Exhibitions of the Catherine Palace Museum (named Bolshoy Tsarskoselsky Palace before 1910) cover the 300-year history of this outstanding architectural monument and introduce visitors to many interesting topics: architects involved in its construction and finishing during the 18th and 19th centuries, the present-day state of this unique ensemble and works of restorers that rebuilt the Palace after the Second World War.
In 1717, when Saint Petersburg was being created at the banks of the Neva River, construction works of the first stone tsar residency started in Tsarskoye Selo; later, this residency would come to be known as the stone palaty ("palace" in Old Russian) of Catherine I. In August of 1724, when the construction works had been finished, 13 canons fired thrice during a feast that was organised in the Palace. The tsar and all the top-rank officials attended the celebration. At that time, the Palace was a relatively small two-storey building, which was typical of the early 18th century Russian palace buildings.
Under Empress Elisabeth, in late 1742 – early 1743 the first attempt to extend the Palace was undertaken by the architect M. Zemtsov. After Zemtsov's death his works in Tsarskoye Selo were taken over by A. Kvasov and his assistant G. Trezzini. In May of 1745, G. Trezzini was replaced by S. Chevakinskiy who supervised the construction works in Tsarskoye Selo until 1760.
From late 1748 to 1756, Chief Court Architect F. B. Rastrelli was in charge of the construction of the Tsarskoye Selo residence. On 10th May 1752, Empress Elizabeth signed a decree on a general reconstruction of the old building, and on 30th July 1756 Rastrelli presented his creation to Elizabeth and foreign ambassadors.
Built in the Russian Baroque style, the Palace made a great impression with its size, its spatial dynamics and its picturesque decorations. The azure band of the facade with its snow white columns and gilded ornament was very festive-looking.
Five gilded domes of the Palace Church dominated the Northern Wing, while the Southern Wing, which included the main entrance, was dominated by a gilded dome that featured a spire decorated by a multi-pointed star. The gilding of exterior and interior decorations required around 100 kg (220 pounds) of high carat gold. At that time, surrounded by the palace wings and buildings of "circumferences," the main courtyard was completed.
The palace facades were decorated with columns, sculptures of Atlas, caryatids, cartouches on pediments, lion masks and other mouldings based on designs by the sculptor J. Dunker.
Rastrelli finished the rooms of the Palace as sumptuously. The State Enfilade created by him was also dubbed the Golden Enfilade for its abundance of gilded carving. Enfilades were not known in Russia until the mid-18th century. Rastrelli introduced them into other palaces as well. However, only in Tsarsakoye Selo the enfilade was as long as the whole building, starting at the Main Staircase and finishing at the Church Block.
Since 1756, the Palace had been at the centre of the court life; not only masked and other balls took place here, but important official decisions were also taken.
In 1770s, the decorations of the staterooms entered a new stage. As a new master of the Palace, Empress Catherine the Great decided to redecorate her personal rooms and put the Scotch architect C. Cameron in charge of the project. The empress was fascinated by Antique art and Cameron was an expert in Antique architecture. This architect created interiors of such rooms as the Arabesque, Lion and Chinese Living Rooms, the Dome Dining Room, the Silver Study and the Bedroom. These rooms are distinguished by their refined beauty, austere decorations and a special taste for finishing materials. Unfortunately, these rooms were destroyed during the Second World War and have not been yet restored.
However, the rooms of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich (later Emperor Paul I) and his wife Mariya Fyodorovna, which were decorated by Cameron at that time, have been restored. The most important of them are the following: the Green Dining Room, the Waiter's Room, the State Blue Drawing Room, the Chinese Blue Drawing Room, the Bedchamber, the Painting Study and the Sculpture Study.
The 19th century brought its changes to the ensemble of the Catherine Palace. In 1817, on commission from Emperor Alexander I the architect V. Stasov created the State Study and several rooms adjacent to it, united by the same style. Here everything is imbued with the pride of victories gained against Napoleon in 1812.
In 1863, the last note was struck in the symphony of the Golden Enfilade when I. Monighetti created the Main Staircase in the Second Rococo style.
On 9th June 1918, the Catherine Palace was opened for the public as a museum.
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