This was our last tour in Russia and did we leave the best for last. Our journey took us about 30 miles south of St. Petersburg to a tiny village of 8000 people, Pushkin, Russia. This is where we begin our day.
Above is a smaller building on the grounds that was used for huge dinner banquets. It actually even had a moat around it.
This palace was originally built as the summer home for Peter The Great and his wife Catherine around 1717. It was more modest than the palace here today.
Neoclassical styled statues adorn the palace grounds and roof top.
You do not need to know Russian to understand the sign above.
Peter The Great and Catherine's daughter Elizabeth inherited this palace when she became Czarina. She made many changes including demolishing the first palace in place of a much grander styled building.
This palace has actually, in total, been torn down and built up six times in it's history?
A wee friend from home that is visiting Russia while we are here.
I am modelling, in front of the palace, my excellent new 'Russian' inspired knitted wrap. I love it.
Fur....yes real fur....is making a comeback all around Europe. Oh my gosh...don't do it.
The Golden Gate of the court yard.
Lined up with our peeps waiting to get into the palace. It was chilly.
Below is the elegant Stasov Staircase that is our entry into the interior of the Palace.
We all had to put paper slips over our shoes while we walked around. No scuffing the wood floors.
Catherine The Great who first began the building of this summer home.
The Great Hall or The Hall of Lights. About 1000 square feet of glitter and light. The entire ceiling is a painting. Sparkling....LD had to drag me out of here.
I found it curious that it was designed in such a way that you can see the doors ways ahead, as far back as we were standing?
Exquisite detail and elegance is given to each room, floor, ceiling, and decorations.
You can see the initial of 'E' on many things for Empress Elizabeth.
A 'minor' dining room in the palace that can seat 14.
Who wants to come for dinner?
This above photo is of The Amber Room. No photos are allowed by visitor, but this was on the website.
The "Amber Study" was a gift from the King of Prussia to the Emperor Peter The Great. It was delivered in as many as18 containers and assembled in the palace. Everything including the mirrors, picture frames and walls are all made of amber. This precious stone is very expensive in Russia today....I have no idea what it may have cost to gift that to the Emperor.
Elizabeth had the whole room sent to Catherine's Palace to have her very own "Amber Room."
It is exquisite.
Empress Elizabeth, who renovated the palace, named for her mother, Catherine, wanted it to be known as the "Versailles of Russia."
The Germans used this as a headquarters during the historic 872 day "Siege of Leningrad."
(Hitler wanted to completely level Leningrad, now known as St. Petersburg, and it's population. They cut off the last road/rail into the city and during the next 3 years the city lost more than 1,500,000 soldiers and civilians and another 1,400,000 women and children who starved during evacuations, and bombing raids. But Leningrad did now fall under Nazi occupancy. The Soviet forces pushed the Germans back and the siege was lifted.)
At the end of WWII, the Germans intentionally destroyed this palace on their forced retreat. All that was left was the shell of what once was. The people of Pushkin and St. Petersburg, lovingly brought it back to greatness. About 20,000 items had been hidden during the war to protect them. They have since, slowly, been brought back and are now displayed in the palace. After the Revolution, this palace became a museum, which was very fortunate as they had documented almost every inch of it. Because of this, the rebuilding to it's present day is almost exactly as it was before the war.
The golden onion domes of Catherine's Palace. Again I have to say, no photo can properly show how stunning this image was in person. Incredible.
This day at Catherine's Palace was so enjoyable. Deb and I loved the gardens and the grounds as much as seeing the palace. Fresh air and meandering around....exploring.....nothing beats that.
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