Legendary Amber Room at Tsarskoye Selo imperial residence in detail (PHOTOS)

Ruslan Shamukov/Tsarskoye Selo State Museum Preserve
The case truly is  a real-life detective story about how the precious decor from the imperial residence outside St. Petersburg disappeared without a trace during World War II. In 2003 the room was completely reconstructed.

The imperial country residence at Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg is breathtakingly beautiful and lavish. However, the palace concealed something even more valuable  - a cabinet, the so-called Amber Room. From floor to ceiling it was completely decorated with amber!

It is interesting that the room itself appeared even before the construction of the palace at Tsarskoye Selo: it was made by German masters, and the Prussian King Frederick I presented it to Peter the Great. Russian court architects and artists added to the already dazzling decor.

Two centuries later, during World War II, Hitler's soldiers occupied Tsarskoye Selo and seized the priceless room, along with other valuables from the palace, which had not been evacuated in time. The treasures disappeared without a trace, save for only a few fragments found, which were handed back to Russia in 2000.

Numerous investigations into the room's whereabouts led to nothing, with many believing that it most likely burned down altogether (more on that story here). But, by St. Petersburg’s 300-year anniversary in 2003, the room was reconstructed in every detail. Just look at all the beauty!

READ MORE: Where to find the Amber Room, stolen by the Nazis

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