The Original Amber Room
The Amber Room was a study room in the famous Catherine’s Palace. When Peter the Great, the Tsar who gifted the estates of the palace to his wife, Catherine, visited the palace of the King of Prussia, Frederick William, he was awed and impressed by amber panels in one of the rooms of the latter’s residence. In a gesture of goodwill, King Frederick had the amber laden panels extracted and sent to Peter the Great. The panels, measuring sixteen feet, were built using more than 100,000 exquisitely fitted amber pieces. The panels were installed in the study, which was then known as the Amber Room. The Amber Room, fitted with panels made of amber and other semi precious stones, was a Baroque style room.
The Marvel of the Amber Room
The Amber Room is known to have been a creation of breathtaking beauty and unique charm. As a result of its almost unmatched splendor, the Amber Room was often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World. The panels intricately laid with amber, other precious stones, mirror pieces and gold leaf exuded a magical glow across the room. The work on the amber panels began in the year 1701, and construction lasted until 1709. The project was a collaboration between craftsmen and artists from Russia and Germany. The design was conceived by Baroque sculptor Andreas Schlüter from Germany, while construction was undertaken under the guidance of the amber master craftsman Gottfried Wolfram, a Danish specialist.
The Amber Room Is Lost
During the Second World War, when the Nazi Army invaded Russia and reached Catherine’s Palace, they were naturally awestruck by the glory of the Amber Room. The army dismantled the amber panels and these were shipped back to Germany. After the World War ended the panels were never found and nobody has ever been able to trace them, though there is much speculation regarding their whereabouts. Only a fragment of the original room was found, a small frame of jasper and onyx. If the Amber Room existed in its entirety in today’s times, it is estimated that the worth of the room would be around $142 million.
Recreation of the Amber Room
In a bid to return the glory of the lost Amber Room back to Catherine’s Palace, artists in Russia undertook the project of reconstructing the room as per its original designs and layouts. Using ancient techniques, the artists began building new panels for the room in the early 1980s. The room was finished and opened to the public in the year 2003.