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Book Review of St. Petersburg : The Hidden Interiors

St. Petersburg : The Hidden Interiors
reviewed on + 18 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


This full color book by a descendant of the wealthy Galitzine family raised in England and now residing in St. Petersburg, is full of excellent photos of former palaces and mansions of tsarist Russian royalty and nobles. One can see whether these buildings have been preserved as museums or now house universities, libraries, institutions, or government offices, and to a great extent, the state they are in.

A map of St. Petersburg at the beginning of the book shows the locations of all the buildings discussed, and includes a short list of those farther afield than the ones on the map.

It was particularly interesting to see the palaces of the Yusupovs, Galitzines, and so on. It adds to my knowledge of these buildings and the sort of lives pre-Revolutionary nobles and royals lived. It was also interesting to see the furniture and how the rooms were decorated, especially those of Lenin and other revolutionaries.

An excellent book of you are interested in Russian living from pre-revolutionary times.