Built in 1717 at the behest of Catherine I, the palace that bears her name was originally built as a luxurious summer residence.
But by 1752 the building no longer met the demanding standards of the St. Petersburg nobility and the residence was demolished at the request of Elizabeth, Catherine’s daughter and was rebuilt in the Rococo style. The palace was already known in the eighteenth century for the incredible richness of its decorations, where 100 kg of gold were used to decorate the stucco and friezes of the 320 meter long facade. IBIX technologies were used during an important restoration work to remove tenacious deposits on the monumental facade.