Tsarskoe Selo (Pushkin)
The emergence and foundations for the further development of the palace and park ensemble of Tsarskoe Selo are connected with the liberation of ancient Novgorodian lands on the banks of the Neva river from Swedish occupation, as well as the construction of the city of St. Petersburg and the city's ascendancy to the role of capital of the Russian empire.
This territory was long a part of the medieval Russian State. In the 12 th century these lands were called the "Izhorsk land of the ruler of Novgorod the Great." In the 17 th century this "Izhorsk land" was occupied by the Swedes. The return of these territories to Russia began as a result of victories at the start of the Northern War in 1702.
On the spot that would become Tzarskoje Selo stood a small manor, the Saris hoff, Saaris Moisio ("myza" or hillock), in Russian the Sarskaya Myza, as marked on Swedish maps of the 17 th century.
First Sarskaya Myza was given as a gift to Governor General of the Liberated Region, Alexander Menshikov, then on July 24, 1710, by order of Peter the Great, the manor was "bequeathed" to his bride-to-be, Ekaterina Alexeevna, and given the status of court lands. Peter the Great official wedding ceremony took place in February, 1712. In the 1710s and 1720s, a royal country residence appeared in place of the old estate. Russian towns grew up around it. In 1719 - 1720, near the hillock, on the territory of the future town, there emerged a settlement of palace servants, and measures were taken to bring order to the planning and construction of the colony. They began to call Sarskaya Myza "Sarskoje Selo," and when the palace construction was underway, the name became Tzarskoje Selo.
For two centuries, Tzarskoje Selo was considered the imperial summer residence. Its construction was of state significance and took many years with the participation of government agencies.
After the October Revolution the palace and park ensemble was turned into a museum, and the best houses in the town were taken over by educational and health institutions. So, in 1918 the town was re-named Detskoje Selo. In 1937, on the 100-year anniversary of the tragic death of poet Alexander Pushkin, the town received its present name. From 1811 to 1843 the Tzarskoje Selo Imperial Lyceum, where Pushkin obtained his education, was located here.
In January of 1983 the Council of Ministers of the Russian Federation issued a decree giving the palaces and parks of Pushkin the status of a reserve, which in 1990 was called the Tzarskoje Selo State Museum Reserve.
On the territory of the Tzarskoje Selo ensemble, in the northern part of the Alexander Park, against a picturesque landscape stands a wonderful palace with more than two centuries of history. This is the Alexander, or "New" Tzarskoje Selo Palace. The foundation was laid in 1792 by order of Empress Catherine II the Great, and the palace presented as a gift to her first and favorite grandson, Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich (the future Emperor Alexander I) on the occasion of his marriage to Grand Duchess Elizaveta Alexeevna.
 The palace construction was completed in May of 1796, during the last year of Catherine the Great reign,. On June 12, 1796, Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich and his spouse moved into the New Palace. The architectural plans for the Alexander Palace were executed by the famous Italian architect Giacomo Quarenghi.
This palace in the classical style is an oblong two-story building with double wings on each side. In the center of the main northern facade is a magnificent Corinthian colonnade passage consisting of two rows of columns. The facade of the palace looking out on the regular part of the Alexander Park has been executed in the form of a semi-rotunda topped off by a spherical dome.
All important events connected with the activities of the Russian State were carried out here in the Alexander Palace: receptions for diplomats and foreign dignitaries, celebrations such as the 300-year anniversary of the Romanov dynasty and the 200-year anniversary of the founding of Tzarskoje Selo all took place here. The square in front of the palace was also a frequent site for official parades, court appearances and cavalry celebrations.
The exposition in the Catherine Palace Museum (prior to 1910 - the Great Tzarskoje Selo Palace) encompasses the 250-year history of the famous monument, and acquaints visitors with the work of the architects who participated in its construction and decoration in the 18 th and 19 th centuries, and also with the current state of this unique landmark, with the work of restorers who managed to bring the palace back to life after World War II. Currently, 29 of the 57 palace halls destroyed during the war have been restored.
In 1717, when the city of St. Petersburg was just being built on the banks of the Neva river, Tzarskoje Selo saw the construction of a new, stone imperial manor, which became known as the "Stone Chambers" of Catherine I. In August of 1724, when the construction was already completed, a celebration was organized in the palace during which "13 cannons were fired thrice." The Tsar and all of the major government dignitaries were present.
The palace was quite impressive with its size, powerful spatial dynamics and picturesque decoration in the style of the Russian Baroque. The wide, light blue ribbon of the palace with its snow-white columns and gilt ornament looked quite festive. The northern wing was topped by the five golden domes of the Palace Chapel, and the southern wing, which contained the formal, state rooms, was topped off by a golden dome with a star on the spire. Approximately 100 kilograms of gold were used to gild the exterior and interior ornaments. At this time the formal yard was also designed, surrounded by the palace's service buildings placed in a semi-circle around the "circumference" of the yard. The galleries of the palace's facade consisted of windows and columns, each of which bore a wooden, gold-leafed statue or vase.
 The 19th century brought changes to the Catherine Palace ensemble. In 1817, by order of Emperor Alexander I, the architect Vasily Stasov created the Formal Study and several adjoining rooms unified by a single style. Here, everything speaks of pride in military victories in the War of 1812. On June 9, 1918, the Catherine Palace was opened as a museum.
The Catherine Park was arranged to the south west of the Catherine Palace and occupies an area of more than one hundred hectares. The park went through two main stages of development. The first stage was the period of construction of the regular park in front of the eastern wing of the Catherine Palace, including the Old Park. The second stage was marked by the formation of the overall territory for the landscape part of the park, located to the south of the old part of the park. The new parks included as independent parts old garden areas that lost their regular character after the trees were pruned, but which maintained their original layout with minor changes. You can begin your visit of the Catherine Park near the central entrance to the Catherine Palace, near the Swan Fountain, at the terrace of the Old Park created in the early 18 th century.
Catherine's Palace is open daily except Tuesdays and the last Monday of every month, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The exhibition in Alexander's Palace is open daily except Tuesdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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