Museums: Wooden palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich opens in Moscow

The “Eighth wonder of the world” – a rebuild wooden palace of the Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye estate was opened in Moscow. Residence of the second Russian Tsar of the Romanov House, who was nicknamed “The quietest”, was erected in ’60s ’70s 17th c. but has not survived to present time. Today the palace has been restored on a new site in accordance with old drafts and images and houses the History Museum. The Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov, who attended the inauguration ceremony of the palace, stressed that it was an outstanding example of wooden architecture.

The palace in Kolomenskoye estate was an asymmetrical construction and included detached rooms, whose size and decoration applied to hierarchical traditions of patriarchal rules of family life. It consisted of a large number of buildings interconnected by passageways. The whole complex divided into two parts: the men’s, which consisted of tower-rooms of the Tsar and princes and a grand inner porch, and the women’s with tower-rooms of tsarina and princesses. There were 26 tower-rooms of different height – ranging from two-storey to four-storey buildings. The main living quarters were on the second floor. The palace numbered 270 rooms and 3000 windows.

Like in 18th c. the wooden palace in Kolomenskoye still amazes contemporaries. The palace is very decorative: facades are decorated with intricate cases, multi-colored carvings. Despite all the attempts to save the palace in 18th c. it palace was becoming dilapidated. The Empress Catherine II was eager to revive the past magnificence of the palace: following her instructions detailed plans and drafts of buildings were made, however in 1767 the wooden palace being in a decrepit state was dismantled.