Re: Feodorovsky Gorodok

A view with a building inside the gorodok´s courtyard:

I would love to volunteer to help on this project. I don't know if it would be appropriate or not, but I will be in St. Petersburg this summer between 7/27 and 8/1 so if I can be of help in anyway please let me know.

I am also planning on taking flowers to some places. One of the places I would very much like to leave flowers would be at Mr. Kuchumov's gravesite. Could you please let me know which cemetery he is buried in? I just feel I need to do this.

Melissa K.

Anatolij Mihajlovich Kuchumov and his wife Anna Mihajlovna Kuchumova are buried in Pavlovsk town cemetry.

Kuchumov lies very near the parking area.  At first he only had a wooden cross, but Yuri Mudrov, the Director of Pavlovsk and others put enough money together for a permanent marker.  It was rather sad how long the grave went with no marker on it.  His life was so awfyul in the last few years due to bad health, frustration, poverty and lonliness.  I hope someday there can be a monument at the AP (when it's restored) to Kuchumov.  There are others to remember as well and I am not forgeting them.

Bob

It is hard for me to beleive that in 2005 it will have been 12 years since his passing.  It seems like yesterday to me.

Joanna - you are AMAZING - what other word can I use - HOW do you find these things!  You are our official AP Web Sleuth!  You always seem to find the best things - and we all really appreciate it

I forwarded your link to several people.

Bob

Joanna, I am in awe.....

Sunny

Joanna's link got  me thinking. Since it looks like the Patriarchy is looking to develop the whole gorodok, could one of our Russian users who has been there lately update us on exactly what is happening in the gorodok itself? Like, are there restaurants, shops or offices there now? any restoration work lately? or is it all still empty without floors or walls inside like when Antonio was there?

Is it open to the public or do you need a special permit to visit ?

I finally was able to get some reliable information about the status of the Gorodok from the kind people at the ROST realty group.  The Gorodok is sadly exactly still as when Antonio visited.  The only tenant at all is a small cafe. There is nothing else there, no offices or shops or outstanding leases of any kind.

FA

Gorodok was like a wonderful toy.
It is made perfectly in Ancient Russian Style.
One part of the building looks as the Kremlin Granovitaya Palata, other part looks like Dimitry Cathedral in Vladimir , the shape of the Gorodok is the
typical Kremlin's shape.
Now the Gorodok has the tragedy's smell.
There is nobody there.

Hikaru, I know the Gorodok well and when one looks at the plans of the little town which Nicholas planned, the magnificent oil murals painted on its completion, illustrations of it when it was operational, such as feasts in the refectory, it is heartbreaking to see what it has become today.

Father Gennady Zverov made a huge difference when he had the grass replanted and the Yellow Palace, to an extent, restored.   And, of course, the Cossack guard - that was thrilling.   All of them real Cossacks.  

However with the exception of the restaurant in the corner tower, the Gorodok lies abandoned and forlorn.   It is possible to stand in the places where Alexandra and her daughters were photographed and mentally recreate what it once was like.   However, the work required to restore it is daunting.  I have heard there are currently  discussions about doing precisely that - an enormous task which will take many years.   I wish I had the ability post photographs.   I have a series of photographs which cover  a 360 degrees panorama of the Gorodok, all taken from the one spot.

For anyone visiting Tsarskoe Selo (Pushkin) the restaurant in the Gorodok is very nice.   Small, it serves traditional Russian food and if the weather is fine, they set up tables out of doors and one can get a better sense of the Gorodok.   It is not cheap, but neither is it overly expensive.

Father Gennady has been ill.   Would you please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.   Thank you.

tsaria

I meant to add, the Feodorovsky Gorodok was only the beginning of what Nicholas proposed for that entire area.  

Of course, war and revolution intervened and these were never achieve.

tsaria

I suppose that the name of the restaurant is " Belaya Bashnya" - White Tower?

I can't recall the name, Hikaru.   It is a tower, but not very white!   It is owned by the same family as own Podvoria at Pavlovsk.

tsaria

Helen A has most kindly gone to the Gorodok at my request and has taken complete pictures of the status today. Aside from the restaurant which is over by the hospital the Gorokok still stands in ruins. Nothing there no offices or anything. We will have pictures when she returns home, and I will build a whole new "recent visit" for everyone to see the current status.