Here's something from the "Tsarskoe Selo in 1910" site in the palace pages:
In 1734 the Tsarevna Elizabeth, began to build a stone church to the "Miraculous Apparition of the Virgin" on the spot of the Annunciation church, which was burnt. An Imperial order was given to build two chapels at the sides of the main church, in memory of St. Catherine the Martyr, and of the Holy and Orthodox Zachariah and Elizabeth; a third chapel was to be over the porch, and immediately under the bell tower, another chapel to Nicholas the Miracleworker. It took a very long time to build this church. On the 8th of May 1746 the two side chapels were consecrated and only in May of the next year the whole church was finished. The chapel, under the bell tower, was apparently consecrated during the reign of the Empress Anna Ioannovna, since there is an article in the journal of the Harbinger of the Chamber, dated Jan. 20th 1742, which says, that the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna was pleased to attend the christening as godmother of three Persians and two Turks in the stone church of the Miraculous Apparition of the holy Virgin Mary. During the next years there are frequent paragraphs, which mention the presence of the Empress either at Mass or vespers in the church of Nicholas-the-Miracle worker.
Here in 1758 the Empress Elizabeth had her first attack of apoplexy...
At the present time the church has only one chapel of the Miraculous Apparition of the Virgin. The two side chapels were pulled down in 1891, on the spot of the left chapel stands an ikon of "Our Lady of Kazan", while on the right side, at the entrance of a small vestry, stands a miracle working icon. Behind the icon, with an outlet to the Church, is a small room for the use of the members of the Imperial family. The iconostasis from the two side chapels were sent to the Rekonsky Monastery in the government of Novgorod; at the same time the church was thoroughly restored, the room for the members of the Imperial family was built, with a separate entrance, and the church was considerably widened near the main entrance. The restoration was carried out by the architect Danini. The church consists of a central and two side aisles; the walls above the panels are of dark red artificial marble; the lower parts of the arches are covered with the same material; while the iconostasis is white with gilding in the style of the renaissance. Two gilded sculptured angels over the central part of the iconostasis support the Imperial crown. The lustre, in fine Empire style, was given anonymously in 1865....
Immediately after her accession, Elizabeth Petrovna had a golden covering, forged out of all her jewels, weighing 27 1/2 lb of pure gold, made for this ikon. When the construction of the church of the Miraculous Apparition was finished in 1747, the ikon was brought in a solemn procession from St. Petersburg. The procession with banners and crosses took three days to reach Tsarskoe Selo; the Empress herself took part in it and even carried the icon occasionally. The icon was placed over the Royal Gate, but on the 5th of July 1831, after a service during the cholera, which threatened the town, it was removed, to the right alter. Since that year, on the 5th of July the image is always being carried round the town, and a solemn Te Deum is sung on the square before the Great Palace. In 1848 the daughter of a tradesman of Tsarskoe Selo, Maria Davidov, had a vision in her sleep, and covered with richly, embroidered vestments, the holy icon. Offerings for the work were made very liberally by the inhabitants of the town; the best of the diamonds and other precious stones were given by the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, the wife of the Emperor Nicholas Pavlovich, and by the other members of the Imperial family. The vestments, as well as the rich altar-cloth and carpet, were embroidered by Miss Davidov and by the other ladies of Tsarskoe Selo in 1848. There is a legend, which says, that during the fire, that took place in the Great Palace on, the 2nd of May 1820, when the flames had reached the Lyceum and were spreading towards the central part of the palace, the Emperor Alexander I saw the icon being carried out of the church of the Miraculous Apparition, and exclaimed, "Holy Virgin, save my house". At the very moment the wind changed, and the fire was quickly extinguished. During the fire in the Great Palace, which occurred on the 16th of June 1863, the image was again carried round the palace. As soon as it reached the square in front of the palace, where the Emperor and the Imperial family kissed it, the flames, which had withstood all the efforts of the firemen, were immediately put out.
