CCTV has been installed at Catherine the Great?s palace complex in Tsarskoe Selo, near St Petersburg.
Catherine the Great?s palace complex in Tsarskoe Selo, 25 km from St Petersburg, is a world heritage site, a Mecca for tourists and culture vultures, and a venue for concerts and conferences. The 18th century baroque palace, gradually being restored to its former glory, houses a museum with more than 20,000 exhibits: paintings, furniture, decorative art, jewellery, weaponry and sculpture. Thanks to generous sponsorship from Ruhrgas AG, the major German importer of Russian natural gas, the reconstruction of the palace?s unique amber room is now nearing completion, and thanks to Geutebrueck GmbH & Co. KG there is a modern security system to guard these priceless treasures. The new, almost complete amber room is already under constant surveillance ? from 2 cameras and video motion detectors provided by Geutebrueck the German security system manufacturer who is also supplying new equipment for the museum?s CCTV system. During spring 2002 Geutebrueck?s Russian partner, GSS-99 is enlarging and updating the original system installed in 1995, adding new cameras, video motion detectors, a compact matrix, together with two Multiscope digital video recorders. The 26 new cameras are a variety of different types. None is concealed, but those used inside are small and hence not intrusive in such splendid surroundings. Phase 2 of the system?s expansion in 2003 will see an increase to about 50 cameras covering the exterior and the 29 of palace?s 57 halls which have been fully restored. You can take a virtual tour of the museum starting at http://eng.tzar.ru/ and read more about Geutebrueck?s security equipment at www.Geutebrueck.de.
The original amber room was a present to the Russian Emperor Peter the Great in 1717 from the German Emperor Friedrich Wilhelm I. Later Catherine the Great enlarged it and erected it in her new palace in 1770, augmenting the original amber relief panels with other masterpieces of gilding, painting and mosaic made of agate and jasper. Considered too fragile to be removed, it was plundered during the second world war and taken to Koenigsberg Palace. Where it went from there remains a tantalising mystery. Some believe it was on board a freighter which was torpedoed, some think it was stashed in a cave somewhere and is still waiting to be discovered. The total cost of recreating such a unique piece of art from scratch has been estimated at about $10.5m and the task has already taken more than 20 years. The $3.5m donation from Ruhrgas in 1999 should ensure that the project is completed in time for St Petersburg?s 300th anniversary in 2003.
