Grand Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg
In the historical part of the town of Pushkin there is a wonderful monument of the heritage of Russia, called the Tsarskoye Selo Palace, the Great Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg. In its history, architecture, the creations of the great masters of three eras of the life of the Russian State are forever imprinted. Three Great Empresses of Russia (Catherine I, Elizaveta Petrovna, Catherine II) contributed to the creation of a unique ensemble.
Construction history
The beginning of the construction of the Tsarkoselskaya residence of Catherine I took place in 1717 (completion of construction in 1724) according to the project of the famous German architect Braunstein. It was a two-story building, consisting of 16 rooms, called the Stone Chambers. At the same time, in the eastern part of the palace territory, the Upper (consisted of three terraces) and Lower gardens were laid. The western part of the surroundings of the palace was assigned for the creation of the Menagerie (then the Alexander Garden appeared here).
The reign of each empress was reflected in changes, additions to the directions of the architectural style of the final appearance of the palace. The following stages of construction of the modern architectural style of the palace are considered to be the main ones:
Architecture
The palace acquired its modern look under the rule of Elizabeth Petrovna. In July 1756, he appeared in all his splendor before the Empress and numerous guests. A gilded ornament sparkled on the azure facade with snow-white columns. Stucco decorations, figures of Atlanteans gave the palace a solemn, elegant look. Five church domes sparkled above the northern part of the 325-meter structure. The main entrance was on the south side of the palace. Its porch was adorned with a spire with a golden star. Over 100 kg of gold was required to finish the facade of the palace.
Luxurious chambers (furnished by Rastrelli) were placed along the entire length of the palace, creating a front suite, sparkling with gilded carvings. During the reign of Catherine II, the Scottish architect Charles Cameron supervised the creation of many rooms of the palace (Silver, Blue, Chinese Hall, Lyon drawing rooms, Arabesque Dome dining room). A connoisseur and supporter of ancient architecture, he solved the problem with extraordinary sophistication, sophistication, and beauty.
The front staircase (second rococo style) appeared according to the project of the architect I. A. Monighetti in 1863 and is considered the last link in the reconstruction of the ensemble. A marble staircase was placed on the site of the Chinese Hall. Barometer, large clocks, vases, porcelain dishes from Japan, China. The sculptural figures โAwakening Cupidโ, โSleeping Cupidโ, carved stucco forms her original outfit.
ceremonial halls
Following the requirements of the dominant architectural style, Rastrelli created the interior of the building according to a single line plan, when one hall passes into another without additional transitions, lintels (enfilade). The abundance of gold in the decoration gave the right to call it the Golden Enfilade. During the war years, 53 halls were robbed and destroyed. Now 32 rooms have been completely restored. The work is actively going on.
Big hall
Otherwise, the Light Gallery (Throne Room) is considered a grandiose room of the building. It is located on an area of โโabout 1000 sq. m, covers the entire width of the room. Rastrelli created it for ceremonial receptions, balls, social events. The golden sheen of the decorations of the hall, the original design of the endless hall emphasized the power and greatness of the empress. Rastrelli realized this effect due to well-placed rows (two) of high windows (13 on each side), between which mirrors in gilded frames are mounted.
Each sound in the hall is repeated 32 times, which gave the voice of the empress an unusually imperious sound. The acoustic effect could not be reproduced during the restoration for a long time, but one day it appeared on its own. The parquet floor made of bleached (bog) oak, the amazing plafond, which has its own complex history, create an atmosphere of past splendor. It seems that the notes of the waltz are about to sound and the empress in a golden robe will appear.
Cavalry canteen
On both sides of the Main Staircase there are two cozy dining rooms. Small groups of important guests, balls were held in a cozy Cavalry dining room. Its main elements are a tiled stove, a huge dining table. The stove is decorated with tiles, made in the image of Delft pottery (restored after the war). The figurative table is set with elements from three order sets. The dishes were made by special order of Catherine II at the Gardner factory. It depicts ribbons, the orders of Saints Vladimir, George, St. Andrew the First-Called. It was used to receive holders of these orders. On the table you can see a tablecloth with elegant ribbons. The general architectural type of the dining room is made in the Baroque style with a large number of elements with gilded ornaments.
White front dining room
It hosted dinners of the imperial family, โevening mealsโ of the empress in a narrow circle, official festivities. The walls of the room are covered with white damask, decorated with gold ornaments. In the center of the dining room is a figured table, lined with luxurious tableware from the services of Empress Maria Feodorovna, made at the Meissen factory. Fake oil cans, decorative vases โ โfragrant boules de tendersโ look especially mysterious.
In the center of the table is a unique porcelain copy of the gazebo of Catherine's Park (โSurt de Tableโ). In the main dining room, all the festivities were held with the use of complex table setting features, an abundance of dishes, fountains of wine and champagne. Furniture with gilded consoles is made in the old style. The walls of the room are decorated with paintings by I.F. Groot (he introduced the direction of โhunting still lifeโ in painting). The paintings depict moments of hunting, bright still lifes, hunting trophies. The architect of the white front dining room is N.P. Krasnov.
picture room
In the central part of the Golden Enfilade there is an original hall. Its walls are hung with bright canvases of paintings acquired in 1745. This is a collection of paintings from five European schools (Spain, Italy, France, Holland, Flemish masters). They are placed according to the tapestry type, popular in the 18th century, which is a continuous carpet of paintings separated by frames. Among the numerous paintings by famous artists of Western Europe of the 17th and 18th centuries is the painting โThe Battle of Poltavaโ, commissioned by Peter I.
The decoration of the hall was supervised by Rastrelli. All paintings are harmoniously combined in size, color, creating a unique mosaic. The main purpose of the hall was to hold diplomatic meetings and important receptions. During the war, the hall was destroyed, but the paintings were taken out.
Arabesque Hall
Favorite front room of Catherine the Great, born from her private chambers first. The design of the hall was led by the architect C. Cameron. He successfully used the complex medieval ornament of the eastern countries, consisting of geometric, floral patterns in the creation of panels. They depict scenes from the life of ancient Rome. Figures of men, women, monsters from legends, myths pass into each other with mysterious plots, are surrounded by floral ornaments, creating an exquisite atmosphere of the hall.
A whimsical pattern in restrained colors on the carpet (depicting Potemkin's victory over the Turks), utensils, furniture, walls, and any decor element creates a special comfort in this room. Here the empress loved to hold receptions, think about playing chess, checkers, admiring the fantastic arabesques.
Raspberry and Pillar Green
This name was given to the premises because of the original appearance of the walls. On them are glass pillars with multi-colored foil (at that time it was made of pure silver), imitating placers of precious stones. Rastrelli devised these architectural elements to imitate the columns supporting the ceiling in the form of flat pilasters (or pillars). Cheerful board games were held in Raspberry Stolbovaya. The center is occupied by an old card-table with rare chess pieces made by Chinese masters in the 18th century (complex-shaped figures are made of bone, and the board is covered with mother-of-pearl plates).
Now in the hall there is a rare copy of the secretary of the 18th century (in Europe, there are very few examples of type-setting furniture of the โfeathery rocailleโ style). It was made by the famous German furniture maker A. Roentgen. The pantry of Catherine II with a rich collection of silverware was located in Zelenaya Stolbovaya. The Gothic partition, erected around 1770, was not restored after the hostilities.
portrait hall
The initial image of the premises was completely returned as a result of complex restoration work based on photographs, surviving fragments of decoration. On the walls of the hall, covered with white damask, ceremonial portraits of imperial persons again sparkled with luxury, gold decoration. Among them are images of Catherine I, Elizabeth Petrovna. Portraits of Grand Duchess Natalia Alekseevna, Catherine II. On the ceiling of the hall there is a plafond โMercury and Gloryโ, created by D. Scaiario (Venetian school) in 1792. The portraits are placed in huge frames, decorated with monograms, crowns, gold ornaments. They trace the path of changing the cost of imperial outfits.
They are becoming richer, more impressive, emphasizing the immense greatness of the empresses. After the death of Elizabeth Petrovna, the number of outfits exceeded 15 thousand units. Antique toilet items are in special mirrored showcases by the window. These are travel bags, suits of nobles, fans, snuff boxes, a wedding dress made of silver brocade. During the restoration of the hall, one (of two tiled stoves) was replaced with a version of a luxurious fireplace lined with marble.
the Amber Room
The amazing room appeared on the orders of Elizaveta Petrovna Rastrelli to decorate the walls with amber panels (her father's legacy). They were created by the craftsman Schluter for King Frederick I and presented to Peter I. Working with amber (a fragile, light-sensitive material) was considered rare and difficult. The room became a masterpiece of art of the 18th century, the pearl of the palace, the most significant piece of amber. Drafts, stove heating, temperature fluctuations harmed the amber work. The room existed in the palace for almost 200 years. The panels were often restored.
The next one was scheduled for 1941. The war changed everything in the life of the palace. The disappearance of the Amber Room dealt him a heavy blow. Couldn't find her. But all the amber panels in the 190s were completely restored in the Tsarskoye Selo amber workshop by the skill of their own restorers. After 20 years of painstaking search for technologies, the creation of a school of masters, the new Amber Hall in 2003 appeared before connoisseurs of beauty. This was done in honor of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the most beautiful city in the world, St. Petersburg.
Opening hours and ticket prices
The palace, which is an object of cultural heritage of Russia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is open from 10 am to 6 pm (the box office closes at 4.45 pm). Day off at the palace every Tuesday and the last Monday of the month. From April to October, you can visit the palace with a ticket to the park. It costs 120 rubles. Pupils, students, cadets, members of the unions of designers, artists, architects pay 60 rubles for a ticket. Pensioners (including those from the Republic of Belarus) have the right to purchase a reduced ticket for 30 rubles. Children under the age of 16 are admitted to the palace free of charge.
Where is it located and how to get there
The Great Catherine Palace is located in the town of Pushkin. Arriving at the city station is simple in the following way: