Grand Catherine's Palace(also known as Big Tsarskoye Selo Palace , Catherine Palace ) - the former imperial palace; one of the largest in the vicinity of St. Petersburg. Located in the modern city of Pushkin (formerly Tsarskoye Selo), 25 kilometers south of St. Petersburg.

Story

In 1717, when St. Petersburg was being created on the banks of the Neva, in Tsarskoe Selo under the guidance of the architect I.-F. Braunstein, the construction of the first stone royal house began, which went down in history under the name "stone chambers" of Catherine I. In August 1724, as a sign of the completion of construction, a festival was held in the palace, during which "thirteen cannons were fired three times." The ceremony was attended by the king and major statesmen. At that time, the palace was a small two-story structure typical of Russian architecture of the early 18th century.

During the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, in late 1742 - early 1743, it was decided to expand the building according to the project of M. G. Zemtsov (1688-1743), but the death of the architect prevented the implementation of the plan. After Zemtsov, work in Tsarskoye Selo was carried out by A. V. Kvasov (1720 - after 1770) and his assistant J. Trezzini (1697–1768), but already in May 1745 Trezzini was replaced by the famous architect S. I. Chevakinsky (1713–1780), who supervised the construction in Tsarskoye Selo until the early 1750s.

From the end of 1748 to 1756, the construction of the Tsarskoye Selo residence was headed by the chief architect of the imperial court F.-B. Rastrelli (1700–1761). On May 10, 1752, Elizaveta Petrovna signed a decree on the overhaul of the old building, and already on July 30, 1756, Rastrelli demonstrated his new creation to the crowned customer and foreign ambassadors.

The palace, built in the Baroque style, delighted with its size, powerful spatial dynamics and "picturesque" decor. The wide azure ribbon of the facade with snow-white columns and gilded ornaments looked festive. Rastrelli decorated the palace facades with figures of Atlanteans, caryatids, lion masks and other stucco decorations, made according to the models of the sculptor I.-F. Dunker (1718–1795). Five gilded domes of the Palace Church towered above the northern building, and above the southern one, where the front porch was located, there was a dome with a multi-pointed star on the spire. It took about 100 kilograms of pure gold to gild the exterior and interior decorations. At the same time, the front parade ground was finally decorated, fenced with palace wings and one-story service buildings located in a semicircle - circumferences.

Just as luxuriously Rastrelli decorated the apartments of the palace. The Ceremonial enfilade created by him, decorated with gilded carvings, was called "golden". The enfilade arrangement of the halls, which was not known in Russia until the middle of the 18th century, was also introduced by Rastrelli in other palaces, but only in Tsarskoye Selo the length of the front rooms was equal to the length of the entire building - from the Main Staircase to the Palace Church.

The next stage in the design of the ceremonial and residential halls of the palace dates back to the 1770s. The new owner of the residence, Empress Catherine II, who was fascinated by ancient art, wished to decorate her apartments in accordance with fashionable tastes and entrusted them to the Scottish architect, an expert on ancient architecture C. Cameron (1743–1812). The interiors he created - the Arabesque and Lyon drawing rooms, the Chinese Hall, the Domed dining room, the Silver Cabinet, the Blue Cabinet (Snuffbox) and the Bedchamber - were distinguished by their exquisite beauty, the severity of decorative design and the special elegance of decoration. Unfortunately, these halls perished during the Great Patriotic War and have not yet been restored.

The rooms intended for Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich (the future Emperor Paul I) and his wife Maria Feodorovna, decorated by C. Cameron in the same years, have now been recreated: the Green Dining Room, the Waiter's Room, the Blue Front Room, the Chinese Blue Drawing Room and the Bedchamber allow you to get acquainted with the unique interiors created by the Scottish architect, whose work Catherine II loved so much.

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Grand Catherine Palace in Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo)

The Great Catherine Palace is also known as the Great Tsarskoye Selo Palace. Included in the list of objects cultural heritage RF. Architectural style: Elizabethan baroque - a trend in architecture characteristic of 1741-1761, the era of the reign of Elizabeth I Petrovna. Its most eminent representative was Bartolomeo Rastrelli, according to whose project this imperial residence in Tsarskoye Selo was built.

From a small building to a luxurious palace

The history of the palace dates back to 1717. But then it was still not the Great Catherine's, which we know today. Initially, the royal residence was a modest two-story building. The German architect Johann Braunstein worked on its construction. Then it was conceived as the summer residence of Catherine I.

In 1843, the new Empress Elizaveta Petrovna decided to expand and equip it. The task was entrusted to architects Andrey Kvasov and Mikhail Zemtsov.

This first building "lasted" until 1752, and it was rebuilt. This is how a luxurious palace, fully consistent with its high status, saw the light. The palace provided for many office buildings and even a palace church. At registration, they did not skimp on gold. Gilding covered the interiors both inside and out. The figures of the Atlanteans on the main facade were even covered with gold.

It was during the reign of Elizabeth that the Great Catherine Palace acquired its current appearance. Even after the reconstruction, she considered the former building small and outdated. The dismantling of the old palace and the rebuilding that followed lasted four years. And now the 325-meter palace is ready! When it was presented on July 30, 1756 to the royal nobles and guests from Europe, everyone was shocked by its splendor and scope.

Some features of the Catherine Palace

The azure façade was decorated with white columns, stucco and figures of Atlanteans. Gilding gave the palace more solemnity. The outbuildings, connected by covered galleries, departed from the central part of the palace. The five-domed palace church sparkled with gilded domes over its northern wing. Above the southern noble metal shone a dome, the spire of which was crowned with a many-pointed star. Just imagine: about 100 kg of pure gold were used for interior and exterior decor!

Under Elizabeth, the ceremonial rooms were located along the entire length of the palace - they formed the Ceremonial golden enfilade. At the same time, the famous Amber Room and the Picture Hall appeared. Eminent foreign masters worked on the first for more than five years. And more than a hundred masterpieces of Western European artists of the 17th - early 18th centuries were collected in the hall.

Catherine the Great, who is not indifferent to ancient architecture, also contributed to the arrangement of the Grand Tsarskoye Selo Palace. The Empress entrusted the work on the further reconstruction of the palace to the Scottish architect Charles Cameron. Through his efforts, he acquired the Blue and Silver Cabinets, the Domed Dining Room, two drawing rooms - Lyon and Arabesque, and the Chinese Hall. Under her, the Agate Pavilion and the Cameron Gallery, the Cold Bath and the Zubov Building appeared. For Tsarevich Pavel and his wife Maria Feodorovna, the Grand Blue and Chinese Blue Drawing Rooms, as well as the Waiter's, Green Dining Room and Bedchamber were created in the palace.

The front office and adjacent rooms (architect V.P. Stasov) were already created under Alexander I Pavlovich in 1817. They were decorated to commemorate the victory over Napoleon. In 1862–1863, the final stage of restructuring was the creation of the Main Staircase.

In 1910, the palace changed its name from Bolshoi Tsarskoye Selo to Bolshoi Ekaterininsky.

Amber Room in the Catherine Palace

The original Amber Room, created by the German master Andreas Schlüter for King Frederick I of Prussia and then donated by the monarch to Peter I, disappeared without a trace during the Great Patriotic War.

The Nazis who kidnapped her first exhibited this masterpiece in royal castle Königsberg from 1942 to 1944. But in August of the 44th, after a raid by the British Air Force, a fire broke out in the castle. However, the amber panels could hardly have suffered: they were packed and hidden in cellars. When, in April 1945, the Red Army began to storm Koenigsberg, the Amber Room seemed to have sunk into oblivion. Since then, nothing is known about her whereabouts: searches have yielded no results.

In 1981, work began on the restoration of the stone-cutting masterpiece of the 18th century. The reconstruction until 1997 was led by A. A. Zhuravlev. For this purpose, a special amber workshop was created in Pushkin. By the 300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg, celebrated in 2003, the Amber Room was completely restored. According to Baron Eduard von Falz-Fein, who once saw the lost original, the restored Amber Room is even better than the previous one.

Some halls and rooms of the Catherine Palace

Main staircase. Luxurious marble staircase in Rococo style. Decor elements: through carved balustrades and figured vases. In stucco ornamentation there is a large clock and a calendar.

Picture room. Intended for diplomatic receptions. Contains a collection of paintings by Western European artists of the 17th-18th centuries. The most famous painting is Poltava battle”, written by order of Peter I.

Big hall. In the 18th century it was called the Light Gallery. The front room in the style of the Elizabethan Baroque. The hall is double-height, for the entire width of the palace. Each side has 13 windows, its area is approximately 1000 square meters. m.

The Chinese living room of Alexander I. These were the private chambers of the emperor. The walls are decorated with portraits of Russian autocrats: Peter the Great, Catherine I, Catherine II, Elizabeth Petrovna, Anna Ioannovna and a large portrait of Alexander I himself.

The Great Catherine Palace, together with the Catherine Park, forms a single palace and park ensemble in the Tsarskoye Selo Museum-Reserve.

As a result of the restoration in the palace, 18 halls were restored, representing various eras in the development of the domestic interior.

The restoration of the palace is still ongoing, and strictly scientific basis, and its completion is still far away. But visitors can watch exhibitions in the rooms that have not yet been restored.

Address: 196601, St. Petersburg, Pushkin, st. Sadovaya, 7.

Opening hours: Monday - from 10:00 to 21:00, Wednesday - Sunday - from 12:00 to 18:00. Closed: Tuesday and every last Monday of the month.

The famous magnificent large Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg, which is the central part of a huge architectural ensemble, is located on the territory of Tsarskoye Selo. Every day its halls are visited by several thousand tourists from all over the world. The building is an imperial palace, which was previously the residence for Elizabeth Petrovna, as well as Catherine I and Catherine II on summer time. This attraction is listed as a Heritage Site. world heritage UNESCO. The residence was named after Catherine I, on whose orders it was built. Construction began in 1717. Since then, the building has been rebuilt several times. this moment time, it is a vivid example of the late Baroque.

After the tourist finds out the address of the Catherine Palace, he, as a rule, tries to find out exactly when it is best to visit it. There is simply no single answer to this question. In summer, you can fully enjoy the facades of the palace, as well as views of a huge park, wide green alleys, take a walk big lake. Horseback riding or electric car rides are also very popular. On the lake you can swim on the gondola. The only downside summer period a huge influx of guests is considered, so in order to get inside the palace, a tourist will have to stand a lot of time in line. Experienced travelers say that the park is best visited in spring or summer, but you can get inside the palace in winter.

The literature often mentions the Catherine Palace in autumn. Indian summer seemed to be a particularly beautiful period for the poets. The imagination is amazed by the riot of colors, the foliage on the trees of the most unusual colors merges into a single composition.

Indeed, autumn for these territorial regions is considered a prosperous season for travel planning. Thus, the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg can be visited in the middle - the end of September, when the rainy season has not yet begun, but the sun is no longer so scorching. The autumn decoration of the garden looks just as great as its spring version, but from March to early May, the weather in St. Petersburg is rainy.

History of the Catherine Palace

It is worth noting that the palace has survived several eras, which is why its architecture is reflected in each of them. In addition, personal taste preferences each of the rulers of those times for whom the building was a residence. The year 1717 is considered the year of the beginning of the construction of the palace, which was carried out under the strict guidance of the architect Johann Braustein from Germany. The building was planned from the very beginning as the residence of Catherine I. The completion of construction dates back to 1724. According to the first design plan, the building was a two-story building of small size, made in the Dutch style. If you browse photo of the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg at the time of different rulers, one can notice a certain dynamic. For example, after Elizabeth Petrovna ascended the throne, she instructed famous Russian architects not only to increase the area of ​​the building, but also to improve it.

As the story goes, modern tourists see the Catherine Palace exactly as it became during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna.

1752 was also a period of change. It seemed to the empress that the residence was too cramped and old-fashioned, so she entrusted its restoration to the architect, known as Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Perestroika work lasted four years. The changes were grandiose, it was after this period that the building received the Russian Baroque style, in which it has survived to this day. For the gilding of the facade decoration, one hundred kilograms of gold was used, which also adorned the statues located along the perimeter of the roof. The park area, which was presented together with the palace in 1756, is also distinguished by its special elegance. At that time, the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg made an indelible impression on foreign ambassadors and Russian nobles.

ceremonial halls

The tourist is greeted by the main staircase, which was made of white marble. An architect named I. A. Monighetti worked on its creation. This unsurpassed architectural creation occupies part of the Chinese Hall, which is distinguished by special themed decorations, including porcelain dishes and vases. Particular attention should also be paid to such interior details as a large wall barometer and a clock. The staircase is decorated with two Cupids, one of which is still fast asleep, and the other has just begun to wake up. Carved moldings of unsurpassed quality were used to decorate the ceilings and walls. The ceiling space is occupied by the famous painting "Aeneas and Venus", "The Judgment of Paris", as well as "Jupiter and Callisto". The staircase leads its guests to the halls of the Catherine Palace in Pushkin, a photo of which can be viewed online:

In addition, there is enough information not only about the outstanding merits of the attraction, but also about how to get to the Catherine Palace in order to save your time. The most convenient way to get to your destination is from the Vitebsk railway station, from where the train departs, following to the platform called "Tsarskoye Selo". From the station you can get directly to the museum by bus number 371 or fixed-route taxi № 377.

It is noteworthy that each individual room is a unique, fully completed composition, which is characterized by moderate luxury. After the tourist understands where the Catherine Palace is located, he needs to understand that it is best to choose the time before lunch for the tour, since it lasts quite a long time. In any case, it is better to visit the building itself and the park surrounding it in two approaches, so as not to miss a single detail.

Audio guide, tickets 700 rubles, payment by card.
St. Petersburg, Pushkin city, Sadovaya street, 7
+7 812 415‑76-67, +7 812 415‑76-68

The Grand Palace of Tsarskoye Selo is a baroque masterpiece created by Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli for Elizabeth Petrovna. During the Great Patriotic War, the palace was destroyed, to today 32 out of 58 halls were restored, including the Amber Room. Perhaps this is the most impressive Russian "remake".

1. At the heart of the central part of the palace are two-story "stone chambers" built in 1717-1724 by the architect Braunstein for Catherine I.

2. The modern palace was erected in 1748-1756 by the chief architect of the imperial court F.-B. Rastrelli.

3. Now there is a monument to the famous architect on the side of the building.

4. The facade of the palace is presented in the form of a wide azure ribbon with snow-white columns and gilded ornaments, which give the building a special chic.

5. The Palace Resurrection Church is located in the northeastern part of the building.

6. There is a building nearby Imperial Lyceum connected to the palace by an arch.

7. The front yard of the residence is limited by two circumferences, there is a parade ground in it. Along the edges are two yellow service (kitchen) buildings.

8. In order to get inside the palace in the summer, you need to stand in a forty-minute queue in the heat.

9. Waiting to look at the details of the building.

10. The last large-scale restoration of the building was more than ten years ago, now the facades are in need of cosmetic repairs.

11. Blue and "gold" colors faded.

12. The columns of the palace support the sculptures of the Atlanteans, their faces can only be seen when coming close to the building.

13. First of all, we get to front staircase, decorated with the sculpture "Awakening Cupid" of 1860.

14. The staircase was created under Catherine II by Charles Cameron in place of the Chinese Hall. In memory of this, the interior is decorated with vases and Chinese porcelain dishes.

15. The ceiling of the hall is decorated with paintings "Aeneas and Venus", "Jupiter and Callisto" and "The Judgment of Paris". They replaced canvases that died under collapsed ceilings during the war.

16. The stucco decoration of the walls and the caryatids framing the doorways were restored according to the discovered details and pre-war images.

17. A large clock has also been recreated.

18. Green dining room- part of the private quarters of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich and his first wife Natalia Alekseevna, built under Catherine II on the site of an open terrace - a "hanging" garden.

19. Interior waiter's decorated with mahogany chairs, a Swedish chest of drawers of the second half of the 18th century and a sculpture by M.-A. Collot "Girl's Head" 1769.

20. Small White Dining Room in the private chambers of Elizabeth, Catherine II and Alexander I. Its interior was formed after a fire in 1820.

21. A copy of the painting "The Bathing of Venus" by K. Vanloo is installed in the ceiling plafond.

22. Located next door Chinese drawing room of Alexander I.

23. Its interior is distinguished by silk upholstery walls painted with watercolors in the Chinese style.

24. On the walls are portraits, including those of Emperor Peter II by I.-P. Luden.

25. Next - buffet, until 1761 it was part of the Lavatory on the half of Elizabeth Petrovna.

26. For the plafond, a painting by the 17th-century Italian artist P. da Cortona "Coral Fishing", transferred from the Hermitage funds, was used.

27. Cavalier dining room- a small hall, visually enlarged with mirrors and false mirrored windows.

28. On the tables are items of the famous "Order" sets, decorated with signs and ribbons of Russian orders.

29. The picturesque plafond in the center of the ceiling is decorated with a painting by an unknown Russian master of the middle of the 18th century on the plot of the ancient myth about the sun god Helios and the goddess dawn Eos obtained from the funds of the Russian Museum.

30. White Front Dining Room was intended for ceremonial dinners and "evening meals" of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in a narrow circle of close associates.

31. Green Stolbovaya under Catherine II, it served as a pantry, in which silverware and porcelain were stored. One of the multi-tiered tiled stoves with cobalt painting, columns and niches is located here. Similar stoves, created according to Rastrelli's sketches, were an integral part of all the halls of the front suite of the palace.

32.

33. In portrait hall ceremonial images of royalty were displayed. Now here, in addition to portraits, you can see one of the dresses of the Empress.

34. The ceiling of the hall is decorated with Yusupov Palace with a picturesque plafond "Mercury and Glory".

35. The first in a series of the most impressive halls of the Tsarskoye Selo Palace - picture room area of ​​180 m².

36. Picturesque canvases are placed in it according to the principle of trellis hanging. Placing works on the wall, Rastrelli took into account, first of all, their size and color scheme: separated from each other by a narrow gilded baguette, the paintings merge into a single colorful “carpet”.

37. The plafond "Olympus" is in harmony with the general color of the walls - a copy of the plafond of the Jordan Stairs of the Winter Palace.

38. Big hall, or Light Gallery - the most significant front room of the palace, designed by the architect F.-B. Rastrelli in 1752-1756.

39. Its area is more than 800 m².

40. The alternation of large windows with mirrors visually expands the boundaries of the hall.

41. Sculptural and ornamental carving, covering the planes of the walls with a continuous pattern, was made according to the sketches of Rastrelli and the models of the sculptor-decorator Dunker by 130 Russian carvers.

42. The original pictorial ceiling was painted in 1752-1754 according to a sketch by the Venetian artist D. Valeriani. It consisted of three independent compositions depicting the Allegory of Russia, the Allegory of Peace and the Allegory of Victory.

43. In the 1790s, due to the deformation of the ceilings, the ceiling of Valeriani was removed to the palace storerooms, and in 1856-1858 the artists F. Wunderlich and E. Franchuoli created a new composition "Allegorical depiction of Science, Art and Diligence." This ceiling was lost during the war.

44. In the 1950s, during restoration Mikhailovsky Castle the side parts of the old plafond, "Allegory of Peace" and "Allegory of Victory", were found, which were considered lost. It was decided to recreate the ceiling of Valeriani, returning the surviving compositions to Tsarskoye Selo. The central part was restored from sketches and descriptions made by Valeriani himself, as well as from a drawing by Stackenschneider in 1857.

45. amber room rightfully called one of the wonders of the world. Initially, this interior was created for the Prussian Queen Miria-Charlotte, but in 1716 Frederick-Wilhelm I presented it to Peter the Great, but only under Elizabeth did he find a place in the old winter palace. With her, the precious panels on the hands (!) were transferred to Tsarskoye Selo. Rastrelli installed them in the middle tier of the walls, separated by pilasters with mirrors and decorated the room with gilded carvings. Where there was not enough amber, fragments of the walls were covered with canvas and painted “under amber” by the artist Belsky. After the capture of Pushkin by German troops, the panels were taken out by the Kunstkommission team and until 1944 were exhibited in the Königsberg Castle. During the retreat of the Germans, the panels were again dismantled, packed in boxes and taken out in an unknown direction.

46. ​​The restoration of the room began in 1979. In 2000, the Russian-made chest of drawers of the late 18th century and the Florentine mosaic "Touch and Smell", which were part of the original decoration of the room, were returned to the museum, discovered in Germany. By 2003, the decoration of the hall was completely restored.

47. In an inconspicuous corridor of the palace there is a picture depicting the palace in a horrific state in 1944. It reminds us of the enormous damage that military action can do to history and culture.