Kadriorg Palace, or “Catherine’s Valley,” was commissioned by Peter the Great of Russia for his second wife, Catherine I. Surrounded by 70 hectares of wooded parkland with an ornamental lake, formal gardens, and several museums, the complex sits on the edge of Kesklinn district of Tallinn. The palace, designed by famed Italian architect Nicola Michetti, is an exquisite example of Petrine Baroque architecture, which flourished in St. Petersburg in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Great Hall at Kadriorg is pristine white, with light streaming in through its many windows…
