Peterhof is a suburb of St. Petersburg, where the most beautiful palace complex in the world is located , whose fountains, ponds, aviaries and parks with their amazing statues exceed the scale and magnificence of Versailles.
It was here that palaces were erected with the light hand of Peter I, where the entire royal court rested in summer. His work was continued by the following representatives of the Romanov family, and what today is the greatest architectural open-air museum is the work of the best masters for 200 years. One of its pearls is the Tsaritsyn Pavilion in Peterhof.
History of the construction of the pavilion
Each palace architectural complex in this place and even some fountains are confined to any events or festivities. So the small Tsaritsyn Pavilion in Peterhof was built by decree of Nicholas I as a sign of comfort for his wife, who survived the death of her daughter. He presented another pavilion on a neighboring island to his other daughter, Olga, on the day of her marriage to Prince Karl of Württemberg.
The house was built in the style of ancient Roman villas, which was a big fashion. It is called “Pompeii,” since it was at this time that the city of Pompeii and its suburbs buried under a layer of ash were found.
Architect Shtackenschneider and gardener Erler were instructed to recreate a romantic paradise in the small Tsaritsyno island in the middle of Holguin Pond, which the Empress Alexandra Fedorovna loved so much.
They fully succeeded. As the Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich noted, their son, Tsaritsyn Pavilion in Peterhof, which cost the treasury a million two hundred thousand rubles, was wonderful and really liked the Empress.
The house consists of 7 rooms and a terrace. Surrounded by a garden and water, it still creates the impression of a quiet corner for peace of mind. There is nothing easier than to get to Peterhof from St. Petersburg from the Avtovo metro station. Shuttle taxis No. 224, 300, 424 and 424a depart from here.
Atrium
The first guests are greeted by a hall built according to the architectural standards of ancient Pompeii. Atrium is a guest room where the hosts spend daytime activities surrounded by servants or guests. In such a room there is a swimming pool and a roof hole through which fresh air would flow in hot Italy and cool the hall on sunny days, or rainwater would fill the pool during heavy rains.
But to be in the atrium during the dank Petersburg winters is a dubious pleasure, therefore the architect A.I. Shtakenschneider provided a glass dome in the roof, which was cleaned in the summer. The rest of the hall is similar to the ancient original: in the middle is a pool with a fountain made of blue and pink marble. At its corners are columns that support the roof, and the walls of the room are painted with frescoes depicting sea monsters.
The bronze figures adorning the pool were personally brought by Nicholas I from Italy.
Soft banquets arranged around him were made in the workshop of Gams and covered with blue cloth. There is a lot of light and free space in the hall, which, combined with the still murmuring water from the fountain, creates a peaceful mood.
Niche Room
The continuation of the repetition of the “Pompeian” style can be traced in all rooms and their design. For example, a restroom with three niches adjoins the atrium. Its walls are painted in soothing colors, and semicircular sofas and tables are set in niches. The rooms were illuminated by an oil chandelier and floor lamps - exact replicas of bronze lamps found in Pompeii. She is decorated with a sculpture of the beautiful Psyche with a bronze butterfly on her hand by Cincinnato Baruzzi in 1846. The lack of windows gives some intimacy to the room, which overlooks the brightly lit atrium.
Living and dining room
On the other side of the atrium is the entrance to the living room, decorated with black and white marble columns and a sculpture of a reclining woman. Tsaritsyn Pavilion in Peterhof saw many guests at one time, you can visit it today. The cost of a ticket for an adult will cost 450 rubles, for children under 16 admission is free. Students - 300 rubles. upon presentation of student ID. How to get to Peterhof from St. Petersburg? The 103rd and 420th minibuses depart from the Leninsky Prospekt metro station.
The living room offers a beautiful view of the atrium and the statue of Psyche standing in the twilight. Strict classical lines are decorated with red panels on the walls with medallions and a fireplace, but which are marble vases and a bust of a woman of the 2nd-4th centuries AD. e.
The center of the living room is a sofa and two round tables, and there are shop windows by the window, in one of which is an Etruscan-themed set specially made for the pavilion at the Imperial Porcelain Factory.
The walls of the dining room are decorated in blue tones, and the central part of the floor is occupied by a mosaic brought from Pompeii, acquired by Nicholas I. This room also has a showcase where the imperial coral service, stylized with branches of coral, is stored.
On the fireplace, located at the end of the room opposite the entrance, there is an ancient vessel (approx. 4 century BC) and a bust of the daughter of the emperor Titus Julia, dating from 1 century BC. e. Through the glazed doors from the dining room you can get to the terrace, which offers a beautiful view of the granite stairs going down to the pond.
Cabinets of the emperor and his wife
The Tsaritsyn Pavilion in Peterhof was the Empress's favorite resting place from palace ceremonies. Here she was waiting for an office - a small room with a semicircular niche, furnished with comfortable furniture in burgundy tones.
Bright gray-green walls and parquet floors, a desk, a mahogany chair and a marble fireplace decorated with clocks - that’s all the decoration of the empress’s office. To see this strict beauty, it is enough to come to the Tsaritsyn Pavilion in Peterhof, whose opening hours are from 10.30 to 18.00 daily.
From the office through the door it was easy to get into the inner garden, at the end of which you can go up the external stairs to the tower, where the emperor’s office was located. From it, a narrow metal ladder made it possible to climb to the platform, from where the garden and the pond are visible.
Pavilion today
Nowadays, Holgin and Tsaritsyn pavilions are open to visitors after a series of restoration work. Although much of their decoration was not preserved during the Second World War, artists and designers were able to restore the general spirit and style of these buildings from the available photographs.