TSARSKOYE SELO
ST PETERSBURG
The ‘Tsar’s Village’ land was originally owned by a Swedish noble family and later gifted to Catherine I by her husband, Peter the Great, in 1708. Since then it became the country residence of the Imperial family, located as it is just 15 miles south of St Petersburg.
The estate is made of two palaces with adjacent gardens, namely the Catherine Palace which remains open today and the Alexander Palace, which is still receiving restoration.
The architect behind the Catherine Palace was Bartolomeo Rastrelli who was also responsible for the Winter Palace as well as a number of other famous Baroque structures around the Baltic and Eastern Europe, renowned for their extravagance and fine detailing. Nowhere else is this better exemplified than the star attraction of the Catherine Palace, the Amber Room. Restoration of this room was started in 1979 and finally completed in 2003 with the help of donations from Germany as well as the skills and dedication of Russian artisans.
Decorated in amber panels and gold leaf, this room best exemplifies the wealth and decadence of the imperial family at the height of its powers.
Tsarskoye Selo was also the home of the Lyceum started by Alexander I from which a number of notable Russian literary figures graduated, including Aleksandr Pushkin.
Opening times and admission prices vary for each section of the Tsarskoye Selo, but are all open between 10am and 6pm on most days. Visit eng.
tzar.ru for exact details.