PAVLOVSK NATIONAL PALACE MUSEUM

The creation of the palace began in 1780 according to the plans of Charles Cameron, a famous Scottish architect who was favoured by Catherine II. Czar Paul I and his wife Maria Feodorovna, the empress's successor, contributed greatly to her prestige. They decided to make the Pavlovsk Palace their imperial residence in 1796. Great travellers in Europe and aesthetes with refined tastes, they placed numerous orders to the most famous European factories in order to adorn Pavlsovsk with all the attributes necessary for its rank. An imperial residence that the palace lost after the assassination of Paul I in 1801. The last inhabitant of royal blood in the palace was Ioann Konstantinovich of Russia, assassinated by the Bolsheviks in 1918. In the same year, the park and palace were transformed into a museum open to the general public. Heavily damaged during the Second World War and looted by the Nazis with some of its finest pieces (most of which were repatriated after the capitulation of the Third Reich), the now State Museum-Reserve (Russian transcription: Государственный Музей-Заповедник Павловск) was saved from destruction. Since 1990, the site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the historic centre of St. Petersburg and its annexed monumental ensembles (including Peterhof, Lomonossov, Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo) Gatchina and, of course, Pavlovsk).

The rooms on the ground floor: you will notice especially the lower vestibule also called Egyptian, decorated with allegorical statues in the style of ancient Egypt. These represent the twelve months, echoed by the twelve signs of the zodiac, placed on the walls.

As for the upper vestibule, it is decorated with panoplies and frescoes with warlike subjects.

The Italian room seduces by the harmony of its proportions and the elegance of its decor. It occupies a central position in the composition of the palace and represents a fine example of classical architecture. It is surmounted by an almost aerial dome, whose cornice is decorated with low-relief eagles with open wings, and supported by caryatids. It is above all the finesse of the colours that makes the originality of the Italian room. The purplish hue of the artificial marble harmonizes with the pale pink of the rosewood doors and the gilding of the bronze sconces.

The painting gallery, located in the south wing of the palace, is also a major piece. It is a large semicircular room, lit by two rows of large windows facing each other. The paintings here are mainly by Italian, Flemish and Dutch artists from the 17th and 18th centuries. This gallery was made possible thanks to Paul I and especially Maria Feodorovna, both fervent collectors.

Among the private apartments of the Great Palace of Pavlovsk, which harmoniously combine bronze, porphyry and Carrara marble, you will notice Maria Feodorovna's boudoir. Two bas-reliefs depict Alexander I and his mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna, as Alexander the Great and his mother Olympia. You will also notice a magnificent Roman chimney-piece with columns supporting a triangular pediment, making it look like a small triumphal arch.

Maria Feodorovna's stately bedroom is also impressive. It was designed by Brenna in an extremely sumptuous Rococo style. Painted silk panels line the walls. Their pastoral motifs echo the paintings on the ceiling, which represent a latticework interlaced with flowers. The furniture of the room comes from the workshop of the famous cabinetmaker Henri Jacob.

The highlight of the visit will undoubtedly be the Great Throne Room, which covers 400 m². It was originally designed as a ceremonial dining room. The bas-reliefs depicting flowers, fruits, musical instruments, all the elements essential to the success of a feast, are further proof of this! Very large, it produces a luxurious impression. The large curved arches and semicircular bays make it even more solemn. Indeed, the impression of space is reinforced by the trompe l'oeil. Ancient colonnades surrounded by the flags of the guard regiments and the flag of St. Andrew's rise to an azure blue sky. A very beautiful perspective that almost makes you dizzy.

Another piece of major interest in the palace is the Greek Hall. It is the result of Brenna's initial project, but was later enriched by Andrei Voronikhine, who reconstructed the decoration of the hall after the fire of 1803. It is adorned with 16 Corinthian columns in green stucco, and decorated with a moulded dome, marble lamps and fireplaces, as well as sculptures representing antique samples. Early music concerts are given there in the summer.

The park. Traced around the Slavianka valley, the English park is adorned with the pavilion of the Three Graces, the colonnade of Apollo and the Temple of Friendship. The Pavilion of the Three Graces marks the axis of the main driveway in the central aisle of the private garden. This is another variation on the theme of the antique. This pavilion contains a beautiful marble band, a true hymn to feminine beauty