Grand Catherine Palace
city of Pushkin, St. Petersburg
Description:
The history of this grand complex begins in 1717. When the decree of the Empress began to build her summer residence. The author of the project was the architect I.F. Braunstein. After 26 years, Elizabeth Petrovna, who ascended the throne after Catherine, ordered to rebuild the building, slightly expanding it and ennobling it. For this work, she called A. Kvasov and M. Zemtsov. And the palace took on a new look. After another 10 years, she is again looking for architects who removed the shadow of antiquity from the palace and further expanded the territory. B. Rastrelli volunteered to help her. Everything about the architect took almost four years. During this period he gave the palace in the style of Russian Baroque. For this reason, Elizaveta Petrovna arranged a grand celebration, presenting her palace to local and foreign guests. Visitors were stunned by the beauty and majesty of the Rastrelli building.
In the period of the USSR, a museum was opened in the palace, preserving the ancient entourage and interior. Idyll was violated by the Second World War. The palace was badly damaged during the shelling. It has not yet been fully restored. Many buildings are still waiting for reconstruction, but most of them are still open to tourists.