Minor Chapel of the Winter Palace

The Chapel of the Presentation in the Temple was located in Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli’s Winter Palace (1754–62). Consecrated in January 1768, the interior was badly damaged in the fire (1837). Vasily Stasov restored the chapel to its former state with the help of surviving icons. The two-tier iconostasis was carved by Vasily Bobkov and the icons were painted by Timoleon Carl von Neff. The gilt ornamentation was by Ivan Dymov and the decor was sculpted by Joseph Hermann. The chapel was reconsecrated on 1 February 1839 and used right up until the revolution as a private place of worship for the imperial family and members of the court. It now hosts temporary exhibitions of art from the Hermitage collection.