Author Topic: Re: The train station at Tsarskoe Selo  (Read 124521 times)

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Offline Antonio_P.Caballer

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Re: The train station at Tsarskoe Selo
« on: April 27, 2004, 09:30:36 AM »
Hello Elisa!
The train station in that book is the private train pavillion of Nicholas and Alexandra. There was also the town train station, with its lovely architecture, that was damaged during the wwii and then reconstructed in "soviet" neoclassical style. I wonder whether the building was or not so damaged, because the structure of the new station is quite similar to the former one...

Offline BobAtchison

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Re: The train station at Tsarskoe Selo
« Reply #1 on: April 27, 2004, 10:03:33 AM »
When they rebuilt the train station after the war they preserved part of the old facade.  The town station had been enlarged several times from the 1840's until 1917 on the same core.

Bob

Offline Belochka

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Re: The train station at Tsarskoe Selo
« Reply #2 on: April 27, 2004, 11:41:02 PM »
Sadly my personal impressions of the Tsarskoe Selo station were disappointing. We caught the City train back to SPb in 2002. The facade was acceptable structurally but needed attention if one looked closely. There were three nice "bas relief" cameos of famous Russian poets - Zhukovski, Karamzin and Derjhavin visible on one side, but these were crumbling at the edges. The tunnel which lead to the platform was dingy and smelly. There were many stalls on the platform itself with locals?selling trinkets which I felt detracted from the place itself trying to catch the few passing visitors on Sunday.

At the end journey at Vitebsky Vokzal (Station) there was a train engine and carriage housed in a glass enclosure which displayed one of the Tsarist trains which conveyed the Imperial Family between the two cities.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Belochka »


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Offline Cathy

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Re: The train station at Tsarskoe Selo
« Reply #3 on: April 28, 2004, 08:54:59 AM »
The Vitebsky Vokzal train station was more of a disappointment to me - when one enters the huge station one sees and smells the decay and the dirt.  The concrete under foot was almost a hazard, so broken and full of holes.  The stairwell to The Imperial Waiting Room was dusty and smelled of urine. The huge room itself was lovely to be sure but it was empty - no one uses it or even visits it, what a waste.
Getting train tickets to Tsarskoe Selo was a breeze.  Instructions in the tour guides had been so informative. I loved the train ride for many reasons.
I loved the train station at Tsarskoe Selo and maybe it was because I was so excited to be there.  It did have parts of the old structure, although it does need repair.  You could see (and envision what it had been like in N&A day) with the stone archway and the pillars.  The smell didn't bother me because it was outdoors and a lovely warm sunny day.  And it was very clean - no garbage. We did not see vendors of any kind. Waiting for the train to go back was a treat because I was able to watch the people.  
I'd go back tomorrow!!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Cathy »

Offline Belochka

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Re: The train station at Tsarskoe Selo
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2004, 12:02:02 AM »
Depending on the time you travelled along this route, Vitebsky Vokzal was also undergoing re-construction in 2002-3. Perhaps it more pleasant now. At least train travel is safe. The Sunday we went there were a few lads selling SPb maps on board the train, but they were never in your face.  Maybe its a Sunday thing, because locals know that there would be more visitors on that day.

Despite the wooden seating, the most exciting part of the journey by train was not just viewing the scenary ... the plains and vegetation but knowing that the Imperial Family used the very same track. One could almost visualize the Imperial days and imagine how it might have been.

;)


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Offline Belochka

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Re: The train station at Tsarskoe Selo
« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2004, 12:49:55 AM »
Thank you Joanna for these truely awesome photographs.
:o


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Offline Mike

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Re: The train station at Tsarskoe Selo
« Reply #6 on: June 26, 2004, 06:29:08 AM »
This is how the railway station in Pskov looked in the 1910s:


The current station is basically the same building, albeit after many repairs and amendments, the latest in 2003. There is a memorial plaque on Nicolas' abdication, and a chapel in his memory was built at the station square:
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Mike »

Offline Belochka

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Re: The train station at Tsarskoe Selo
« Reply #7 on: June 26, 2004, 11:22:16 PM »
Thanks Mike for these photos. I have never seen old Imperial photos of the Pskov station before! :D


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Offline Antonio_P.Caballer

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Re: The train station at Tsarskoe Selo
« Reply #8 on: August 23, 2004, 08:38:31 PM »
Hello Joanna,

Since there are so many photographs taken in different platforms of different stations i´m posting a photo i´d swear was taken in the platform of the Imperial private train pavillion:


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Re: The train station at Tsarskoe Selo
« Reply #9 on: August 24, 2004, 12:28:24 PM »
A fantastic photo ! At first I thought it looked like a movie set ! Any idea what year this was taken ? And is that the king of Saxony ?
Cheers,
Robert

Offline Antonio_P.Caballer

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Re: The train station at Tsarskoe Selo
« Reply #10 on: August 24, 2004, 12:44:29 PM »
Hello Robert,

The photo was taken the 6th of June of 1914. The Tsar is receiving Frederick-August III of Saxony.

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Re: The train station at Tsarskoe Selo
« Reply #11 on: August 24, 2004, 12:58:28 PM »
Thank you, Antonio.  I am stillamazed by it ! Of course it was taken by a professional court photographer, but still, so perfect ! I would  put it up framed as an art print with my collection of royal/imperial guardsmen photos.

Cheers,
Robert

Offline Antonio_P.Caballer

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Re: The train station at Tsarskoe Selo
« Reply #12 on: August 24, 2004, 08:44:38 PM »
Here is a photograph of the place where the platform once stood:


Scott

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Re: The train station at Tsarskoe Selo
« Reply #13 on: July 30, 2005, 08:31:08 PM »
Does this map show the location of these sheds?  It appears to point to the approximate location of the Imperial train pavillion.  I suppose it would make sense that the sheds would be close to the pavillion.

http://www.czsofia.spb.ru/photo/geo.jpg

helenazar

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Re: The train station at Tsarskoe Selo
« Reply #14 on: August 23, 2005, 02:01:00 AM »
Quote
Has anyone seen the train station on a visit to Tsarskoe Selo? It is such an important place, and i wondered if anyone could tell me what it is like now?  In Peter Kurth's book it says "The ruins of the train station.." with a photo of the imperial crest in poor condition on the station walls. The book was published some time ago though, and i wondered if the station was still in the same state?

Best wishes,
Elisa


Hi Elisa,

In response to your original question about the imperial train station, I saw it a few weeks ago, or rather its ruins. Yes, it is still in ruins. It is about a 15-20 minute walk from the AP via Akademichesky Prospekt. The station looks very incongruos standing there among new (or relatively new) apartment buildings, as it is the newer area of town, and back in the early 20th there wasn't much around there.

I took lots of photos of the surrounding area and the station itself, inside and out, and I will post them after I get back. The doors to the station are blocked off, so you can't get inside, but if you really try, you can look through the windows, and this is how I was able to get some shots of the inside. It is not a pretty picture. Everything is literally in ruins, it is obvious that at some point or another it served as an inofficial shelter perhaps to the homeless (rubbish, bottles, grafitty, etc.). But you can still make out the imperial crests, and imagine what it looked like back then. Also, the rails are now gone, but you can sort of tell where they were... When you see the pictures, you will see what I mean.

Helen