Empress Maria Feodorovna wanted the park to have structures reminiscent of the places of her childhood, of those who had passed away. The site farthest from the palace, developed during the first phase of the formation of the palace-park ensemble, was named the Amphitheater. This is a stone-finished viewing platform on the top of a hill on the right bank of the Slavyanka River. Here stood a semicircular bench crowned in the center by a marble statue of Flora—a place for spectators. On the opposite bank of the river, earthen terraces were arranged, serving as an open-air stage. The site was bordered by dense shrubbery. Trees served as natural scenery.

The Amphitheater is also called the “place of the first meeting” or the “Monument to Nix,” and in old times also the “Belvedere.” It is a small, semicircular stone bench with a statue of Flora, located on the top of a steep hill at the end of one of the twelve paths of the old Sylvia. In front of it, on the opposite bank of the Slavyanka, semicircular terraces descend in steps. Altogether, it is a kind of imitation of the theaters of Italian villas; spectators sat on this bench, while the terraces and a small pool, formed by the widening of the Slavyanka River in front of it, served as the stage and scenery for performances and perhaps even as a “stage for illuminations.”

It is possible that the name “place of the first meeting” relates to the following event: In 1798, Paul I undertook a journey across Russia that kept him away from his family for several months. On the day of his return to Pavlovsk, June 8, 1798, he was walking in his beloved Sylvia and suddenly, near Krik, he hears music and singing—it was his family arranging a festive welcome for him. He recognizes his eldest son as the violinist; his wife as the singer; and among the orchestra, his daughters. This supposition is supported by the modest traditions of Maria Feodorovna’s family.

The Amphitheater was built by V. Brenna in 1793. In the archive of the Pavlovsk Palace Museum, there is an interesting contract for its construction: “On October 18, 1792, I concluded this contract with the office of Their Imperial Highnesses’ dacha in Pavlovsk, that by May of the following year and by the first day, I will build from the best Pudozh stone a semicircular amphitheater with stairs of the same stone, with a pedestal tomb made of three pieces, brackets, medallions, and moldings; in size and dimensions exactly according to the plan and facade given by Mr. Brenna…” Then all the dimensions and methods of laying stones with lime filling of joints and lead packing are listed; and it prudently ends: “The statue, which is already ready, must be installed properly and firmly; I have no business with the wooden work.” Signed by the master stoneworker Iosif Minchaki.

A little later, on October 23 of the same year, a contract was signed with the Okhta resident F. Okorchev to make by May 1, 1793, “a bench or canapé on the amphitheater of Pudozh stone according to the plan around the entire semicircle with turns made of boards painted either in the color of that Pudozh stone or imitating wood as ordered.”

Near the river itself was a fountain, supplied with water from a constructed pond.

On the opposite bank were stage platforms arranged on earthen terraces, with dense shrubbery serving as scenery for performances. Ballet performances were held for spectators seated in the Amphitheater, often accompanied by fireworks and illuminations.

Since 1793, the amphitheater has been marked on all plans.

Later, in 1865, after the death of the heir Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich, his portrait and a plaque with an appropriate inscription were placed here, which gave the place a new name: the “Monument to Nix.”

In the early years of the Revolution, the portrait and dedication plaque were removed. Despite the sturdy installation of Minchaki’s statue, on March 29, 1920, it was toppled and broken by park visitors.

The portrait, plaque with inscription, and broken statue are kept in the Palace Museum.

The martial attributes of the statue—the shield and sword—have been lost. The fountain by the river ceased to operate as early as the beginning of the 19th century, while the statue of Flora stood much longer—its misfortunes began in Soviet times when the sculpture was repeatedly toppled and damaged. Currently, the statue of Flora is missing, and the Amphitheater itself is in need of restoration.

Sources:

https://www.spb-guide.ru/page_20056.htm

https://www.citywalls.ru/house25753.html

V. N. Taleporovsky, “Pavlovsk Park,” Brockhaus-Efron Publishing, Petersburg, 1923, pp. 82-84