Birch Hut and the Mask Portal

The ensemble of the Birch Hut and the "Mask" portal in the Gatchina Palace Park was erected in the mid-1780s by architect Francois Viollet-le-Duc, and the portal itself was built in 1794–1796. Externally, the pavilion resembles a large woodpile, but inside it conceals a luxurious decoration, where mirrors and windows visually expand the hall with an area of about 25 square meters. On the night of September 12-13, 1944, the building was destroyed to its foundations during an attempt to dismantle it; however, the pavilion was restored in 1973, and the recreation of the interiors was completed by 1976. The object has been under state protection since August 30, 1960, with the "Mask" portal and the Birch Hut listed in the cultural heritage register under separate numbers.