The Inauguration of the St George Hall after the Reconstruction of the Throne Dais

The St George Hall also known as the Large Throne Room was constructed from the design of Giacomo Quarenghi in 1790s but in the course of two centuries it was reconstructed a number of times. The original decor was destroyed by fire in 1837. When restoring the hall Vasily Stasov followed the general architectural plan of his predecessor but introduced new character to the interior. Colour marbles were replaced with white Carrara marble, the ceiling painting was changed to the cofferings with gilt bronze control-rods and ornamens. The Throne place was newly made and represented a podium with some steps and a throne standing under the gilded canopy against the background of the Russian National Emblem. The crimson velvet of the canopy with heraldic and ornamental compositions embroidered with gold thread in combination with the white marble walls produced a magnificent effect. The Throne dais was preserved without alterations until 1917 when the symbols of the Russian Empire were taken off. Later in 1930s the Throne dais was completely dismantled.

After the Great Patriotic War the huge map of the Soviet Union made of semiprecious stones for the world exhibition in Paris in 1937 was displayed in the St George Hall of the State Hermitage Museum on the same spot as the throne in former times. During the restoration work of 1980s the map of the USSR was dismantled and transferred to the possession of the St Petersburg Mining Institute Museum.

The technical documents for the reconstruction of the throne dais required iconographic materials, documents from archives and authentic fragments of the embroidered items to be collected. A lot of the required materials were lost. However the principal elements of the Throne dais including the National Emblem - the double-headed eagle, the throne imitating the throne of Anna Ioannovna,the ornamental compositions embroidered with gold thread, the palmettes, the fringe, the gold lace and the tassels - were preserved. This made the reconstruction of the Throne dais in compliance with its historical look possible.

Restoration work started in 1997 from the design of the architect V.Yefimov. The scientific and restoration laboratories of the State Hermitage Museum conducted the reconstruction of the preserved and recreation of the lost heraldic and ornamental compositions. Architectural entablature, crowns and vases were carved of the lime-wood, the carvings were covered with gold leaf, the canopy and the dais were upholstered with natural velvet. The St George Hall (the Large Throne Room) today regained its historical appearance.