeliers all glisten with gold. The Byzantine design was created by Alexander Brullov. He was a key architect on the team who restored the Winter Palace after the 1837 fire.