St. Petersburg imperial country residences news

[Vladimir_V.]

Peterhof. Prices 2005.
The Upper Gardens   free
The Lower Gardens   300rub (10.8$, 8.4E)
The Great Peterhof Palace   430rub (15.5$, 12E)
The Special Treasury Museum   400rub (14.4$, 11.1E)
The Grottoes   110rub (4$, 3.1E)
The Hermitage Palace   110rub (4$, 3.1E)
The Marly Palace   110rub (4$, 3.1E)
Monplaisir   290rub (10.4$, 8.1E)
The Bath House and The Assembly Hall   150rub (5.4$, 4.2E)
The Catherine Block   110rub (4$, 3.1E)
The Aviary   110rub (4$, 3.1E)
The Museum of Imperial Yachts   110rub (4$, 3.1E)
The Alexandria Park   free
The Cottage Palace   180rub (6.5$, 5E)
The Gothic Chapel   110rub (4$, 3.1E)
The Exhibition “The Imperial Bicycles”   110rub (4$, 3.1E)
The Museum of Collectors   110rub (4$, 3.1E)
The Museum of Fountains   3000rub (108$, 84E) for a group
The Benois Family Museum   free
The Strelna Travel Palace   110rub (4$, 3.1E)

[Vladimir_V.]

New life of iconostasis from Alexander Palace.

In 2002 restoration artists from the Hermitage's own Special Scientific Restoration Workshops restored the campaign iconostasis of Alexander I. This iconostasis (V.K. Shebuev) was placed in AP at the middle of the nineteenth century. This screen was made in 1816 and didn`t follow the Emperor from Russia to Paris, as the scientists supposed before.
Now we can see the AP iconostasis in the Church of Saint Alexander Nevsky in the General Staff building (the Hermitage museum complex). The church was constructed in 1827-30 to Rossi's design with the participation of the painter Antonio Vigi and served as  the private church of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/11/b2003/hm11_5_19_06.html http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/13/hm13_3_001.html

[etonexile]

Gosh...why can't I win the lottery and be able to spend a splendid month...wandering about St. Petersburg and Tsarskoe Selo...sigh.....

[Vladimir_V.]

Tzarskoje Selo
The management of Tzarskoje Selo museum decided to open for visitors the rooms in Zubov Wing of the Catherine Palace. The dimensions of the rooms was restored in 2004. After redecoration (without the renewal of the previous interiors) the rooms will be used for exibitions.

[Antonio_P.Caballer]

Hello Vladimir,

How is that??

They will be opened as exhibition rooms??? Just that?? Sorry, but i´m totally astonished. The last i knew was that they were intended to be restored in due time.
Maria Alexandrovna´s bedroom, for example, had even after the WWII damage retained a lot of its decoration.
I cannot believe all of these rooms will be left unrestored. The Lyons room, for instance, they have all of its lapis decorative elements preserved. And Cameron´s Catherine II´s rooms were some of the most beautiful interiors the man has ever created.
I hope i simply misunderstood the post!!  

[Vladimir_V.]

Hello Antonio

You are right. The rooms had after WWII some parts of its decoration. But I believe that the restorers removed these parts. The rooms were used more than 50 years (for a music school, an organization, a studio). I saw the Chinese Hall and some private chambers (with windows to the Agate Rooms). No nothing from the previous decoration. The museum intends to restore these rooms, but not now.
Have you visited this part of the Catherine Palace?

[Antonio_P.Caballer]

Thanks so much Vladimir for the information.

I asked to see those rooms that were being restored, and the curator show me Rastrelli´s antechambers that were about to be finished. When i asked her about the Arabesque, Lyon, Chinese, etc she told me there was nothing at all to see. I was then led to the Chapel, which was in very good shape even after the WWII damage. It´s too sad that they destroyed whatever remained of the decoration after WWII. I cannot tell for the Chinese or Catherine´s bedroom, tabatier, etc. but Maria Alexandrovna´s room, for example, was extremelly well preserved, so cannot imagine how they simply ripped out the decorative panels.

In the Arabesque room, after the WWII the restorers discovered traces of the wall paintings from before the room was somewhat altered in the XIX century.(those paintings can be seen in Hau´s famous watercolour of that interior) Kedrinsky´s restoration projects for the several of these rooms are amazing.

Anyway, at least they still intend to restore, though not now, these rooms. I hope i´ll live to see them restored as i especially love Cameron´s work!!

Antonio.

[Vladimir_V.]

Tzarskoje Selo

New temporary exhibition “A Hymn of the Victory” was open. The visitors can see the photographs and documents that show the condition of the museum after WWII and the process of the restoration. There are also outline sketches that were made by A.Kedrinsky. (Architect A.A.Kedrinsky (1917-2003) was the chief of the Catherine Palace restoration.)
5 May 2005 – 1 September 2005. The ground floor of the Catherine Palace.

[Antonio_P.Caballer]

Hello Vladimir!

Thanks as always for the wonderful news. Have you visited the exhibition? Could you tell us more about it? I really hope they´re selling a catalogue of this exhibition!

Antonio.

[Vladimir_V.]

I haven`t  visited the exhibition yet. (It`s very difficult to visit this palace during the summer period!)

[Vladimir_V.]

Tsarskoe Selo. Prices 2005.

The Catherine Park   100rub (3.5$, 2.9E)
The Catherine Palace   500rub (17.5$, 14.4E)
The Cold Baths (Permanent Exhibition "Attractions, Weaknesses and Pleasures (Men and Women in Olden Days)" - a small part of Romanov`s erotic collection) and the Agate Rooms   160rub (5.6$, 4.6E)
Permanent Exhibition "Emperor Alexander II and Tsarskoe Selo" (the Ground Floor of Cameron Gallery)   200rub (7$, 5.8E)
Permanent Exhibition "Court Carriages of the 18th throught 20th centuries"  (the Court Stables)   100rub (3.5$, 2.9E)
The Alexander Park   free
The Alexander Palace   260rub (9.1$, 7.5E)

[Vladimir_V.]

Tsarskoe Selo

Small temporary exhibition “The Tsarskoe Selo Flowers – Symbol Of Holiday” was open. Statues, porcelain and two tables served and decorated with flowers in the traditions of 18th and 19th centuries. The exhibition is situated in the Grotto (The Catherine Park), that was open after new restoration.
17 June 2005 – 31 August 2005.

About the Grotto: � http://eng.tzar.ru/catherine_park/regular/grooto

[Vladimir_V.]

The flower exhibition in the Grotto.

12 photographs:
http://geglov2.narod.ru/Foto/Ekat_p/Ekat_p_f_009_02.htm

[Vladimir_V.]

Pavlovsk
A large retrospective exhibition “The Beauty, that was returned to the people” was open in the Pavlovsk Palace. The exhibition was dedicated to the centenary of the artist and restorer A.Treskin`s birth. Anatoly Vladimirovich Treskin (1905-1986) restored the canvases and recreated the plafond paintings in the Pavlovsk Palace after WWII. On display, sketches on restoration the monumental painting in the Pavlovsk Palace (plafonds, wall painting) made in various technique (watercolour, gouache, oil), also lifesize models. Portraits, still life, landscapes highlight Treskin's activity as a painter. A series of oil pictures, personal belongings, awards are from the collection of his daughter.
7 July – 31 October 2005

[NAAOTMA]

How wonderful that Treskin's life and work is being so honored. He is really a hero, and his talent and dedication deserve this exhibition.