Sadovaya St., 20, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196621
The Rossi Pavilion is located in Pavlovsk Park on 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.
Originally, there were several Rossi park pavilions in Pavlovsk. For various reasons, they existed for a short time and were mostly dismantled in the 19th century. In 1835, Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich decided to immortalize his mother's name and build a pavilion in her honor in Pavlovsk, which had previously belonged to Maria Feodorovna. During her lifetime, she was known as the founder of charitable and educational institutions in Russia. At different times, sculptors Ivan Martos, Samuil Galberg, and Alexander Opekushin worked on the monument to the Empress, but for various reasons, none of the projects were realized.
Only in 1914, based on Carlo Rossi’s sketches stored in the archives, sculptor Vladimir Beklemishev created the statue of Maria Feodorovna. The initiative to return to the project came from Konstantin Konstantinovich, then owner of Pavlovsk. Funds for the installation of the pavilion-monument were collected by subscription from all members of the imperial family. The model for the artist was Olga Sorokina, an actress of the Imperial Maly Theatre. The figure of Maria Feodorovna is depicted in a strict Empire-style dress with a diadem on her head, sitting on a bench-chair.
The monument was cast at the Robekki bronze foundry. The statue was placed in a gazebo, the design of which was also developed by Carlo Rossi, and the construction was carried out by architect Karl Schmidt. The columns, pylons, and pilasters of the gazebo are stylized in the Tuscan order. The vault decoration consists of square coffers with floral rosettes, a shell, and a belt of acanthus leaves. The finishing material of the columns, pylons, and architectural decor elements is plaster. The pedestal is made of pink granite with a high smooth plinth.
During the Great Patriotic War, a military cemetery was arranged in front of the pavilion, where killed Germans from the 126th and 170th divisions, as well as Spaniards from the Blue Division — a total of 722 people — were buried. After the war ended, the crosses were removed. In the early 2000s, the remains of German soldiers were exhumed and reburied in Sologubovka, and the Spaniards were returned to their homeland.
Currently, a formal flower garden has been planned in front of the pavilion according to the preserved design by Viollet.
Sources:
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Павильон_Росси_(Павловск)
https://pavlovskmuseum.ru/about/park/layout/36/1136/
