"Tsarskoye Selo" a Pushkin Travel Page by kris-t

The palace and park complex of Tsarskoye Selo is located twenty-five kilometers south of St.Petersburg. More than 100 architectural objects that cover the total area of 300 hectares occupy the territory of the Catherine and Alexander Parks: from the most magnificent palaces and monuments, to pavilions and bridges. Strolling through the alleys of these parks, you will be fascinated with the views of whimsical lodges, elegant classical buildings, many monuments executed in marble, exotic constructions designed to imitate gothic style, and also Turkish and Chinese styled buildings which lend the park a romantic air.

In the seventeenth century there was a Finnish farm here at Dudorovsky eminence called "Saari mois" in Finnish language. In 1708 it became a possession of the Russian Tsar, and the Finnish toponymy word "Saari mois" was transformed into "Tsarskaya Mysa" that sounded more Russian.

In 1708-1724 Tsarskaya Mysa was the residence of Peter the Great's wife, the Empress Catherine I. From 1741 Tsarskoye Selo became the residence of the Empress Elizabeth. In 1750 the architects Zemtsov and Chevakinsky constructed a stone palace with a church and erected the buildings that closed the Parade Yard. In 1752 -1756, during the reign of the Empress Elizabeth, the architect Rastrelli created a magnificent Emperor Palace, a brilliant masterpiece of Russian baroque. At the same time the Hermitage and Grotto Pavilions were built, regular Upper and Lower Gardens were laid out, and the Lower Garden was decorated with sculptures.

During the reign of Catherine II (1760-1790) the ensemble of Tsarskoye Selo was supplemented by the creations of Rinaldi, Felten, Cameron and Qvarenghi. The Cold Bath-house, the Agate Pavilion, the Hanging Gardens with a sloping platform, and the Cameron Gallery, which represent the prominent masterpieces of the classical architecture were erected to the drawings of Cameron.

In 1811 the northern wing of the Great Palace was turned into a Lyceum - an elite school for the boys from the noble families. In the first intake of 1811 there was Alexander Pushkin, the most famous Russian Poet. It was in Tsarskoye Selo where he started writing poems and won his first popularity. His dormitory on the third floor of the Lyceum as well as the cottage he and his wife lived in some years later are now Pushkin Museums. In 1900 for the 100th anniversary of Pushkin's birth the monument to the poet was established. Since 1937 the city was renamed Pushkin, in honour of the poet. In the early 1990s the original name Tsarskoye Selo was returned to the place. Other poets and writers whose names are connected with this town are: Karamzin, Zhukovskii, Tutchev, Esenin, Annenskii, Ahmatova, Tolstoy.

Further down the road visitors will find the Aleksandrovsky Palace, the favored home of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II. It is from here that the whole Imperial family left in 1917 to travel to Yekaterinburg, where they were brutally murdered by revolutionaries.

The Catherine Palace is a magnificent baroque-style palace. The Great Hall of the palace and the Golden Enfilade of formal halls amaze with luxury of their decoration. When you enter the palace halls, you feel the spirit of the eras of Elizabeth and Catherine, and, to a certain extent, the age of Emperor Alexander I. You will be able to see rare objects of applied arts.