GATCHINA
Duration: 4 hours
Gatchina is on the itinerary list of the very few foreign visitors of ST-Petersburg. Located a bit further than the other former imperial residences, the large scale restoration process has started here almost 40 years later than at Peterhoff, Tsarskoe Selo and Pavlovsk. Nevertheless, the history and beauty of the place can rival the other more favorable Russian residences.
The history of Gatchina dates back to 1760, when Catherine the Great presented the estate to Grigory Orlov, one of the Empress’s favorites and the initiators of the conspiracy which brought Catherine to the Russian throne. He decided to build an immense palace for himself at Gatchina as a castle for the fine knight. The interior finishing of the place was in a striking contrast to the austere look of the facades faced with the local lime-stone.
The park in Gatchina was the first in Russia to be laid out in the English landscape style imitating “wild nature”.
The next owner of the estate was Catherine’s son, Paul, Gatchina used to be his favorite estate. The great changes took place in the palace and the park during his time. After Paul became the Emperor, he spared no expense on creation of the state rooms.
Gatchina is also closely interwoven with the life of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II, who spent most of his childhood here.
