Photograph of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. The building has three storeys and a small central pediment with three arched doorways below. The windows are interspersed with pilasters and there is a balustrade and a sequence of statues on the roof. In the foreground is the Neva River, with a boat moored in front of the palace to the left of the entrance. The Winter Palace was the official residence of the Russian monarchs. It was begun in the early eighteenth century and altered by several monarchs, notably Catherine II. This is one of a series of photographs taken by Corporal J Mack during the coronation celebrations of Alexander II, Emperor of Russia. He was part of a group of British representatives led by Lord Granville.