St. Petersburg imperial country residences news

Tsarskoe Selo

The museum opened for visitors the restored Ruin-Tower (1771) in the Catherine Park.



http://s53.radikal.ru/i139/0910/ba/32760b7f2127.jpg
http://i008.radikal.ru/0910/8d/8ea9d1c76679.jpg

View from the Ruin-Tower:




Pipe of Horrors (21m) in the center of the Ruin-Tower where Catherine II threw down her former boyfriends:

I beg to differ. Catherine never threw her ex lovers down a well. I have read 5 biographies, and  she certainly did not.
Everyone knows this.

Hi Pavlov,

Yes, I agree with you - Catherine the Great never threw anybody down a well or off a tower.
This is a real dis-service to an historical figure to manufacture such garbage information.
Instead, she often advanced them along in society and even gave them a palace or two (Orlov & Potemkin)
Catherine was one of the most enlightened rulers in history and shouldn't be equated with Elizabeth Bathory and her like.

Thank you for posting this real information...

Larry

Lighten up both of you. There's myths surrounding all famous rulers. A more common myth in Russia surrounding Catherine the Great is that she died on the toilet.

This is a history site. We need to stick to the historical facts, as they are recorded. Not fairy tales.
If you want to check the facts out, I could refer you to a number of biographies, including her diaries.
Many of us are members of this site because we know the facts and pursue the truth, and research the subject.

Ivan the Terrible most probably disposed of people by dropping them down a well. Not Catherine. As previously mentioned, she worked very hard at enlightening Russia, and if I am not mistaken, even abolished the death sentence.
If I am wrong, will someone correct me please ?
Thanksl

Hi,

Pavlov -
I think that Elizabeth abolished the death penalty, but Catherine certainly continued with not implementing it also.
Although, she probably dispatched Pugachov - although I'm not sure what became of him really!!

Richard 1990 -
I did see the humour in that posting about Catherine throwing her lovers down the well - -
BUT - my worry about that is that there are people on this board who don't know the real history of many of these rulers and they do believe everything posted as gospel.
My posting was simply to enlighten about the real facts.
I must say, humourously!!, that there are some people I've known in my life that I'd gladly throw down there....

Larry

It is a joke, of course : )))

She had never murdered her former boyfriends. Only politic competitors..

The doorway that she used:
http://s58.radikal.ru/i161/0910/b4/4b7a81e4dc55.jpg

Yes maybe I had a sense of humour failure. But as you say, some people do believe the written word as gospel.
And you are right, Pugachov tested her patience to the limit. One thing about Catherine was that she did not take lightly to having her hard earned position threatened by anyone.

What happened to Pugachov ?. One of her biographies goes into exact detail as to what she did to him. Horrible things. Ivan the Terrible stuff.
She forgot her enlightened attitude with him. If I remember correctly, he was disembowled, had his arms and legs cut off, and was then dragged around a bit by horses, and finally beheaded. His head was then prominently displayed as a warning to anyone else who thought they could mess with her in future.

Despite this she was a civilised, very cultured, generous and well read. She loved her country and cared about people. Her effort and love for Russia is clearly evident to this day. But I would not have messed with her.

Anyway, what a strange looking building ! Not pretty at all. 

Hi Pavlov,

Gee, Pugachov would have been lucky if she'd have simply thrown him down that well!!!
I guess having one's head displayed prominently on a spike at the gates said to everyone - "Don't mess with Kate the Great!!".....

And yes, I agree, that building is ugly.

Larry

Personally, I kind of like the idea of a legend where Catherine threw her lovers down the well.  I know, I know-it's not true, but isn't that the fun of legends? 

Also, I have to say that I think the ruin tower looks really ugly now that it has been restored.  I'm a huge advocate of restoring everything to the way it was when it was new, but this seems to be my one exception.  I definitely preferred the bare brick.  Maybe it will look better once the stucco fades and begins to crumble?  I don't ever remember seeing it this yellow with the fake 'cracks' on it in any of the watercolors I've seen from before the war.  But I suppose the restorers know what they're doing.

Anyway, what a strange looking building ! Not pretty at all. 

But it was HER desire and probably it was HER project.

Alexander Palace

Three main halls will be opened for visitors in June 2010.

http://www.regnum.ru/news/1224386.html

video: http://www.tv100.ru/news/K-letu-v-Aleksandrovskom-dvorce-otkrojutsja-tri-zala-16276/

Part 1 of Article

The military will have left the Alexander Palace by  the end of December 2009(St. Petersburg)

The first exhibition in the Alexander Palace (State Museum-Preserve of Tsarskoe Selo) will open June 24, 2010 - the day of official events related to the 300-year anniversary of Tsarskoe Selo. . As the correspondent of IA REGNUM News, about this today, 12 November, said CEO of GMZ "Tsarskoe Selo" Olga Taratynova.

". She recalled that on Oct. 22, 2009 by decision of Rosimushchestvo Alexander Palace was transferred from the Ministry of Defense of Russia in the GMZ "Tsarskoe Selo.  "All premises handed over to us and surprisingly well-preserved, intact and artificial marble, which were faced with the interior of the palace, it was closed gypsum plasterboard," - noted Tatatynova and stressed that the premises did not require reconstruction, but only the restoration.

. Part of the premises of the palace were transferred GMZ Tsarskoe Selo, even before the orders of Federal Property Management Agency, in 2001, and finally the military will close the doors in December 2009 - because of relocation Marine engineering services required 117 million rubles and a few other places.

Из Кстати, планируется восстановить подземный переход от Китайской кухни к Александровскому дворцу, вернуть часть экспонатов, находящихся ныне в других музеях. By the way, is planned to restore the underground passage from the Chinese cuisine to the Alexander Palace, the return of the exhibits that are now in other museums. В Александровском дворце в свое время впервые в России был установлен лифт, заработали один из первых телеграфов и синематографов. In the Alexander Palace in time for the first time in Russia was installed elevator, earned one of the first telegraph and motion picture.

Part 2 of Article:

From the federal budget for repairs in the palace were allocated funds in 2008-2009, totaling 130 million rubles. In 2010, as noted Taratynova assumed receive 370 million rubles from the federal budget.There will be landscaping the area around the palace, restored three rooms, central enfilade. . Roof repair has been completed and before the onset of cold weather was a restoration of the facades, which will continue in the spring of 2010.

. In the Alexander Palace planned to establish the Center House of Romanov. . The exhibition can be seen the true things that belong to members of the dynasty, will again be collected a library, which previously consisted of 28 thousand volumes, conference hall and restaurant, where you can taste dishes of the imperial kitchen. Be an electronic database on the past and the present House of Romanov.

In the video of the palace, the part of the facade with no scaffolding is white. Is this the way they are restoring it?  I thought the AP had always been yellow, going back to at least the beginning of the 19th century if not earlier.  I have to admit, though, that the white really brings out the purity of Quarenghi's architecture.  Does anyone know what the plan is?