What Is the Amber Room?
The Amber Room is exactly as its name implies: a room made entirely of amber, that golden resin from the Baltic Sea that has been prized in the region for centuries. Panels, backed with gold and mirrors and covered with pieces of amber, form the walls and decoration of the space in which it was placed by Tsarina Elizabeth in the middle of the 18th century.Amber, by nature, varies in its hues, from pale, opaque yellow to rich, glowing rust tones. Amber catches the light and amplifies it as anyone who has owned a piece of amber jewelry knows. An entire room of amber basks the occupant in radiance, which is emphasized with the addition of decorative golden scrolls and a floor polished to a high shine.
The Amber Room was actually designed and created in Prussia. During a visit, Peter the Great expressed his appreciation for the room. Never one to shun luxury, Peter was no doubt attracted to the unusual lambency the use of this precious material lent the space. Friedrich Wilhelm I presented it to the Russian emperor as a gift and a Russian-Prussian alliance against Sweden was formed. All Russian tsars since that time enjoyed the gift whenever they visited Tsarskoe Selo.
The Amber Room's Reconstruction
Though the original Amber Room was lost, its importance to Russia was not forgotten. Reconstruction work on the room began in 1979. Painstaking years (25 to be exact—the Amber Room was completed in 2003) and millions of dollars later, the new Amber Room was completed. Visitors to St. Petersburg during the time of its restoration may have seen it in various states of the process and appreciated the attention to minute detail and the precision the craftsmen who worked on the room had to employ. Today, visitors marvel at the completed room's beauty and take away with them the special sense of awe that it has inspired in generations of travelers.The Amer Room Mystery
As with other great treasures of the world, the Amber Room's disappearance and whereabouts remain a mystery. After the German invasion, it was sent to what is now known as Kaliningrad, an East Prussian city that is now Russia's westernmost outpost.No one really knows what happensed to the Amber Room then. Two of the most likely and most disappointing theories imply that it may be lost for good. Some historians believe that heavy bombings from both Soviet and United Kingdom forces destroyed the room along with much of Kaliningrad. It seems to make sense that, if the Amber Room's panels were still in Kaliningrad, they would have turned up now that it is a part of Russian territory, though some say a hidden or lost bunker may still protect this treasure deep under ground. Other historians believe the panels were loaded upon a ship, which was then sunk, and the amber that comprised the room was returned to the Baltic Sea from which it was originally harvested.
Some treasure hunters, however, think the Amber Room may be waiting to be found by the right person. False reports of the Amber Room's discovery continue to surface every few years. Authentic pieces of the Amber Room have even shown up for sale, though it has been impossible to trace them back to a source that leads to the discovery of the entire room.
The Amber Room Today
Whether or not the original Amber Room is ever found, visitors to St. Petersburg can still bask in the glow of the reconstructed room and appreciate the significance of its loss. It's true that the Amber Room's probable destruction is tragic, but the dedication of those who participated in the reconstruction project to restoring this treasure to Russia provides a positive twist to the story. This popular attraction within the larger attraction of Catherine's Palace is so surrounded by legend that even those who never make the journey to Russia's one-time capital city can enjoy a part of it.The Amber Room will continue to inspire visitors to Tsarskoe Selo, tantalize those interested in royal treasures, and intrigue lovers of a good mystery.
