Pavlovsk, museum-preserve: attractions, photo

This is one of the most famous palace suburbs of our northern capital. Every year thousands of tourists come to Pavlovsk. The Museum-Reserve in Pavlovsk attracts not only our compatriots, but also guests from abroad. And not in vain: there is something to see.

State Museum-Reserve, Pavlovsk (Russia): history

The very first settlement on these lands appeared in the middle of the XIII century. It was the fortress "Town on Slavyanka." In the 18th century, there were the Finnish villages of Seppel and Linna. Empress Catherine the Great, visiting the nearby Tsarskoe Selo, came here to hunt. For her chambers were built two wooden houses with strange names - Krak and Creek. The first of them burnt down during the Second World War, when the city was occupied by the Germans, and the second because of the dilapidation was disassembled in 1929.

In December 1777, Catherine II presented these lands (362 desiatins) with all the villages and people to her son - Pavel Petrovich and his wife Maria Feodorovna in honor of the birth of their first child - the future Russian emperor Alexander I.

A year later (in 1778) there were built two rather modest in size palace - Paullyust and Mariental. Much later, in the place of Pauliust, the Pavlovsky Palace was built , the place of Mariental was occupied by the fortress of Bip.

Paul in 1786 began to build the Pavlovsk Palace. The author of the project was Charles Cameron. In the autumn of 1796 Paul I appropriated the status of the city to the village. In 1788 the emperor, who used to visit Gatchina earlier, gave this estate to Maria Feodorovna, her husband.

In 1801, after the death of the emperor, Maria Feodorovna lived in the palace all the time in the warm season. Both the palace and the park store many corners associated with her name. For example, own garden or a magnificent Pink Pavilion. Before the Patriotic War of 1812 the military commandant of the city became the legendary Peter Ivanovich Bagration.

After the death of Maria Feodorovna (1828), Pavlovsk took over the Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, brother of Nicholas I. At that time Pavlovsk was actively building up and improving itself: the Yelenin quarter was built, the Alexandrovsky educational institution was organized, in which the children of the petty bourgeoisie and merchants studied, And children's shelter.

At the end of the XIX century the city of Pavlovsk became the center of musical culture: the famous musical station appeared. In those years, many famous composers and musicians often performed here. Since that time, Pavlovsk was chosen by the summer residents.

After the revolution of 1917 the city was renamed Slutsk. So it was called until 1944. During the Second World War Pavlovsk was occupied by fascist troops. In retreat, the Germans burned the palace of Paul, and in the park during the occupation they cut down more than 60 thousand trees. Were destroyed valuable historical and architectural monuments.

The historical name of the city was returned in 1944. After the end of the war, it was decided to restore the complex. It lasted until 1973.

In 1989, Pavlovsk was included in the UNESCO Heritage List. Today 42 objects of the reserve are protected by the state and are cultural and historical monuments. Pavlovsk is a center of tourism, visited annually by more than 1.5 million people.

The Pavlovsk Palace

The Museum-Reserve Pavlovsk (Russia) tourists begin to explore from this elegant golden-white palace. It was built on the bank of the river Slavyanka by the famous architect C. Cameron in the 18th century. Pavlovsk Palace is visible from anywhere in the city and the park. The three-story central building is crowned by a flat dome, mounted on 64 columns. Colonnade galleries connected the central building with service buildings. They form a front yard, shaped like a horseshoe.

When Pavel I entered the throne, Pavlovsk was officially declared a suburban imperial residence. At the end of the XVIII century the architect V. Brenna carried out work on the expansion of the palace.

Over the service buildings were built on the second floor. To them were built two half-circular wings, which practically closed the front yard. Another gallery has increased colonnades. Despite these changes, the central building remained the main one in the composition of the palace. He stood out with grace and size.

Features of architecture

C. Cameron chose white columns as the main decoration element. They are decorated with the facades of the main building, they create magnificent open galleries, reliably support the dome. As a supplement to the main element, a stucco frieze with acanthus leaves, which surrounds the entire building, and three bas-relief medallions with the allegorical image of Sculpture, Architecture and Painting on the main facade, was chosen.

The newly built buildings of V. Brenna decorated with stucco - crowns and monograms of the owners of the palace. Only at the ends of the outbuildings he installed portals consisting of black columns. They seem to open the entrance to the front parade ground. Such a composite solution allowed to link the new and old buildings into a single ensemble.

Palace in the XIX century

The architects J. Quarenghi and A. Voronikhin completed the decoration of the palace facades at the beginning of the 19th century. At this time, a marble porch with a balcony, balustrades appeared. In 1807 P. Gonzaga covered one of the walls of the gallery with frescoes. It shows arcades and staircases of monumental buildings. This gallery entered the history of Russian architecture under the name of the Gonzaga gallery. The famous K. Rossi in 1822 placed above it a library with original arched windows. Between them were busts of philosophers.

The palace park

The creation of this unique park began in 1780 in a city called Pavlovsk. The Museum-Reserve today is a magnificent example of landscape art. An invaluable role in the formation of the Pavlovsky ensemble was played by the architect C. Cameron. He created in the period from 1782 to 1807 projects on which pavilions were built, the colonnade of Apollo, the Great Cascade, the column "The End of the World". According to his drawings, the park was decorated with the Centaur, Gorbat and Black bridges.

Extremely diverse in the methods of the device the park in a city like Pavlovsk. The museum-reserve (more precisely, part of the park) is now occupied by urban buildings, so that it almost connects with the city in the upper course of Slavyanka. Its opposite part continues to the surrounding shallow forest.

Trees in the park are planted in such a way that their own garden and the wings of the palace are almost invisible. An unusually beautiful view from the colonnade to the palace, surrounded by groups of trees.

Own garden

On all tourists who visited Pavlovsk, the museum-reserve makes a great impression. One of the most beautiful corners of Pavlovsky Park is considered to be its own garden. He is at the Pavlovsk Palace, adjacent to the chambers of the Empress Maria Feodorovna. I must say that she was very good at colors, and she managed to collect a very large collection of them.

The private garden is designed in the style of small Dutch and French gardens and is a garden in the park. Outsiders were not allowed to enter this territory, the garden was a resting place for the owners of the palace. In the south side of the garden, on the high terrace, Paul I. loved to work.

In the garden were planted many rare plants. They blossomed constantly, replacing each other. The garden also had a second name - "Temple of Flora".

Mausoleum of Paul I

Another attraction, which is proud of Pavlovsk. The museum-reserve on the territory of the park has an amazing monument - the Mausoleum of Paul I. It is not the tomb of the emperor. Paul I, was buried in St. Petersburg, in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

In one of the letters, the Empress Dowager calls it a "monument", and in the contract with the architect Carlo Visconti he is listed as a "temple". Its modern name is the Mausoleum of Paul I, or the Mausoleum to his spouse-benefactor. This building is a tribute to the memory of the emperor from his wife.

Impressions of the museum-preserve

Reviews about the museum-reserve "Pavlovsk" (Russia) can be characterized as follows: all those who visited this amazing place speak about bright impressions of the trip. Visitors note that, despite the small size of the palace, it strikes with its sophistication and richness of decoration. As for the park, in it all visitors feel very comfortable: the magnificent nature, well-groomed alleys, magnificent flowers of the Own garden are peaceful.