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| Jordan Staircase | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jordan Staircase |
| Location | Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russia |
| Coordinates | 59.9398°N 30.3146°E |
| Architect | Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli |
| Client | House of Romanov |
| Construction | 1750s |
| Style | Baroque |
| Material | Marble, gilt bronze, stucco |
| Height | Grand staircase height varies |
| Website | State Hermitage Museum |
Jordan Staircase The Jordan Staircase is a monumental ceremonial staircase located in the Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg, designed by Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli for the House of Romanov and later incorporated into the State Hermitage Museum. Renowned for its Baroque grandeur and imperial symbolism, the staircase has hosted dynastic events connected to the Russian Empire, diplomatic ceremonies with United Kingdom–Russia relations counterparts, and literary evocations by figures associated with Pushkin and Tolstoy. Its fabric and decoration reflect collaborations among architects, sculptors, and decorators who also worked on projects for Catherine the Great, Peter the Great, and other European monarchs.
The staircase originated during the mid-18th century reconstruction of the Winter Palace under the patronage of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and the architectural direction of Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, contemporaneous with the construction of the Catherine Palace and commissioning practices of the House of Romanov. It acquired the name used for imperial entries corresponding to the Feast of Epiphany processions tied to the Russian court and official receptions by the Emperor of Russia and visiting envoys from states such as France, Prussia, and Austria. The staircase survived major events including the Decembrist revolt, the Revolution of 1917, and wartime damage during the Siege of Leningrad, later becoming part of the public displays curated by the State Hermitage Museum after the abdication of Nicholas II.
The design emphasizes Baroque theatricality associated with Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli and echoes elements found in the Winter Palace facades and interior schemes resembling European palaces like the Palace of Versailles and Schonbrunn Palace. Structural features include a broad lower landing, paired flights, and a vaulted lightwell capped by a skylight, furnished with balustrades of carved marble and gilt bronze ornamentation supplied by workshops serving the Imperial Court. Spatial composition reflects influences from Italianate stair traditions and Russian imperial protocols used for ceremonial ascents by monarchs such as Catherine II and Alexander I. Decorative engineering incorporated innovations in load-bearing masonry and coordinated fittings from artisans linked to the Imperial Academy of Arts.
Sculptural and pictorial programs were conceived to amplify dynastic narrative and allegory similar to commissions for Catherine Palace interiors and commissions by Elizabeth Petrovna. Ceiling paintings, stucco reliefs, and allegorical statuary invoke themes present in works by Bartolomeo Carlo Rastrelli (sculptor) and contemporaries associated with the Imperial Academy. Portrayals of classical deities, martial trophies, and personifications of virtues mirror iconography used in state apartments frequented by figures like Grigory Potemkin and visiting dignitaries from Ottoman Empire and Holy Roman Empire delegations. Decorative materials include white and colored marbles comparable to materials used in Saint Isaac's Cathedral and gilt finishings akin to those in the Hermitage Theatre.
Conservation of the staircase has been overseen by specialists from the State Hermitage Museum and international conservation teams trained at institutions such as the Courtauld Institute of Art and the Getty Conservation Institute. Restoration campaigns addressed damage from fire, wear, and wartime impacts documented during the Siege of Leningrad, employing techniques informed by studies of Baroque surfaces from examples in Versailles and the Royal Palace of Madrid. Conservation priorities balanced structural stabilization, cleaning of polychrome surfaces, and reversible interventions consistent with charters promoted by organizations like ICOMOS and practices adopted by the Russian Academy of Arts. Periodic reports detail treatment of marble consolidation, gilt metalwork rehanging, and climate control integration to protect canvases attributed to pupils of the Imperial Academy of Arts.
The staircase functions as an emblem of imperial ritual and appears in narratives about the Russian Revolution, accounts by foreign envoys such as those from United Kingdom diplomatic circles, and literary references by authors in the orbit of the Silver Age of Russian Poetry. It has hosted state receptions, investiture ceremonies, and film shoots for productions about Nicholas II and dramatizations involving figures like Rasputin and Alexander Kerensky. Music and performance events tied to the Hermitage Festival and collaborations with ensembles from the Mariinsky Theatre utilize the staircase as a backdrop, while exhibitions curated by the State Hermitage Museum link its imagery to collections featuring works by Rembrandt, Titian, Rubens, Van Dyck, Goya, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Caravaggio, Botticelli, Vermeer, Tiepolo, Gainsborough, Constable, Canaletto, Poussin, Bernini, Rafael', El Greco, Dürer, Bruegel the Elder, Hals, Velázquez, Botticelli.
Access to the staircase is managed through the State Hermitage Museum ticketing and visitor services with guided tours led by museum curators and partnerships with travel organizations operating in Saint Petersburg such as state and private operators. Visitor information includes seasonal hours aligned with major events like the White Nights Festival and logistical details for group bookings, accessibility arrangements coordinated with municipal services, and photography policies enforced by museum regulations. Visitors often combine the staircase visit with tours of imperial apartments, the Hermitage collection galleries, and nearby landmarks including Palace Square, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, Peter and Paul Fortress, and Nevsky Prospect.
Category:Buildings and structures in Saint Petersburg Category:Baroque architecture in Russia