You are immediately impressed as you walk up The Main Staircase at Catherine Palace. The white marble steps and balustrades are accented with vases plus intricate ornamentation and molding. In the corners of this upper landing are two cupids: one is sleeping and the other is awakening. The State Staircase was not part of the original 18th century palace. It was commissioned in 1860 by Empress Maria Alexandrovna, the first wife of Emperor Alexander II. The work was completed in 1863 by architect Ippolito Monighetti.
