Touring Catherine Palace is overwhelming. The flamboyance of every inch competes for your attention because the details are incredible. An example is this gilded wood carving of a cherub next to the double-headed eagle from Russia’s coat of arms. On top is a facsimile of the Imperial Crown of Russia, worn from 1762 until 1917. Now imagine everything you see in ruins. The Germans occupied the palace from 1941 until 1944. When they left, they destroyed what they could not plunder. In the 1980s, a painstaking restoration process began using old photographs as reference. The project has been expensive. For example, reconstructing the Amber Room cost over $12 million. Work on this palace and the nearby Alexander Palace continues.
