Zubov Wing of the Catherine Palace: A Symphony of Revival

On 6 August 2026, the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum and Heritage Site hosted a special event titled “Zubov Wing of the Catherine Palace: A Symphony of Revival.” The organisers were the Worldwide St. Petersburg Club, the Organising Committee of the International Golden Trezzini Awards, and the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum and Heritage Site.

Guests gathered on Triangular Square in front of the entrance to the Catherine Park and proceeded on a guided tour of the Zubov Wing — the private apartments of Empress Catherine II. It was here that a multi-year restoration project has recently been completed, returning the interiors to their appearance of the second half of the 18th century.

Particular admiration was aroused by the Chinese Hall — the largest of the Empress’s private rooms. Its original decoration, including unique lacquer panels, was completely lost during the Great Patriotic War. As part of the project “Catherine II. Private Space” (supported by PJSC Gazprom), the walls of the hall have once again been adorned with 155 lacquer panels with a total painted area of nearly 170 square metres.

The highly complex task of recreating the panels using traditional Chinese techniques was carried out by craftsmen of the Beijing art company Xinxingshi (“Dancing Lion”). The work took approximately 700 days. The panels were executed in the kuancai technique (carved polychrome lacquer with mineral pigments) and the miaojin technique (gold lacquer on black lacquer). In January 2026 they arrived in Tsarskoye Selo, after which specialists of the Tsarskoye Selo Amber Workshop carried out their installation. The reconstruction was based on surviving analogues from the Chinese Theatre at Tsarskoye Selo, a 12-panel screen of the 17th century from the collection of the State Hermitage Museum, historical watercolours and pre-war photographs.

Guests admired the multi-tier composition with delight: the upper and lower tiers feature panels in the miaojin technique, and the middle tier — Coromandel kuancai panels. The revived hall creates the impression of a genuine marvel that unites Russian and Chinese artistic traditions.

After the tour, a symposium was held in the Stasov (Pre-Church) Hall of the Catherine Palace, moderated by Natalia Sidorkevich, Chair of the Board of the Worldwide St. Petersburg Club. Welcome addresses were delivered by Natalia Sidorkevich herself, Olga Taratynova, Director of the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum and Heritage Site, Luo Zhanhui, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in St. Petersburg, and Pavel Chernyakov, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the International Golden Trezzini Awards.

Olga Magomedova, Chief Specialist of the Technical Client Department of the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum and Heritage Site, spoke about the restoration of the Zubov Wing. She dwelt in detail on the progress of the works, the particularities of recreating the lost interiors, and the international cooperation that made it possible to bring one of the most refined halls of the palace back to life.

The programme concluded with a guided tour of the Catherine Park.

Guests unanimously spoke of a strong emotional impression and thanked the organisers for the opportunity to touch history.

The International Golden Trezzini Awards for Architecture and Design continues to accept entries. Submissions for the ninth season will be accepted until 15 September 2026 inclusive. Participation is free of charge; projects are welcomed from architects, restorers, designers and students from any country in the world. The winners will be announced on 20 November 2026 at a ceremony in the State Hermitage Museum.

The Worldwide St. Petersburg Club and the Organising Committee of the Golden Trezzini Awards express their deep gratitude to the staff of the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum and Heritage Site and personally to the Museum Director, Ms. Olga Taratynova, for jointly organising the event within the walls of the Catherine Palace and for the high standard of its organisation.

Photo: Elik Yafarov