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Russian Empire

Grand 1850s St Petersburgh apartment painted in Russian Empire colours and decorated with orginal Russian antiques

The Russian love of colour, pattern and exuberant decoration is well known but in this apartment on the granite-lined Fontanka river embankment in St Petersburg, a Scotsman has interpreted Russian style in a less frenetic way. The owner, Johnny Stuart, who died in 2003, was a leading scholar of icon painting (holy paintings that ‘served as windows on eternity’) with an international reputation, and an expert on all aspects of Russian history and culture. John's house is now home to his sister.