Oranienbaum, Palace and Pavillions

[Robert_Hall]

Today [17th] on alt.talk.royalty message board Dimitry Macedonsky in St. Petersburg announced the restoration plans of the palace Oranienbaum. Apparently it was not occupied nor bombed, but has been let  to deteriorate. If I read correctly, the funding for this is private & there is some connection with the group that restored Strelna [?]. Perhaps Mike can find out more?
Cheers,
Robert

[Antonio_P.Caballer]

Thanks Robert for those great news

When i visited the palace last summer it was in such a TERRIBLE condition! Both interior and facade, altough not damaged during WWII were neglected to an extent hardly understandable. Fortunately the Chinese palace was in remarkable good shape. Anyway, its park is really charming and deserves a visit of its own.

[Mike]

The Oranienbaum Grand Palace since the 1940s has been occupied by the Morteplotehknika organization (a leading developer of torpedoes for Soviet nuclear submarines) and the related military units. Apparently they were feeling comfortably in the palace and easily resisted all attempts to return it to a more peaceful use. The Oranienbaum and Gatchina palaces & park complexes have always been neglected compared to Peterhof, Pushkin and Pavlovsk, mostly for a purely bureaucratic reason. The latters are administrative districts within the Leningrad/Petersburg municipality, while Lomonosov (former Oranienbaum) and Gatchina are towns in the Leningrad Region (it still retains its Soviet-time name).

Regarding the Oranienbaum restoration plans: a recently established special foundation is closely associated (as in the case of Strelna) with the Putin administration and patronized by the economy minister Gref and Petersburg governor Matvienko. They are lobbying the Oranienbaum complex's transfer under federal administration, the torpedo guys' eviction from the palace and other measures. Taking into account their connections, the chances for this great palace are now better than ever.

[Janet_W.]

It's good to know that (1) more and more of these wonderful palaces are becoming valued once again, and (2) those of us visiting this website can learn from people who have actually visited them or live close by!

[Joanna]

I passed Oranienbaum when in St. Petersburg but I am lost on who of the Imperial family resided there c1900's  

Joanna

[BobG]

Joanna,
The Palace was built by Peter the Great's advisor, Alexander Menshikov.  It became an imperial property after his treason.  It passed to Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich, and then to his daughter Catherine who married Duke George of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.  The palace remained in the Mecklenburg-Strelitz family until the revolution.
Bob

[amy]

Thanks Robert for those great news

When i visited the palace last summer it was in such a TERRIBLE condition! Both interior and facade, altough not damaged during WWII were neglected to an extent hardly understandable. Fortunately the Chinese palace was in remarkable good shape. Anyway, its park is really charming and deserves a visit of its own.

I also visited this palace this past summer and agree with Robert_Hall's assessment, and I also agree that despite the neglect Oranienbaum is a gem.  In fact, it ended up being the best place I visted on my two week trip.  The workmanship and the textures and colors in the Chinese palace were mind-blowingly stunning. Pictures do not do this palace justice. The park is a bit run down, but the "wild" aspect of it *is* quite charming. It was nice for me to see what the landscape looks like without excessive tending.

My recommendations if you visit this palace:
1. Don't forget your mosquito repellant! Them Oranienbaum skeeters are real fiesty!

2. Pack a lunch. Although the palace grounds are near the town, it's really too far away to take advantage of it.

3. The Chinese Palace tours are guided. You will have to figure out a way to attach yourself to a group and the "gate keepers" speak little to no english. We were fortunate enough to have an english speaking group tour the palace while we were there AND they agreed to let us tag along...but like I said, we were lucky. As an aside,  we toured Monplaisir and the Imperial Baths at Peterhof with a Russian speaking tour guide and it wasn't that big of a deal. We couldn't understand what was being said, but we still had our eyes and could look around and take it all in.

Ahhhh. Oranienbaum. What a gem. I know I said picture can't do justice, but when I get a chance I'll scan in some of the photos from the guide book I purchased there.

Amy

[elisa_1872]

I am so happy to read about Oranienbaum's restoration news!!

Looking forward very much to your pictures Amy! This wonderful palace is really so charming. I've only seen exterior pictures and even then far away. To be there must have been indescribable. What is the state of Oranienbaum itself now? Has the work of restoring begun?

[amy]

I'm a little slow right now b/c I'm juggling a few projects, but I'll try to scan in some more pictures, like interior photos, in the comming days.

1) The first photo is a map and a great place to start in my opinion because you can begin to visualize the layout of Oranienbaum:



2) The second photo was taken at one of the old entrances of the Main Palace.  I think this photo is kind of interesting because it shows how overgrown parts of the park have become:



3) The third photo is a nice aerial shot from St. Petersburg- Architecture of the Tsars. The building in the photo is of the main palace.


Orloff, Alexander, and Dimitri Shvidkovsky. St. Petersburg- Architecture of the Tsars. New York: Abbeville Press,1997.

[Janet_W.]

Outstanding, Amy! The map is wonderful, as is the photo of you in front of the gates, and the aerial shot is simply breathtaking!

[felix]

I just got a nice little travel book The Chinese Palace at Oranienbaum. by Will Black. Nice photos. Outside looks sad,but inside seems still pretty good.

[Mike]

It's my job as a railroad fan to mention here that the first Russian electric trains were meant to run berween SPb and Oranienbaum.

The project was named ORANEL, and construction began in 1913. The 1524 mm gauge line started from Narvskie Vorota [Narva Gate] square and continued to Putilovskiy Works to Strelna, then to Peterhof and Oranienbaum. It had later to be prolonged to the Krasnaya Gorka fort.

By 1917, the line achieved Strelna and was terminated there. In the 1920s it was taken over by the city tramway network, and is operated till the present day as Route 36. I've ridden it many times and was always fascinated by countryside views from a tramway window. From time to time the idea of completing the line at least to Peterhof is discussed, but so far to no avail.

[Reco]

[Reco]

Menshikovsky Palace

[Reco]

Kitaysky - The Chinese Pavilion