The Main Staircase is one of the most well-preserved palace interiors of the times of Catherine II. The staircase is mainly decorated with marble of grey and silver tones. The lighter tones of the balusters and banisters lend a sense of buoyancy, visually expanding the space of the staircase.
Marble sculptures by Fedot Shubin stand in the niches, personifying the changing times of day – Night, Morning, Day and Evening – and the four seasons. Two statues symbolise the autumn and spring equinoxes. In the mid-19th century The Judgement of Paris plafond by J. Krist was moved to the centre of the Main Staircase ceiling. This work was commissioned to the artist by Grigory Orlov the year he married Ekaterina Zinovyeva and was originally located in the Lacquer Room of the palace.
