For more than three hundred years, the magnificent construction of the Catherine Palace has occupied the bulk of Tsarskoye Selo. Around the palace lies no less chic Catherine Park. Despite its advanced age, the Catherine Palace is still striking in its scale, magnificence and beauty. Over the years of centuries of history, more than one generation of royalty has changed in the palace, many great architects participated in the design and construction.
St. Petersburg, Catherine Palace. The beginning of the story
At the beginning of the 18th century, in the place where the chic palace was later built, there was a Finnish village called the Saar Manor. In 1710, these possessions were donated by Peter I to his future wife Catherine (Martha Skavronskaya).
After the foundation of Petersburg in 1703, Peterhof was considered the residence of the king, which is located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, it was built in 1710. But for many centuries, all the heirs of the throne loved the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo more and spent most of their time there. The palace has become a real front residence.
In 1717, Catherine begins the construction of the palace. The German architect Braunstein was involved in the construction. At the same time, he was engaged in an architectural ensemble in Peterhof. The construction work was completed in 1724; a big celebration was organized on this occasion. “Stone Chambers” - this is what Catherine I called her two-story mansion
Reconstruction of the palace under Elizabeth
Elizaveta Petrovna became the new owner of the palace chambers in 1741. According to her instructions at the end of 1742, the architect Zemtsov begins the reconstruction of the palace, but his quick death does not allow to carry out his plan. Such prominent architects as Kvasov A.V., his assistant Trezzini were involved in the work after, in 1745 - Chevakinsky S.I.
In 1752, the great architect Rastrelli was involved in the work. Elizabeth decided to completely change the appearance of the palace, since she found it small and old-fashioned. It was after this grand reconstruction, which lasted four years, that the beautiful, modern Catherine Palace was born, surprising us with its splendor today. The presentation to foreign guests and nobles took place on July 30, 1756. The magnificent 325 meters long building impressed the guests with its scale and grandeur.
The beauty and charm of the Catherine Palace
Today, for every tourist arriving in St. Petersburg, the Catherine Palace is in the list of attractions in the first place. What is so surprising at the opening of the guests this chic palace and still surprises?
A baroque building was completed. The huge size, as already mentioned: the length of the palace stretches along the garden line and is 325 meters, the beauty, grandeur, originality of architecture still leave no one indifferent.
The facade is made in azure color, white columns, a gold ornament give the palace a solemn appearance. A special charm of the facade of the building was emphasized by the figures of the Atlanteans, stucco decorations. Five gilded domes of the church crowned the northern building of the palace , the southern building had a front porch, as well as a spire with a multi-pointed star. Under Elizabeth, the palace building became three-story, at the same time, the famous monogram in the form of “E I” appeared on the gates and decorations of the palace.
Equally attractive are the internal apartments built according to Rastrelli's designs. Ceremonies are located along the entire length of the palace. The entire front dress was painted with gilded carvings.
Immediately, next to the Sunday Church, the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum is located . Gifted children studied there, including Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin. In his honor in Soviet times, Tsarskoye Selo was renamed.
Catherine Palace in Petersburg
At the end of the XVIII century, Catherine was carried away by ancient architecture. The Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo under the reign of Catherine II survived the final reconstruction. For work, she hired a connoisseur of antiquity - an architect from Scotland, Charles Cameron. It was he who created the Blue, Silver rooms, Arabescu, Lyon living rooms, the Chinese Hall and the Dome Dining Room in the palace. All interiors created by Cameron, emphasized a sophisticated strict style, surprised by the beauty and mystery of the finish.
Thanks to the same architect, the Catherine Palace acquired the Chinese blue living room, the front blue, the Green dining rooms. They were specially equipped for Pavel Petrovich - the son of Catherine II and his esteemed wife, and a bedchamber and a waitress were also built for them.
In 1817, under Alexander I, the architect Stasov created the State Office with several adjoining comfortable working rooms. All these rooms were decorated in a style dedicated to the glorious victory in the war with the great Emperor Napoleon.
1860-1863, the Catherine Palace survived, perhaps, the last major stage of reconstruction and reconstruction. Engaged in the work of the architect Monighetti. The main staircase of the palace was presented in the style of the “second rococo”.
Until 1910, the Catherine Palace was referred to as the Great Tsarskoye Selo.
Palace tour
Before everyone who visited Tsarskoye Selo, the Catherine Palace was presented as a wonder of the world. Passing the modern familiar interiors (turnstiles, souvenir shops, cash desks), tourists will certainly find themselves in the Big or Throne Hall. Its dimensions are very impressive: length - 47 meters, width - 18. This hall is the largest among all St. Petersburg palaces. The picturesque ceiling covering the entire ceiling shows allegories of Abundance, Peace, Navigation, Victory and War, Art and Science. Decorated in an artistic style, parquet attracts prying eyes for a long time.
Rooms with huge windows, as if uniting, pass from one to another. So, moving around, you can visit the Silver, Blue rooms, Arabesque, Lyon living rooms, the Chinese hall, the Dome dining room, the Waiter’s room, the Bedchamber, decorated by Charles Cameron. I would like to pay special attention to the mysterious Amber Room.
The Amber Room. History of creation
In 1716, the Prussian king presented amber panels as a gift to Tsar Peter, which they delivered to St. Petersburg. They decorated the Catherine Palace only in 1755. The Amber Room itself somewhat exceeded the area of the panels, and Empress Catherine II in 1763 ordered additional fragments for the amber panel from German masters. For these purposes, 450 kg of amber was needed. The Amber Room acquired its final chic look in 1770. A huge panel occupied three tiers. The central place was covered by a mosaic depicting an allegory of five senses. The whole room was lined with the finest work of amber products, on which the best masters of the XVII-XVIII centuries worked.
Amber Room in the 20th Century
The fragile amber components of the panel required special careful handling and care. During the war, this played a fateful role in the fate of the Amber Room. For the best preservation, the room was not touched during the evacuation, it was left in the Catherine Palace. The Nazis took her to Koenigsberg. During the war, the Amber Room disappeared without a trace. Several versions of its disappearance are being put forward, each of which seems plausible.
In 2003, the Amber Room was recreated in the Catherine Palace on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg. For more than 20 years, a whole staff of employees, which included restorers, historians, chemists, forensic scientists, worked to bring the masterpiece back to life. For work, Kaliningrad amber was used, which was processed using special technology. Now the revived Amber Room is again available for visits. Well, where is the original lost? The mystery remains unsolved for now.