Esther M. Lederberg
The "confidencen" at the Tsarskoye Hermitage and the Peterhoff Hermitage

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"!

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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.

1. Confidencen Hermitages
2. Tsarskoye Celo Confidencen Floor-Table motion: ascending or descending (small tables or chairs)
3. Tsarskoye Celo Confidencen Floor-Table motion: ascending or descending (main table)
4. Tsarskoye Celo Confidencen Machinery
5. Tsarskoye Celo Confidencen Tables

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