State Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

One of the largest museums in the world, the State Hermitage is actually a museum complex formed of six buildings, five of which are open to the public. The most iconic of these is the Winter Palace, the former residence of the Russian monarchy.

In 1837, much of the palace was destroyed by a fire that spread undetected through the concealed and disused fireplaces of the building. As the Tsar had ordered the rebuilding to be completed within a year, the fire was followed by a ruthless campaign of rapid reconstruction, in which workers were said to have perished every day.

Image credit: Slick-o-bot