The Leonardo da Vinci Room
This room was designed in 1858, by the architect Andrei Stakenschneider.
It was one of the private rooms intended for guests of the Russian
court. Its design is based on the combination of light stucco
on the walls together with the rich gilt and coloured stones used
in the porphyritic and jasper columns and lapis lazuli inlays
in marble fireplaces. The decoration of doors using the Boulle
technique (inlay with tortoise-shell and copper) is particularly
noteworthy. The area above the doors displays six oval medallions
showing portraits of fieldmarshals. The walls are adorned with
pictorial panels by the 17the century Italian artist Padovanino
and the Russian artist Fyodor Bruni. The three plafonds were produced
by N. A. Maikov. Today two works by the great Leonardo are on
display in this room.
