“The fire that destroyed part of our Winter Palace was an occasion for new expressions of the zeal of our subjects. According to the information reaching us from everywhere, people of all states are jealous of each according to their means to promote … the restoration of this building … feelings of loyal affection for us and the throne … which are revealed with new strength, deeply touch our heart"
- wrote Nicholas I in the highest decree of January 25, 1838.
Indeed, the deepest shocks from the huge fire that happened on December 17, 1837 in St. Petersburg, which destroyed the Winter Palace, leave not its scale, but the scale of the loyal attachment of the Russian people to their emperor.
According to historians, this fire happened due to a malfunction of the stove heating. In fact, according to Baron E. Mirbach, who was on duty that night in the palace, the foul smoke was noticed in the building three days before the tragedy. It is known, for example, that there were even “running smokers” running around the palace, drowning out this burning smell with perfume aromas.
On December 17, the baron himself turned to the old footman with the question - what is still burning and where? To which the old man replied that, they say, nothing, God willing, will not happen, since it has been two days since the pipe burst downstairs in the laboratory. She, they say, was plugged with a washcloth and even covered with clay - this is the order, therefore. And the log itself near this pipe has already caught fire more than once, it was extinguished and covered over. The putty fell off, the log was still smoldering, and now, you see, it is already completely burning. That was the explanation.
According to experts, this was the case. In the palace, the Field Marshal's Hall was rebuilt into a two-story one and a chimney was pulled between the choir and the vault of the Peter the Great Hall. The vent of this chimney remained unsealed, and from it at 8 pm fire appeared. Since the pipe itself was laid very close to the wooden partitions, the fire on it quickly reached the rafters. And there, according to eyewitnesses, the flames engulfed "a mass dried up by many decades" and then furiously began to make its way further.
The august couple that evening attended the ballet at the Bolshoi Theater. Immediately upon receiving news of a fire in the palace, Nicholas immediately left, and the empress remained in the theater.
Eyewitnesses say that upon arrival, the first thing the emperor hurried to half of the grand dukes, who at that time were already in bed. By order of Nikolai, they were immediately taken to the Anichkov Palace.
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Further, the emperor, accompanied by Prince Volkonsky, proceeded through the rotunda, the Concert Hall and the Big Avanzal to the Small Avanzal, where the flame was already raging. To the great amazement of his companion, the emperor went on. According to Volkonsky, "the smoke took the breath," "cornices and ceilings threatened to fall at any moment," "it seemed there was no way to go further." The emperor passed the fire and went to the opposite part of the palace. There he ordered the evacuation of all valuables and furniture. Such an order was given to the Transfiguration and Pavlovites, as well as to the teams of the Hofintendant department.
This is how the salvation of jewelry, paintings, furniture and other imperial and church utensils began, as well as attempts to defend the palace itself, which can very strongly shake our modern imagination and ideas about honesty, decency and loyalty to ideals.
According to the recollections of the baron on duty Mirbach, that night there was a terrible bustle in the palace, "the people who carried things were God knows who." All things easily folded on the snow near the Alexander Column. The only exception was the transfer of royal silver from the palace storerooms - this work was performed by the sailors "in an extraordinary order." Small items were placed in the fireplaces right on the square where the coachman was warming himself. Nearby, in the snow, pictures of the "first masters", clocks, bronze and malachite items were stored … The Baron wrote that one of the clocks with music suddenly went into action, and the square heard a tender and charming aria, which was the "ironic opposite" of the entire scene around it.
The emperor, according to Mirbach, showed spousal solicitude, worrying at such a terrible moment about the fate of the Empress's favorite painting. Together with the baron, in the light of the fire, he went to look for her, and then ordered to send the loss to the Admiralty in the "special care of the caretaker."
And the other picture had an amazing fate - the portrait of the head of Peter I himself lay all winter in the snow on Palace Square, and after that it was presented to Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder. The heir also distinguished himself that night. The fact is that when Winter was burning, there was a fire in the Galernaya harbor, several poor houses burned there, and the emperor's son was sent to extinguish them. It is known that on the way the Tsarevich's carriage breaks down, and he takes a horse from a Cossack and rides on horseback to this fire, where he directs all the work.
At that time, the Winter Palace burned, according to contemporaries, for 30 hours. Zarnitsi were visible 50-70 versts from St. Petersburg.
From the personal memoirs of Count V. Adlerberg, it is clear that the emperor intended to suppress the fire and save half of the palace, where the empress's chambers were located. For this, the count was ordered to go upstairs to the attic and cut the rafters, and then build a brick wall. However, the count, going out onto the icy roof, found all the space under him already engulfed in fire. The Emperor, seeing that such an order would result in the death of the guards, immediately canceled it.
Historians cite another act of Nikolai in confirmation of the chivalrous character of the Russian sovereign. In one of the halls of the palace, Nikolai saw that a group of guardsmen were trying to tear off a huge mirror from the wall. The hall was ablaze, and the guards tried to tear off the mirror built into the wall. Nicholas several times ordered them to stop this, as there was a great danger of the death of the soldiers, but they continued to be zealous. Then Nikolai threw his binoculars into this mirror, from which it shattered to smithereens. The emperor said to the brave: "Your life is dearer to me than a mirror, and I ask you to leave immediately."
Count Orlov describes an interesting episode. He offered to help Nicholas take all his securities out of the cabinet, to which the emperor replied that he did not have any securities there, since he was used to finishing his affairs every day and sending all papers to the ministers at once. But in his office, he really did have values - these are three portfolios, in which were collected "memories dear to his heart."
According to the testimony of Baron Mirbach, the royal values were saved in full. The Empress's diamonds were carried out by her confidant Mrs. Rohrbeck. It is known that only one small precious trinket was lost, which belonged to Her Majesty, and even that after the winter and snow melt was found on the square and returned to the Empress.
Historians talk about the loss of only one silver coffee pot, which disappeared from the fire, but was discovered a couple of days later in the city. They refused to buy it, and thus the thief was immediately found. Count Adlerberg, in his notes about that terrible fire, wrote that of the great many things that were carried out of the burning palace in such a terrible turmoil among the abyss of strangers, nothing was stolen or lost !!!!
The magnificent sacristy and all the images in expensive frames, imperial regalia and jewelry, banners and portraits of 1812 were also saved. Only the royal furniture and objects of the wall entourage, mounted in them, perished in the fire.
The fire in Zimny died down only by December 19, completely destroying the second and third floors of the building and taking away numerous human lives.
The emperor then gave his word that a year later, at Easter, the palace would be restored, which happened in the spring of 1839. It is known that many townspeople signed up to repair the building, but the tsar did not accept the offerings of his subjects and restored the Winter Palace without these voluntary donations.
An interesting episode was described by the Russian Archive. Allegedly, after the fire, the tsar drove along the embankment past the ashes, and at the Trinity Bridge there were two "no hats, in their hands a dish of bread and salt, covered with a napkin." The emperor stopped beside them. "We, sent to you, sir, from the guest houses of Moscow and St. Petersburg, have come to beg for mercy - let us build a house for you." “Thank you,” Nikolai answered, “I thank you from the bottom of my heart. God willing, I can do it myself, but tell me that you made me happy, and I will not forget it”…