The town of Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo or Tzar Village)
is one of the most picturesque suburbs of Saint Petersburg.
Its history dates back to the beginning of the
18th century.
In 1723 the first palace for Empress Catherine I was built on this territory.
Emprerors Alexander I, Nicholas II liked to spend time in
Tsarskoe Selo. After the revolution of 1917 all the palaces and parks were
nationalized and it became a children's health sanatorium, and it was
renamed as "Detskoye Selo" (Children's village). Later in 1937 the town
was given a new name, it was called "Pushkin" because of the annual
celebrations of Pushkin's birthday in the town. During the WWII the town
was completely destroyed, because it was just by the the battle-front,
and after the war the reconstruction was started. Today it is one of the
most important cultural center of Russia. A lot of tourists visit this
place every year.
Major sights
1. Catherine's Palace.
The works were started in 1717 and the palace was known as "Stone
Chambers of Catherine". Later in 1748 a famous architect Rastrelli
started the reconstruction of the palace. The reconstruction lasted
eight years. After the reconstruction there were huge celebrations
devoted to this event. Empress Elizabeth was very impressed with the
new palace. The palace became not only a place for balls and masquerades,
but also a place where important political questions were solved.
Later Cathrene the Great also added some new chambers to the palace,
being interested in antique culture. But this part of the palace was
destroyed during the WWII. In 1918 the palace became a museum.
2. The Amber Room.
The Amber Room at Tsarskoe Selo was considered to be the Eighth
Wonder of the World. King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia presented the
room as a diplomatic gift to Peter the Great in 1717, after Peter had
admired it while a guest in Charlottenburg, Berlin.
The Room was first installed in the Winter Palace, but in 1755 Empress
Elizabeth ordered Francesco Rastrelli to move it to Catherine's Palace.
During the Second World War occupying troops removed the amber
panels in September 1941, and they were brought to Alfred Rode,
head of the Konigsberg Art Museum in Kaliningrad. Part of the Amber
Room was last seen on display in Konigsberg Castle.
After the war all the efforts to find the Amber Room
were unsuccessful. The revival of the Amber Room was started in 1979
and lasted till 2003, when it was opened for the visitors of the
Catherine's Palace.
3. Catherine's Park.
Catherine's Park is located in front of Catherine's Palace, it includes
two types of planning - regular and landscaping.
Catherine's Park is a wonderful work of the Russian gardening art
from the 18th and 19th centuries, which combines the masterpieces of
architecture and the beauty of the northern nature. The Regular part
of the Park lies between the Catherine Palace, the Great Pond and the
Cascade ponds. It was created in accordance with Rastrelli's design
and constructed by the master gardener Y. Rekhlin. In the 1750's the park
was decorated with numerous entertaining pavilions. The Landscaping Park
was planned and designed in the second half of the 18th century and is
located beyond the Cameron Gallery. During the same period of time, the
Park was being filled with architectural designs which revived the forms
of military monuments of ancient Rome and the style of the medieval
buildings.
Transport:
By train: suburban electric train to the station of Pushkin
(about 30 minutes).
By car/bus: Pushkin is accessible by road, the distance
from Saint Petersburg is about 20 km.
Opening hours: daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Closed: on Tuesday, and on last Monday of each month
Timetable is subject to change without prior notice.
You can find a tour to Pushkin in our selection of St. Petersburg tours and St. Petersburg excursions.
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