Oranienbaum State Museum

Lomonosov, Russia
1711--1774
Catherine the Great commissioned the great Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi to build a rococo-style, Chinese-inspired palace to serve her as a private retreat from court duties. The Chinese Palace is considered Rinaldi's finest creation and is among the most complete of all suburban imperial palaces. The original interiors have survived, including elaborately articulated parquet floors, extravagant chinoiserie decorations, ceiling plafonds, and the outstanding Bugle Work Room. But this monument to eighteenth-century Russian court architecture is in an increasingly fragile state. Without a heating system, the interiors are subject to widely fluctuating temperature and humidity extremes. A leaky roof has caused damage to interior and exterior walls. A poor drainage system from a lake on the property has led to severe water penetration in the rooms. A comprehensive restoration and repair program is urgently required, including the installation of a heating and climate-control system. While the Chinese Palace is a priority, the Great Menshikov Palace, Coasting Hill Pavilion, and Palace of Peter III--the other principal buildings of the ensemble--also urgently need attention.