ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

This tour will give us an interesting insight into the Russian Tsars’ lives. We will see the most beautiful of the St Petersburg summer residences – Catherine Palace, and the most mysterious and unusual palace of Pavlovsk.

This tour will give us an interesting insight into the Russian Tsars’ lives. We will see the most beautiful of the St Petersburg summer residences – Catherine Palace, and the most mysterious and unusual palace of Pavlovsk. Our coach journey will take approximately one hour to reach Pushkin – formerly known as Tsarskoye Selo (or Tsar’s Village) – which is located 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of St Petersburg. The name Pushkin has been used since 1937. This celebrated Russian poet lived in the town at the beginning of the 19th century, and the Lyceum School where he studied can be seen. The former royal summer residence boasts a large landscape park dotted with architectural follies. The Catherine Palace ranks high on the list of the world’s most beautiful buildings. Rastrelli designed the lavish palace in 1752 for Empress Elizabeth, who named it Catherine Palace in honour of her mother, Catherine I, who originally owned the estate. The stunning turquoise, white and gold Baroque façade stretches 300 metres (1,000 feet) and is adorned with a profusion of atlantes (sculpted figures), columns, pilasters and ornamental window framings. Rastrelli used an amazing 100 kilograms of pure gold for the exterior gilding and visitors complained that the palace blinded their eyes on sunny days! Entering the Palace we will ascend the grand staircase to the staterooms on the first floor. The white-on-white ornamentation is broken only by crimson curtains and blue oriental vases on the walls. The view of the interior before us, of a seemingly interminable succession of staterooms, gives the impression of a golden corridor. This splendid passageway prepares us for the opulent décor of the Great Hall. Light streams into this glittering hall, illuminating the mirrors, gilded carvings and the vast ceiling painting. For official receptions and balls the hall was lit with 696 candles set in sconces in front of the mirrors, which must have been some sight. During our visit to the Catherine Palace, we shall see the famous Amber Room. King Friedrich Wilhelm presented the original amber wall panels to Peter the Great in 1717. They were too short for Catherine Palace’s high ceilings, but Rastrelli found a simple solution. He set 24 narrow pilasters faced with mirrors between the panels and installed a canvas frieze above them, painted to match the amber. The panels were made of small pieces of amber, decorated with amber mouldings, and each weighed an incredible 800 kilograms. These works of art were too heavy to dismantle and evacuate to safety in World War II and were looted by the Nazis, who dispatched them to Germany and they were never seen again. Preserved photographs and archives helped the Russian art experts to fashion thin amber pieces to match exactly the originals in shape and colour, thus recreating this legendary work of art. Once again, after 30 years of restoration, visitors can be mesmerised by the wealth and warmth of the amber tones, from lemon yellow to a deep red. The next ruler to leave her mark on the palace was Catherine the Great. She commissioned the Scotsman Charles Cameron to redesign the Baroque interior according to her neo-classical taste. The Green Dining Room, which will remind us of Wedgwood, is considered to be one of his best. Cameron’s restrained neo-classical style contrasts with the Baroque flamboyance of Rastrelli’s work. After the tour of the palace we will enjoy a pleasant walk in the park. The 1,400 acres of grounds at Pushkin are dotted with charming pavilions set around the central lake. The romantic landscape of the park is animated with the neo-Gothic Admiralty, Chesma Column, Turkish Bath, Marble Bridge, Chinese Pagoda, the Grotto Pavilion and the Hermitage (not the famous museum). After our walk we will be invited for a Russian lunch in one of the local restaurants, before our tour continues with a short drive to Pavlovsk. In 1777, Catherine the Great – overjoyed at the birth of her first grandson, Alexander – presented the vast hunting grounds of Pavlovsk to her son Paul. The design of the palace and grounds was entrusted to Catherine’s favourite architect, Charles Cameron. Cameron managed to finish only the first six rooms in the Palace. Decorative work was then entrusted to the Italian architect Vincenzo Brenna. He was also responsible for the reconstruction and extension of the Palace after Paul had become Emperor. Pavlovsk, though, was to serve as an Imperial country residence for only four years. In 1803 a fire destroyed the whole interior of the Palace’s central block. The Russian architect Andrei Voronikhin, a former serf of Count Stroganov, was put in charge of the restoration of the Palace and it took its final shape in the 1820’s. Although the building and decoration of the Palace was carried out by a succession of architects, its interiors and architecture show a great unity of style – the Palace’s décor is completely integrated with its architecture. Its vast collections won the Palace world recognition. In the 1880’s and early 1890’s, it was furnished with French furniture, unique porcelain and beautiful French bronzes. In the same period, works by the best Russian craftsmen also began to find their way to the Palace’s rooms, and they did not lose their prominence even in these fabulous surroundings. Although the Palace and Park were destroyed during World War II, they have now been totally restored. Pavlovsk is one of the largest landscaped parks in Europe – with around 1,800 acres of fir and birch trees, meadows and wild flowers – and is renowned for its beautiful natural landscape, which is enhanced by garden sculptures, and architecture. We will take a short walk through the park after the palace is visited.

This tour requires a considerable amount of walking and standing, and there are no lifts available at the Palaces visited – therefore it is unsuitable for those passengers with limited mobility or wheelchair users. There are approximately 30 steps in the Catherine Palace, and 40 in Pavlovsk Palace, as well as uneven and gravel ground to negotiate in the Parks. It should be noted that slippers/over shoes have to be worn over our outdoor shoes, to protect the flooring, when visiting the Palaces – extra care should be taken as this will make the floor surface more slippery. Our journey time will be approximately one hour each way.

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR 2008 SCANDINAVIA & BALTIC CRUISES