Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin)
The town of Tsarskoye Selo
is 26 km
away from St Petersburg. it is a unique artistic complex of wonderful
parks, splendid palaces of huge dimensions designed by such outstanding
architects as Bartolomeo Rastrelli, Savva Chevakinsky, Charles Cameron, Giacomo
Quarenghi, Mikhail Zemtsov, Andrei Kvasov to name but a few.
The focal point of the ensemble is the Grand Catherine Palace, erected in the early 18th century for Catherine the First, Peter the Great’s wife.
In 1752-1757, it was rebuilt by B. Rastrelli, who completed the project and decorated the palace exteriors. The palace is 300 metres in length. It ranks among the master-pieces of the Russian Baroque style.
The internal décor was the responsibility of Charles Cameron from Scotland. The palace apartments were finished with amazing luxury but the pride of the palace was the Amber Room presented to Peter the Great by the Prussian king and transferred to Tsarskoye Selo from the Winter Palace.