Military parades occurred in the halls of the Winter Palace twice a year: 6 January, the Baptism of Jesus (Epiphany) and 26 November, St George’s Day. Platoons from military academies and military units of the Guard came with their banners and standards. They lined up in the halls by an appointed time. In the painting, Gustav Schwarz depicted a parade in the Armorial Hall on Epiphany. After the service in the Great Church of the Winter Palace, there was a celebratory ceremony – the Imperial Appearance: the procession of the Imperial Family and the court in the presence of invited guests. This procession, followed by a crucession, descended the Jordan Staircase and went to the Neva, where a special blessing of the water was done in an ice hole. This painting was once in the personal collection of Nicholas I.
