Another full day devoted to being tourists. Our mission today was a visit to Pavlosk and Tsarskoe Selo. Both are located about 25 miles from St. Petersburg. After two days in the heart of the big city, a trip to the ‘burbs would be a welcome change. Unfortunately the crowds followed us.
To add to our misery, we were scheduled for an early departure. Usually that would not be an issue, but we stayed up way past our bedtime last night to watch the drawbridge near our ship be raised. They only raise the bridges at night (to help prevent traffic congestion 27 bridges will do that) and some of the other passengers said it was a great sight. We bought into their enthusiasm and stayed up until almost 2 am, which is still twilight this time of year. Not sure it was worth the effort. Being from a city with draw bridges, seeing one raised with the city lights glowing behind it wasn’t much of a thrill. In retrospect, a few hours more sleep would have been a wiser choice.
Our first stop was Pavlosk. Catherine gave the property to her son, the Grand Duke Paul to celebrate the birth of Paul’s heir. She also “gave” him her favorite architect to design the palace and gardens. Construction began in 1780, but continued for years as Paul’s wife was intimately involved in the design of the house and gardens.
The palace has undergone restoration in recent years to repair the extensive damage caused during the Nazi occupation of WW II. Not only did the Nazis occupy the palaces around St. Petersburg, when they left, they set fire to the properties. Fortunately enough photos were available to make restoration possible. And, in anticipation of the Nazi invasion, many of the valuable artworks were removed to safe storage.
Pavlosk is smaller than many of the museums, but special as the restored rooms contain the original furniture and works of art. Paul and his wife, Maria were avid collectors, so the rooms are filled with clocks, paintings, tapestries and other items collected from around Europe.
Our next stop was the lavish palace of Tsarskoe Selo, also known as Catherine’s Palace. The palace was built by Tsarina Elizabeth and named in honor of her mother. Elizabeth knew how to spend money and she poured the Russian treasury into her creation, not to mention her wardrobe of 15,000 dresses (we didn’t get to see her closet). The original design was elaborate Baroque. There wasn’t any surface that wasn’t adorned with gilt covered curliques, cupids, flowers or whatever the architect and craftsmen devised. Most of the restored rooms we visited are huge, high ceilings, enough room for a small village to gather in. A few of the rooms were redecorated by her daughter, Catherine the Great. She didn’t care for Mom’s taste, preferring the Neo-classical with less gold and flourishes. The big draw here is the Amber room. This room is a masterpiece with walls covered in Amber. No description can do justice, suffice it to say, the shades of gold amber covering the walls, enhanced by amber carvings is stunning. I won’t be doing a room like that at home, but even if the style isn’t your taste in decor, it is hard not to be impressed.
As with Pavlosk, the Nazis burned the palace on their way out of town. With the aid of photos and drawings, the property is being restored. The original panels in the Amber room were stolen by the Nazis and never recovered. The restoration work to date in the amber room and rest of the palace is exceptional.
Tonight we begin our journey west.
