Built in the mid-18th century by Peter the Great’s daughter Empress Elizabeth, the Winter Palace was the principal residence of Russia’s czars. It has also been the home of the Hermitage collection since 1764. From an initial purchase by Catherine the Great of 225 paintings, the collection has grown to include nearly three million works. Paintings by da Vinci, Michelangelo, the Impressionists and many others shine as brightly as the gilded interiors.