Restoration of the copper crown on the pediment of the central projection of the Winter Palace façade

After the October revolution of 1917, all imperial symbols were removed from the facades of the buildings in the Hermitage complex, including the copper crown that was on the central pediment of the Winter Palace. The crown was a dominant element in sculptural decoration of the parapets of the Winter Palace and played a special role in the way the facade of the building on the side of Palace Square was perceived.

Initially, in the 18th century, the crown was made from Pudozh (Karelian) limestone, like all the statues and decorative vases (architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, sculptors Johann Dunker and Joseph Bauchmen, master workman V. Chvanov). In 1893, due to the critical condition of the limestone, the decision was taken to replace the parapet stone sculptures and the crown with pieces made from copper shaped in the repousse technique. The work was directed by Professor of the Petersburg Academy of Arts M.V. Popov. Preparation and installation of the sculpture was done by masters of the Moran Arts Factory.

In the post-revolutionary period, the crown was disassembled and lost, and the sculptural decoration of the pediment of the main projection of the Winter Palace remained disfigured. In the Department of History and Restoration of Architectural Monuments (Valery Lukin, director), a plan was drawn up for restoring the missing decorative elements of the palace’s central projection. Due to the absence of historic design documents, pre-revolutionary photographs were used as the basic source material. The still preserved pedestal and copper pillow on which the crown rested played an important role in preparation of the design for the new project.

A 1:10 scale model of the crown made from soft material was prepared to serve as the basis for the project. After documentary approval by the Committee for Preservation of the Monuments of St Petersburg, graphic full-sized patterns were made, and then the crown was reproduced in plasticine. After that it was made in plaster which served to create zinc moulds. At the next stage, work was done to prepare the metal frame and shape the crown from rolled copper in the repousse technique. The work was carried out under the direction of the author of the project, Deputy Chief Architect of the State Hermitage Vladimir Yefimov, by master artisans from the Art Expert restoration company. In June 2005, the crown was installed on the pediment of the main projection of the Winter Palace facade. The state entrance to the palace complex thus reacquired the festive appearance that it had in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries.

Sketch of restoration of the crown on the pediment of the central projecting bay of the Winter Palace (southern façade)
Larger view

Pediment of the central projecting bay of the Winter Palace (southern façade)
Larger view