Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

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Pavlovsk Park is a unique monument of landscape art from the late 18th to early 19th century. Together with the Pavlovsk Palace, it forms a unified artistic palace and park ensemble. Its history begins with the founding of Pavlovsk in 1777. Initially, it was forest land used for royal hunts. With the appearance of the first modest wooden palaces, Paullust and Mariental, small gardens began to be created around them on the hilly banks of the Slavyanka River. Gazebos, bridges, ruins, and flower beds were typical features of a Russian estate. The transformation of the forest into a park began with the arrival of Charles Cameron, who created a project for a new landscape park on the banks of the Slavyanka River, which serves as the parkâ€™s connecting artery. It was in the second half of the 18th century that the fashion for landscape parks appeared in Europe. It first took hold in England, which is why such parks are called English parks. Using Pavlovsk as an example, Cameron was the first to develop the ideas and principles of the new landscape architecture. Since the future park was a forested area, work began with clearing glades. Under Cameron, almost all the main park compositions emerged â€” the Palace District, the Great Star, the Slavyanka River Valley, the Menagerie, and the White Birch. A large, wide clearing, which was designed as the Triple Linden Alley, became the defining feature of the Palace District adjacent to the palace. Here, Cameron employed the technique of formal planning, a vivid example of which is the Private Garden and the Aviary Section. Later, architects V. Brenna, A.N. Voronikhin, and K.I. Rossi, without changing Cameronâ€™s plan for these districts, made their own additions and enriched their overall character. https://pavlovskmuseum.ru/about/park/

Amphitheater

al. Green Woman, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196625

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The amphitheater is also called the "place of the first date" or the "Monument to Nika," and in olden times it was also known as the "Belvedere."

Deer Bridge

Rozovopavilionnaya Alley, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The sculptures of graceful animals – two pairs of reclining deer – were acquired for Pavlovsk by Grand Duke Nikolai Konstantinovich in 1875.

Colonnade of Apollo

Sadovaya St., 17, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196620

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The image of the ancient god Apollo was meant to express the idea of the triumph of nature and art in the park, and Cameron constructed the Temple of Apollo in the spirit of ancient buildings.

Dairy

Sadovaya St., 20 lit. V, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

Originally, it was the empress's farm, built by Cameron modeled after the "Dairy" at the estate of the Duke of Württemberg.

Centaur Bridge

Sadovaya St., 20, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

One of the most beautiful bridges in Pavlovsk Park is the Centaurs Bridge.

New Silvia

State Museum-Reserve, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196625

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

Paths and trails run throughout the area, winding around the ponds, sometimes opening onto clearings, then disappearing again into the dense forest... Indeed, is this a forest or a park? All around are tall, gloomy fir trees, their thick, shaggy branches touching the ground. The trees come right up to the edge of the ravine, and below, in a narrow crevice, lies a pond. Its water is dark as black. Following the contours of the shore, a small path winds along. All around is forest wilderness. Step slightly aside—the moss cushions your feet. You want to lie down beside a tall pine, rest your head on its mossy roots, and watch as its top sways somewhere high above.

Monument to Beloved Parents

Unnamed Road, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

Great Architects: Jean Thomas de Thomon

Originally, this was a memorial pavilion for Sister Maria Fyodorovna - Frederika.

Pink Pavilion

Pavlovsk, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

On the southwestern edge of the Belye Berezy district, at the beginning of the Rose Pavilion Alley, laid out from the Parade Field to the Circle of White Birches, stands one of the most poetic structures of Pavlovsk Park – the Rose Pavilion.

Runic Cascade

State Museum-Reserve, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196625

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

Old Silvia

Unnamed Road, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

"Everything here involuntarily draws us to reflection," Zhukovsky wrote about this corner of the park. More than once he stood by this half-ruined fence and listened to the sound of the cascading water.

The Benefactor Husband or The Mausoleum of Paul I

Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196625

Samson Sukhanov: Master of Stonework

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

Great Architects: Jean Thomas de Thomon

The Mausoleum of Paul I is not the emperor’s tomb. Paul I, like all members of the imperial family, is buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in Saint Petersburg. In one of her letters, Empress Maria Feodorovna refers to it as a "Monument," and in the contract with the architect Carlo Domenico Visconti, she calls it a "Temple." The modern name is "To the Benefactor-Spouse" or "Mausoleum of Paul I."

Pavilion Temple of Friendship

Unnamed Road, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196620

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The Temple of Friendship is Charles Cameron's very first work in the Pavlovsk landscape park.

Cast Iron (Nikolaevsky) Gates

Konyushennaya St., 1, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196620

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

Cast iron gates on Sadovaya Street – a gift made by Emperor Nicholas I to his mother Maria Feodorovna for her birthday on October 14, 1826.

The Grand Palace in Pavlovsk

Sadovaya St., 20, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

Great Architects: Giacomo Quarenghi

Great Architects: Andrey Nikiforovich Voronikhin

Pavlovsk Palace is a uniquely beautiful structure that once served as the residence of Emperor Paul I. The majestic palace is located near Tsarskoye Selo, on a small elevation, making it clearly visible from any point in the city. Many talented architects contributed to the creation of this architectural gem of world significance, including Charles Cameron, Vincenzo Brenna, Andrey Voronikhin, Giacomo Quarenghi, and Carlo Rossi.

Palace Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul

Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The Palace Church was built in 1799 according to the design of architect Brenna. It occupies a separate one-and-a-half-story building adjacent to the Cavalier Hall, from which one can access the church choir loft. The choir loft, which is a balcony-loggia, was intended for the palace owners (here was located the imperial throne chair) and the most distinguished guests, who entered here from the Pre-Church Gallery, as the Cavalier Hall was officially called.

Pavilion of the Three Graces

Sadovaya St., 20, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The Pavilion of the Three Graces is an architectural structure on the terrace of Empress Maria Feodorovna's Private Garden in Pavlovsk Park. The pavilion was built according to a design by Charles Cameron in 1801 and became the architect's final work. The terrace where the pavilion is located was a favorite place for Emperor Paul I to work and relax.

Bolshoy Kamenniy Bridge over the Slavyanka River

Bolshoy Kamenniy Bridge, Prosveshcheniya St., Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The first bridge across the Slavyanka River was built in this location between 1790 and 1793 during the work of architect Charles Cameron in Pavlovsk. The exact author of the bridge project is not established, but the construction of the bridge is attributed to Engineer General-Lieutenant Bauer.

Monument to Emperor Paul I

Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The monument to Emperor Paul I was installed on the parade ground in front of the main facade of the central building of the Pavlovsk Palace on June 29, 1872. At the request and command of the owner of Pavlovsk, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, an exact copy of the Gatchina monument to Paul I, created by the sculptor I. Vitali, was made. The year of the monument's installation is not accidental, as it was in this same year that Konstantin Nikolaevich opened the Picture Gallery and the Museum of Antiquities to the public, transforming part of the Pavlovsk Palace into a publicly accessible museum modeled after the New Hermitage.

Niobides

Rose Pavilion Alley, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

Four of the twelve paths radiating from the center and leading from the square to the Starosilvian ponds feature several statues of the Niobids fleeing from Apollo with a bow.

Saw Tower

Krasnogo Molodtsa, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196625

Samson Sukhanov: Master of Stonework

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The Saw Tower is one of the poetic pavilions in the park, designed in a pastoral-romantic style. The pavilion was a tribute to the fashion of its time and served as a place for brief rest during a long walk through the park.

Saw tower

Krasnogo Molodtsa, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196625

Samson Sukhanov: Master of Stonework

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The Saw Tower is one of the poetic pavilions in the park, designed in a pastoral-romantic style. The pavilion was a tribute to the fashion of its time and served as a place for brief rest during a long walk through the park.

Large stone staircase

Sadovaya St., 20, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The staircase was designed according to the project of architect Vincenzo Brenna, who skillfully utilized the character of the landscape in its creation. The staircase consists of 64 steps and leads from the Pavlovsk Palace down to the valley of the Slavyanka River. The large stone staircase on the steep riverbank slope is adorned with two pairs of reclining lions.

Pavilion "Aviary"

Sadovaya St., 20, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The Aviary Pavilion is one of the first buildings in Pavlovsk Park, created by Charles Cameron. Paul I and Maria Feodorovna attached great importance to this structure and in 1872, before departing on a tour of Europe, discussed all its details. It was intended that the pavilion would house an aviary for birds, a place for dancing and relaxation, as well as a small museum.

Rossi Pavilion — a monument to Empress Maria Feodorovna

Sadovaya St., 20, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The Rossi Pavilion is located in Pavlovsk Park within the territory of the eponymous state museum-reserve. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century based on sketches by architect Carlo Rossi as a monument to Empress Maria Feodorovna — the wife of Paul I.

Triple Linden Alley

Sadovaya St., 20, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The Triple Linden Alley is the main driveway to the palace, designed back in 1784. According to the concept of Charles Cameron, the creator of the Pavlovsk palace and park ensemble, it is located on the central axis that passes through the center of the Greek and Italian Halls, the Upper ceremonial vestibule, from the windows of which both the alley itself and the distant perspective are clearly visible. The Triple Linden Alley played a special role in the park. It was intended for ceremonial entrances, which is why it was divided by four rows of lindens. This created three entire paths, one of which (the central one) was meant for carriage passage, while the other two, located on the sides, were for pedestrians.

Black Bridge - Dam

MFP3+V8 Pushkinsky District, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The Black Bridge is a crossing in the form of a dam-bridge over the Slavyanka River in Pavlovsk Park, located within the territory of the eponymous state museum-reserve. It was constructed in 1780. Its first designs were made by architect Charles Cameron — the creator of the entire park ensemble. According to Cameron's vision, a dam was built under the bridge to prevent its destruction. Later, the structure was rebuilt by architect Vincenzo Brenna in 1799.

Hunchback Bridge

MFP3+W7 Pushkinsky District, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The Humpback Bridge is a round brick arch faced with porous tuff and stretched over a small channel. It was built in 1784 by Charles Cameron. According to the architect's design, this part of the park was created in a romantic style, and this bridge is an integral part of it, with a small dam made of rough stone and a bridge in the form of an arch. Water overflowed the dam and flowed under the Humpback Bridge.

Family Grove – a special memorial place in Pavlovsky Park

MFP2+86 Pushkinsky District, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The tradition of planting trees to commemorate important family events was established by the first owners of Pavlovsk. The first Family Grove was planted by Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich and his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna, on a small peninsula formed by a bend in the Slavyanka River. They personally planted the "family" trees, marking the most significant dates in the family chronicle – the births of children and grandchildren, weddings. Each tree was fitted with a tin plaque indicating the name of the new member of the imperial family and the year of birth; in some cases, the plaque also noted the year of the wedding. In the center of the grove, a decorative vase was installed, which came to be called the Urn of Fate.

Musical Station of the Tsarskoye Selo Railway

Staroshaleinaya Alley, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196620

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

Russia: Lost Monuments

Petersburg: Lost Architectural Monuments

In 1836-1837, the main line of the Tsarskoye Selo Railway was laid through the territory of Pavlovsky Park. A clearing was made through the park, and an embankment was constructed almost up to Sadovaya Street.

Round Hall ("Musical Pavilion")

Kruhzolzalnye Ponds, Upper Kruhzolzal Pond, St. Petersburg, Russia, 196625

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The round hall, a pavilion of classical architecture, is located in the park area Bolshaya Zvezda at the intersection of radially arranged roads, where originally on a round platform, sometimes called in French Tapis Vert (Green Carpet), there was an observation deck.

Elizabethan Pavilion (Krasnodoliny)

Sadovaya St., 70, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196625

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

Russia: Lost Monuments

Petersburg: Lost Architectural Monuments

In 1801, near Glazovo (now part of Tyarlevo), in one of the most remote corners of Pavlovsky Park, the Elizabethan or Krasnodoliny Pavilion was built. This pavilion—the last work of architect Charles Cameron in Pavlovsk—so amazed and astonished contemporaries that it was called an "architectural whim." Indeed, there was much to marvel at. Cameron and his assistants—architect Shreter and master stonemason Visconti—created an unusual, original, yet extraordinarily harmonious building.

Red Valley

Novo-Sadovaya St., 50, Saint Petersburg, Leningrad Region, Russia, 196625

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The Red Valley is the name of one of the remote areas of Pavlovsk Park. In 1804, it was designed by the decorative artist Pietro Gonzago, an Italian master of landscape gardening. The Italian was invited to arrange Pavlovsk Park by Empress Maria Feodorovna, who commissioned him to improve certain sections of the park.

Ruins at the Elizabethan (Krasnodolny) Pavilion

Novosilviy Bridge over the Slavyanka River, Okruzhnaya Avenue, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196625

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

Ruins, a pavilion in Pavlovsky Park, built by Cameron in the early 1800s near the Elizabeth Pavilion on the left bank of the Slavyanka River in the area known as the Red Valley. The ruins consisted of a wall with arched openings; a staircase led up to the wall, and there was a cascade. Around the ruins, authentic antique marbles were scattered. Svinin, in his descriptions of St. Petersburg and its surroundings, wrote: “...Very skillfully made ruins – broken statues, bas-reliefs, cornices, and columns of various marbles, emerging from the grass and covered with moss, present to the imagination a vivid notion of the ruins of Greece, still breathing greatness and glory.”

Novosilviy Bridge

Novosilviy Bridge over the Slavyanka River, Okruzhnaya Avenue, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196625

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The Novosilviy Bridge in Pavlovsky Park was constructed according to the design of architect Ivan Yakovlevich Potolov and engineer Alexey Chikalev in 1875, replacing the former Gurov Bridge (1801). Its name is connected to the name of the forest area in which it is located. It connects the Red Valley with the New Silviya district. A path leads down to the bridge from the "End of the World" column. The bridge is decorated with blocks of porous wild stone and railings made from birch trunks.

Circle of White Birches

Circle of white birches, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 187021

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The "Belye Berezy" district is the largest and most remote in Pavlovsk. For 25 years, the landscaping of this area was overseen by the master of garden art, Pietro Gonzago. To create picturesque landscapes — beautiful meadows and distant vistas — he had to cut down forests, and in some cases, plant trees.

Column of Princess Lieven

MFQC+48 Pushkinsky District, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The Column of Princess Lieven in Pavlovsk Park — a marble column on the peninsula between the Rose Pavilion Ponds — was once topped with a metal sphere and set on a red granite pedestal, surrounded by posts that remain from the fence. It "faced" the Konstantin Palace located opposite, which was completely destroyed during the Great Patriotic War.

The Parade Field and Princess Lieven Island

MFQ8+4H Pushkinsky District, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The Parade Field, or Parade Place, was created at the end of the Triple Linden Alley according to a design by V. Brenn. It was intended for military maneuvers conducted by Paul I. After his death, this picturesque area was transformed into a park between 1803 and 1813 by the master Gonzago. A pond appeared here, with an island in the center named Princess Liven Island, in honor of Maria Feodorovna’s friend and the governess of the grand duchesses, Charlotte Karlovna Liven.

Column "End of the World"

MFW7+CR Pushkinsky District, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

The "End of the World" Column is a monument of park architecture from the late 18th century. In 1784, along the axis of the Triple Linden Alley at its exit onto the square, a marble column was installed according to Cameron's design, and the entire area began to be called the Column Square. A few years later, cast-iron gates appeared here, completing the design of the square. An image of this place can be seen on the painting of an antique fan from the museum's collection.

Konstantinovsky Palace in Pavlovsk Park

MFQC+H9 Pushkinsky District, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Petersburg, Suburbs: The Secrets of Pavlovsk

Imperial Parks: Pavlovsk

Russia: Lost Monuments

Great Architects: Giacomo Quarenghi

Petersburg: Lost Architectural Monuments

The time of the creation of the Konstantin Palace dates back to the late 18th century. The construction of the palace began in the Catherine Park of Tsarskoye Selo in November 1792. The palace was built from November 1792 to June 1793 according to the design of architect Giacomo Quarenghi. It is known that it was a rectangular two-story building, 58 meters long and 23 meters wide. The central part of the main facade, with three Venetian (triple) windows, was crowned with a pediment. Ten Ionic half-columns were installed between the windows. The exterior of the palace was clad with boards, the walls were painted yellow, and the roof was green. The years of the Konstantin Palace's existence in Tsarskoye Selo represent only the first stage of its history. On August 19, 1797, when Paul I ascended the throne, a decree was issued to move the Konstantin Palace with its kitchen to Pavlovsk. The relocation began in February 1798 and lasted more than five months. The construction of the palace was carried out under the supervision of architect Brenna.