Grand Gatchina Palace - Gatchina Museum-Reserve: description, history, how to get there

Gatchina Palace Museum is one of the most beautifulpalace complexes located not far from St. Petersburg, where in the XVIII-XIX centuries residences of Russian counts and emperors were located. Here lived the royal families, passed balls and meetings of monarchs, military parades and royal hunting were held.

History of construction

The history of the Gatchina Palace began in 1765. with the gift of Catherine II to his friend and favorite Count Orlov. A palace was built on the Gatchina manor (former estate), surrounded by spring lakes, a stream and rivers. An extraordinary landscape and location made it possible to create a very beautiful park in the center of which for 15 years a palace was built, designed by the Italian architect A. Rinaldi.

In the beginning, the building was conceived as a "huntinghouse "because of Orlov's predilection for this entertainment, but then it was decided to build a palace. During the years of construction, the Empress several times came and oversaw the process, which was completed only by 1781.

The Great Gatchina Palace resembles the ItalianPalazzo in the style of classicism, lined with natural wintry dolomite. The central part in three floors is decorated with five-edged turrets and is connected by arc-shaped wing-wings with wings, each of which is lined in the form of a square-square with an inner courtyard. On the second floor of the semicircular wings, open galleries were built. The walls were decorated with paintings and stucco.

The landscape park was broken up in the same years by the type of English and became the first in Russia. However, Prince Orlov fate decided it was not long to live in this palace, in 1783 he died.

Pavel I in Gatchina

Later, Catherine II bought the Gatchina manor fromheirs of the prince and gave it to his son Pavel Petrovich. The Grand Duke fell in love with these places and lived here almost constantly. After 50 years, the Gatchina Palace was decided to rebuild in a new fashion, for which the architect V. Brenna was invited. Given the local climate, Brenna decided to glaze the gallery, and in the open arches on the first floor to install the doors. The side buildings were completed on two floors, the interiors of the ceremonial rooms were redecorated using ancient Roman art motifs, regular gardens were broken, pavilions, bridges and gates were built in the park. So, the island of love was decorated with a pavilion of Venus, a little further - the Birch House was built. Front of the building housed a military parade ground.

Since 1796 Paul I became the Russian emperor, and Gatchina was awarded the honor of becoming the royal residence. According to the memoirs of contemporaries in those years, the whole territory was turned into an impregnable fortress, surrounded by a moat with water, stone bastions and guard-posts. It was possible to enter the palace and the park only through a barrier.

Another reconstruction took place in 1798. under the project of architect N. A. Lvov, when the Priory Palace was built, which became the residence of the Maltese knights. All perestroika were executed in the style of Russian classicism, fashionable style in the late XVII - early XIX centuries.

Gatchina Palace in the XIX century

In 1801 after the murder of Emperor Paul I in St. Michael's Castle in St. Petersburg, Empress Maria Feodorovna ascended to the throne, who lived for some time in Gatchina. Later, in 1827, the Gatchina Palace, together with the park and grounds, was handed over to the Emperor Nicholas I in the "eternal possession" of the male line.

Nicholas I decided to rebuild the palace, sinceMany rooms did not meet modern comfort requirements. Therefore Arsenalnoye and Kitchen square were dismantled and rebuilt according to the brick. In Arsenalnom specially for the family of the emperor were arranged private apartments and ceremonial halls, and in the kitchen - built a house church.

However, the Central Corps, paying tribute to the memoryPaul I, left untouched, so the interiors of the XVIII century were preserved completely. Restoration work was only carried out, furniture, sculptures, parquet floors were repaired and a modern heating system was installed. All works were carried out in 1844-1856. under the guidance of RI Kuzmin.

Emperors Nicholas I and his son Alexander II,who came to the throne later, visited the Bolshoi Gatchina Palace only for ceremonial balls and receptions of crowned persons, and Imperial hunts were also held here.

In March 1881 Emperor Alexander II was mortally wounded in St. Petersburg, his place was taken by Alexander III, who decided to make Gatchina his residence. The royal family moved here, and for many years the palace became a home and a favorite home for all the representatives of the imperial family.

Years of the Revolution and the Twentieth Century

After the Revolution of 1917 By decree of the Provisional Government, special commissions were set up in Gatchina, Peterhof and other suburbs to register and systematize the property of the former palace complexes. A year later the Gatchina Palace Museum received the status of the state, and was opened for a visit and inspection.

During the Great Patriotic War, in the beginning,the building suffered from an air raid. However, some of the exhibits in 1941 still managed to take out. Some sculptures were buried in the park deep underground. Then Gatchina was occupied by the fascist invaders. When retreating in 1944, all values ​​were looted by the Germans, and the Great Palace was burned and almost destroyed.

Restoration work

All the palace and park buildings sufferedso strong that in the post-war period it was believed that it would not be possible to restore them. However, later, in 1976, it was decided to restore the palace, which lasted almost 10 years.

In 1985 For the guests, such halls of the Gatchina Palace as the Avantzal, the Throne, the Marble Canteen were ceremonially opened, and on the third floor of the Central Building there was an exhibition on the history of the palace construction.

Due to the fact that the palace underwent a largedestruction during the war years, very few real interiors, furniture, sculptures remained. Therefore, modern restorers are guided by the photographs found, often as a basis take drawings and watercolors of artists of the XVIII century, who were invited to Gatchina specifically for sketching the original species and interior decoration of the palace. From many pieces of furniture and sculptures, copies are made, which are exhibited in the interiors of the halls along with the surviving originals.

Watercolors and drawings by Edward Hau

For the first time the artists E.P. Hau and Premazzi came at the invitation of Emperor Nicholas I to the Gatchina Palace to create a series of watercolors of interior interiors in the 1860s. The picturesque works of the Great and Small military offices of the emperor were made.

Then, on the second trip in 1874, Gau undertookfor the execution of a special order, creating a large series of interior views of the palace. Hundreds of watercolors were made, which were stored for many years in the albums of Emperor Alexander II, and after the museum's museum was handed over to the Engraving Room of the Palace Museum.

One of the most beautiful halls, created in the XVIII centurycentury Rinaldi - White Hall, decorated with snow-white busts of Antinous and Caracalla in the original, all the walls of which are covered with stucco and bas-reliefs. Very effectively decorated tapestries Crimson living room and tastefully - Throne Room of Paul I.

Interesting Throne Hall of the Empress MariaFedorovny, which housed a picturesque collection of famous European masters. The artist worked in different years, thanks to which he managed to capture all the changes and additions made by each architect during the restructuring of the Grand Palace and adjacent buildings.

Watercolors by E.P. Gau is so technically perfect and masterly executed that you can see in them in the smallest details all the furniture of the palace rooms, up to the texture of the materials, from which the walls, furniture and small decorative details are decorated. All works are valuable historical documents, with the help of which the restoration of the halls of Gatchina is currently underway.

Exhibits and exhibitions of the Gatchina Museum

The exhibits of the Gatchina Palace (Gatchina) include not only the interiors themselves and the interior decor, there are interesting collections, regularly held thematic exhibitions:

• Collection of cold and firearmsXVI-XIX centuries., More than 1000 items, which has historical and artistic significance. By the exhibits of the collection, it is possible to trace the development of all weapons art on the European and Asian subcontinents.
• Since 2011 the carved icon "Introduction to the Temple of the Blessed Virgin", evacuated during the Great Patriotic War, returned to the exposition of the museum. All these years it was considered lost, but in 2007 it appeared on the auction of Christie and was purchased by collector V. Logvinenko from Moscow, and then returned to the Gatchina Palace Museum.
• Collection of porcelain, which includes productsporcelain factory of St. Petersburg, Western European factories, collection of Far Eastern porcelain by Count Orlov. The Chinese gallery has a rich collection of products (more than 2 thousand exhibits) of decorative and applied art of Japan and China, which was regularly replenished by all members of the royal families living in the palace.
• Personal office of Paul I, who after his death became a family museum, etc.

Anniversaries of the Gatchina Palace

In 2015 By the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Gatchina Palace Museum, four rooms have been restored for visitors, among them the Greek and Chesma galleries. Created with the aim of glorifying the victory of the Russian fleet in Chesma (1770), the semicircular Chesme Gallery was made in such a way to enhance the decorative effect. Its windows face the White Lake, the center is the canvas of J. Hakkert, describing the naval battle. The restoration of the marble staircase, which connects the central building with the Arsenal Block, has been completed, thanks to which private quarters of Emperor Alexander III and his family became available to everyone.

In May 2016 The museum-reserve "Gatchina" solemnly celebrated the 250th anniversary of the palace. For the visitors were opened new halls, an exhibition dedicated to the emperors who lived here. During the jubilee, theater performances are shown, a festival of brass bands is held, the palace square is decorated with trees and flowers.

Gatchina Park

Created in the XVIII century landscape parkThe ensemble in the museum-reserve "Gatchina" is one of the oldest. Now it was practically in the center of the city, the entrance to it is free, that's why all locals and tourists happily take walks here, admiring the beauty of nature and ancient buildings.

The complex is divided into several parts:

• English park surrounds White and Silverlake, beautiful pavilions, ponds and bridges, includes interesting constructions: the 8-hole well, the Water labyrinth, the Chesme obelisk, the portal "Mask", the column of the Eagle, the pavilion of Venus on the island of Love and others.
• Underground passage 120 m long, stretching from the palace toSilver Lake in the grotto "Echo", named so for unusual acoustic features, in which by some rumors one can meet the ghost of Emperor Paul I.
• Regular gardens such as Lime, Upper and Lower Dutch, Private garden, have clear alleys and well-kept bushes, trees and lawns.
• Zverinets is located in the northern part of the Palace Park.

Priory Palace

This palace, which became an architectural symbolGatchina, was erected on the project of architect N. A. Lvov in 1799 on the shore of the Black Lake for the Maltese knights. It is also interesting because it is the only earth-building building of the 18th century in Russia. With this technology, the loam layers are impregnated with lime mortar, which is further used in the construction of the building. Built from the side of the lake, a retaining stone wall made of pudostan stone creates the illusion of a building that grows out of the water. On the south side, the Priory resembles a Gothic chapel.

In the XX century the palace was alternately local historymuseum, tourist center and the House of Pioneers, now it is revived in a new capacity: there are concerts in the Capella, excursions are taking place in the building where exhibits on the history of the palace construction, the Order of Malta are exhibited. There are stands dedicated to the architect N. A. Lvov and the technology of earthmoving construction.

Gatchina Palace: working hours and other information

There is a palace complex and a park in Gatchina on Krasnoarmeysky Avenue, 1.

Opening hours of the museum: Tuesday-Sunday - from 10.00 to 18.00 hours, the ticket office closes an hour earlier. On Monday - a day off, the first Tuesday of each month - sanitary day.

Information on how to get to Gatchinapalace from the Northern capital, has the following information: the city is located 45 km from St. Petersburg in the south-west direction. You can get there by rail from the Baltic station or by shuttle bus from Moscow metro station (No. 18) to Gatchina-Baltiyskaya or Gatchina-Varshavskaya railway station. The journey takes about an hour. On the highway you should go in the direction of Petersburg-Kiev (20 motorway).

The cost of tickets to the Gatchina Palace - from 200 rubles. for schoolchildren, students and pensioners up to 350 rubles. for adults, a family ticket costs 900 rubles, an audio guide - 200 rubles.