Catherine Palace opens Zubov Wing rooms on 7 November

Catherine Palace in Pushkin has opened restored interiors in its Zubov Wing on 7 November 2026. The reopening follows five years of conservation work supported by Gazprom at the palace in Russia.

Catherine Palace opens restored Zubov Wing interiors

The State Museum-Reserve Tsarskoye Selo hosted the opening, with Gazprom Management Committee chairman Alexey Miller and museum director Olga Taratynova taking part. The 7 November opening report identifies the restored area as the interiors of the Zubov Wing at Catherine Palace.

The wing contains the private chambers of Empress Catherine II. Eight halls were designed by Charles Cameron and Giacomo Quarenghi, while the wing itself was built at the end of the eighteenth century by architect Yuri Felten. The interiors were lost during the Second World War before the restoration programme began.

Five years of work reshape Catherine Palace access

The project used archival study and scientific research alongside sculpting, gilding, woodcarving, painting and casting. Two hundred specialists worked on the interiors, according to the opening report, linking the 7 November change directly to the palace rooms visitors encounter.

The Chinese Hall is the largest of Catherine II's private rooms in the Zubov Wing. The museum says its restoration was completed on 3 June 2026 after work that included 155 lacquer panels covering nearly 170 square metres. The museum restoration account records that the panels were made with traditional techniques and installed in 2026.

The connection between the November opening and the June completion is practical for visitors: the Chinese Hall provides a finished example of the wider Zubov Wing restoration, while the new opening presents the private-chamber interiors as part of the palace experience. The museum states that restoration of Catherine Palace has continued room by room for 80 years.

The Zubov Wing connects Catherine II to later restoration

The Zubov Wing is not a separate museum from the palace but one of its historic extensions. Its eighteenth-century rooms combine work by Felten, Cameron and Quarenghi, giving the reopened interiors a direct architectural connection with the wider palace ensemble.

The Chinese Hall also shows how reconstruction has depended on international specialist work. Its decorative scheme was recreated after wartime destruction, with Chinese lacquer panels and chandeliers forming part of the 2026 completion recorded by the museum.

Visiting Catherine Palace: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The restored Zubov Wing interiors opened at Catherine Palace in Pushkin on 7 November 2026.
• The change concerns access to the private chambers of Catherine II and the restored Chinese Hall within the palace complex.
• Catherine Palace and the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Reserve are at 7 Sadovaya Street in Pushkin, St Petersburg.
• Russian is the official language and the national currency is the rouble.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Catherine Palace

When did the Zubov Wing interiors open at Catherine Palace?

The restored interiors opened on 7 November 2026 during an event hosted by the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Reserve.

What was restored in the Zubov Wing?

The project restored the private chambers of Catherine II, including the Chinese Hall and eight historic interiors associated with the wing.

Where is Catherine Palace and how do you get there?

Catherine Palace is at 7 Sadovaya Street in Pushkin, part of the St Petersburg area of Russia.