The Hermitage at Tsarskoye Selo has examples of "confidencen".
In theory, discussions of concern to state business could take
place in secrecy, confident that no one could overhear conversations.
No one, such as servants, would be present. The discussions
could take place at breakfast, dinner, or supper. Confidential
discussions were possible as participants ate at tables which
had dishes loaded with food in a small kitchen on the first floor,
beneath the actual dining room on the second floor. Tables could
rise from the first floor before the dinner, later to be lowered.
Once the tables were positioned upon the second floor, the dishes
could be moved up by mechanical machinery to the tables on the
second floor, or lowered by the same means. Thus no uninvited servants
would be present during the dining. The tables and dishes moved
using machinery composed of gears, winding machines, signaling bells,
etc.
Guests moved up from the first floor by such things as a moving chair
(Peterhoff Hermitage), also using the same type of machinery. Once all
the guests had been moved to the dining area on the second floor, there
was no convenient exit from the second floor except by the moving chair.
Thus the attention of guests was captured, so to speak.
In case of possible armed attack (purely figurative), the hermitage
buildings (at both Tsarskoye Selo and Peterhoff) were designed as
"star fortresses".
As an interesting note, once General Suvorov was invited to be a guest
at the Tsarskoye Celo hermitage. General Suvorov was loved and trusted
by his soldiers and to some degree shared in the dangers and toil of his
soldiers (and was thus trusted by his troops). General Suvorov was not
admired by aristocrats because of his views being more "leveling" (democratic).
At the supper, General Suvorov preferred to skip the food prepared by
the special French chefs, and ordered cabbage (щи) and kasha
(каша), the typical food eaten by his soldiers.
The French chefs were frantic! They didn't know what these food items were,
where to get them, nor how to prepare the food! These French chefs were as
foreign to Russia as were the Russian aristocrats. Indeed! The aristocrats
were correct to build these hermitages as "star fortresses"!
Star Fortress Tsarskoye Selo Hermitage.
Five red areas correspond to the five confidencen tables.
The main, central table has settings for 18 people:
8 at both long sides, one at either end.
There are two smaller tables: settings for 5, and 3.
Another two smaller tables: settings of 5, and 4.
Thus at a maximum, there can be 18 + 5 + 3 + 5 + 4 = 35 people.
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