Kolomenskoye

Kolomenskoye is a former royal estate located several miles to the south-east of Moscow city-centre, on the ancient road leading to the town of Kolomna (hence the name). It was here that Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich built an elaborate wooden palace in the second half of the 17th century.

In the 17th century the foreigners referred to this huge maze of intricate corridors and 250 rooms, built without using saws, nails, or hooks, as 'an eighth wonder of the world". It stood only 100 years before it was dismantled. 
The interiors of the palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich were recreated in the Moscow Museum-Reserve "Kolomna" in March 2010.. One of restored buildings is  the  dining room. Here ceremonial receptions and dinners in honor of distinguished guests took place as well as  meetings where the Russian autocrats greeted foreign ambassadors. 
Information about the interiors of the palace was gathered from various archives literally bit by bit. In particular, the staff of "Kolomna" studied the interior of the palace from memories of foreign ambassadors.

Photos courtesy of  Sergey Efimov