St. Petersburg - Catherine Palace in Pushkin (Tsarskoe Selo)

Wednesday, 26 September 2018

We took a morning excursion to the outskirts of St. Petersburg to see the Catherine Palace in the community of Pushkin. The day started sunny, but windy, and was cold and threatening rain by the time we left. A number of tsars and tsarinas left their mark on this estate with its grand summer palace and enchanting gardens.

Small brass bands busk for tips outside many tourist sites in Russia, apparently thinking that foreign tourists would like to hear music from home. (I don't! I'd rather hear Russian tunes in Russia!)

The exterior of Catherine's Palace.

The five domes over the palace church.

The state rooms are outrageous gilded baroque. This is the Great Hall.

It's a "summer palace", but all of the rooms had means of heating them. Most of the fireplaces/stoves were covered in blue and white Delft-style ceramic tiles. (Cavaliers' Dining Room)

Many of the ceilings have elaborate paintings on them. The monogram is "E I", or "Ekaterina I", Catherine the First, who built the original palace here.

The palace is set in Catherine Park with a small lake, several pavilions, and formal gardens.

Among the buildings in Catherine Park is this small "hermitage" where the tsars could have more intimate dinners and entertaining. It is surrounded by a moat that apparently has never had water in it. 

One of the formal walkways in Catherine Park.