The English Palace

[londo954]

Does anyone have pics of the English Palace. The only pic I have ever seen is a prewar photo are there any of the interiors !!!!

[Greg_King]

The only photographs I've personally seen are few: exteriors from each main facade, a photograph of the loggia, and a couple of interior details showing small portions of the rooms, as well as a floorplan.  These are in a book published in the 1930s or 1940s, if I recall, on either Quarenghi or more generally Russian architecture-I've got it round here somewhere and if I can find it I will post exactly what they are.  I imagine, as with all of the palaces, the Soviets went in and photographed everything, but I've never seen any substantial pictures.  There was quite a bit of text information in a book published in Germany about 10 years ago the title of which escapes me but it was something like "The Summer Residences of the Russian Tsars."

Greg King

[londo954]

The only pics I have seen were in GH Hamiltons the Art and architecture of Russia and that was only a BW exterior shot. As for interiros there are some sketches at the hermitage. Considering how the old Imperial Palaces were catalogued and phtographed after the revolution I find it difficult to believe that there are no more pics.

[jda]

 I have a book that I recently bought that appears to be a reprint of a tour guide to Peterhof from 1902.It has 1 photo of the outside and 5 of the inside of the English Palace. � It is in � Russian but has lots of rare photos of the � Peterhof Palace and Park plus a photo of the Babygone palace and His Own Imperial Daccha. � I bought it from Eastview books. � http://www.eastview.com � Here's the info. � product # A2029603 , Title Imperatorskii Petergof :Tri stoletiia istorii , author Vernova, N.V. , $ 27.45.

[BobAtchison]

I just got a large number of pictures from 1936 of the English Palace along with the plans - I will try and put them up on the site in the next two weeks.

Bob

[londo954]

Thanks Bob...it would be great to see another example of Quarenghi's work ...would alos be interesting to compare it to Alexandrovsky!!!

[londo954]

The English Palace was a moderate size Palace I beleive it was located in teh AEnglish Garden at PEterhof. It was used for visitors to the court and dates from the time of the Alexander Palace. It was designed by Quarenghi before he worked at Alexander. In 1854 I believe the English ambassador stayed there while attending one of teh summer parties of the Tsar. It was tragically lost in the war when the German's used it for artillery practiced it was too fargone to be restored. Paitnings from the Palace as well as some Quarenghi sketches can be found on the Hermitage website.

[londo954]

Apologies for the typos in the previous post. The English Palace was at PEterhof in the English Garden it was designed and built by the same archtiect who built the ALexander Palace. I believe the English Palace came first but I may be wrong!!

[Greg_King]

The English Park lay southwest of the Peterhof Park, separated from it by the Volkonsky High Road.  The Park was landscaped in the English manner for Catherine the Great, relying on the work of Lancelot “Capability” Brown for its inspiration.  Laid out by James Meader, it featured the typical Brown elements of a serpentine stretch of water, carefully arranged clumps of trees planted to appear as if they had been strewn across the undulating lawns with no concern at all, and classical pavilions, placed for delightful vistas across the Park.

Giacomo Quarenghi built the English Palace in 1786-96.  The English Palace was Quarenghi’s first substantial commission in Russia, and his first for the Romanovs.  It was a severe, Palladian-style building, of two principal storeys resting upon a raised ground floor.  At the center of the main façade, Quarenghi placed a large portico of eight Corinthian columns, reached by a broad flight of stairs.  On the garden side of the Palace, he created a large, two-storey loggia overlooking the lake.  The English Palace contained fifty rooms, decorated by Brenna and Voronikhin.

Greg King

[Antonio_P.Caballer]

hello Joanna,
The english garden is separated from the Olga´s pond. The english garden begins in the end of the town and Olga´s pond is in situated in the center. You will like to know that the last summer Olgin and Tsaritsin pavillions were being restored, and their ineteriors were also so lovey before the war!
The place for the English palace still preserves the remains of the front facade steps, and many stone halfdestroyed and huge corinthian capitels laying here and there.
There´s a commemorative plate made of one of the palace´s stones with golden letters and a design of the main facade, telling the people what was there before the war.

[BobG]

Any chance you'll post these soon?  I've been anxiously awaiting them.
Thanx.
Bob

I just got a large number of pictures from 1936 of the English Palace along with the plans - I will try and put them up on the site in the next two weeks.

Bob

[ChristineM]

I would like to share with you a memorable day I spent in the English Park of the English Palace a few years ago.

It was the 8th of March - International Women's Day - the one day of the year when Russian men take on the  daily chores.   We were invited to a barbeque in the English Park at Peterhof.

It was impossible to notice, far less observe, any  architectural remains.   In the deep snow, my attention was fully devoted to endeavouring not to fall victim to the 'mounds' and fracture an arm, leg or neck.

Like true neanderthals, the men spurned charcoal and braziers.   Instead they brought chainsaws and immediately began lopping branches from dead trees.   During the hours we waited for the wood to reduce to smouldering embers - a very welcome heat in a temperature of at least  minus 10 - the men drank vodka while the women savoured the delicious Ookha they had prepared earlier.

The men are interesting characters.   Alpinists, they scaled the peaks of the Pamirs and the Caucusus.   On becoming Orthdox Christians, their mountains became towers and steeples - they were employed to remove Soviet stars and replace those with Orthodox crosses.   They travel all over Russia reinstating crosses on newly opened churches.

We spent a wonderful day under a brilliant blue sky on the banks of the serpentine lake, Greg.   Being British, I did feel a little proprietorial.   I thought of those long gone and the many happy hours they spent amid these lovely surroundings over the preceding two hundred years.  

Of course it is a tragedy the English Palace, like so many other architectural gems, is no more.   However, at least it is still possible, in an altogether different fashion, to enjoy the delights of the English Park.

[Sunny]

Lovely story...thank you Tsaria..."The men are interesting characters.   Alpinists, they scaled the peaks of the Pamirs and the Caucusus.   On becoming Orthdox Christians, their mountains became towers and steeples - they were employed to remove Soviet stars and replace those with Orthodox crosses.   They travel all over Russia reinstating crosses on newly opened churches. "

Sunny

[Sunny]

Joanna, you find the most wonderful things.  

Sunny

[Antonio_P.Caballer]

For those interested i´m posting a photo of Alexander I´s bedroom and two recent views. Thanks to those who posted the information about photobucket i found at last a way for posting pictures!