Global Treasures KATHARINA's PALACE St. Petersburg, Russia

Global Treasures KATHARINA's PALACE St. Petersburg, Russia

South of St. Petersburg, in today's Puschkin, is the splendid Catherine's Palace, built by the Russian tsars for the tsarinas, Elizabeth and Catherine.

Magnificent frescos and decorative inlays offer but a small hint of the seemingly boundless wealth of the Russian tsars, a fuller indication of their extravagance unfolding with the appearance of generously-gilded interiors, extravagant art collections and the boldness of Baroque architecture manifesting itself in wide staircases and intriguing courtyards.