Alexander Palace Restoration

[Vladimir_V.]

Private person donated $1 million on the restoration of the Quarenghi interiors in the Alexander palace.

Does this mean that Nicholas and Alexander's changes (the Maple room & the New Study) will be restored to the Concert Hall?
It seems a shame to destroy the history of the most important residents of the palace.  Their "lifestye" is probably far more important historically than the Quarenghi interiors.
BobG

I posted this in another thread where I learned of the generous donation.  Does anyone have more details on Vladimir's "restoration of the Quarenghi interiors" and what this means?
Bob G

Sorry for the long silence. Yesterday when I opened this page I was glad to see this interesting discussion.
Of coarse one million is nothing for the palace. You may remember that the restoration of the 1st Antichamber cost $5 million! I think $1 million is a cost of the project of the restoration.

[Vladimir_V.]

Does this mean that Nicholas and Alexander's changes (the Maple room & the New Study) will be restored to the Concert Hall?
It seems a shame to destroy the history of the most important residents of the palace.  Their "lifestye" is probably far more important historically than the Quarenghi interiors.
BobG

Bob! It is very strange idea. I have never heard that anybody in Tsarskoe Selo museum wants to recreate the Concert Hall. It is impossible. It sounds like to destroy the Catherine Palace therefore we want to recreate first small palace of Catherine I, wife of Peter I.
We never see this Quarenghi interior. It was one of the Nicholas II mistake, one small mistake in the huge list of his mistakes.

[Arleen_Ristau]

I for one will grieve if they distroy what is left of Alexandra's/Nicholas' rooms to bring back the music room.  At least one could walk through what is still there and conjure up the way they looked in, say 1910....

I am interested in what you said about the basement, Tsaria.  Imagine being allowed to go thru that space!  Please tell us everything you remember as being down there.....Is Nicholas I's old personal kitchen still there?  Is it broken up into rooms?  I am at least glad to know it is DRY and not deteriorating like the rest of the building, maybe that will help keep the building standing until all the infighting about WHAT they are going to restore and what not.  Is the bottom of Alexandra's elevator still there?  I have a million questions.....

Tsaria, I am glad you are such a good friend to the AP and the Russian people and have access to these things!

Arleen

[dmitri]

I was at Alexander Palace in late January this year. What really struck me as needing urgent attention was the side of the Palace not open to tourists. It is really in an appalling state. What you can see inside is interesting for what it is. They really are struggling to get tourists there. All the tours go to the Catherine Palace which is truly magnificent but unless I had asked my guide I would have never been taken to the Alexander Palace. I am pleased to know that money has been donated. I hope this will be spent on the roof and the restoring the outside of the non-open wing. It is in a sad and desperate state. As for eventual restoration of the interiors do not panic as this will be done very well indeed. I visited Pavlovsk, Peterhof and Gatchina. Now Gatchina really needs attention. It is remarkable though what is happening there. Sadly nothing has yet been done about the wing where Alexander III and Marie Feodorovna lived. I dream that this will be done one day as this is where Nicholas II grew up and spent so many happy years with his parents, sisters and brothers.   

[ChristineM]

Strangely, despite the desperate state of the exterior, the interiors of the rooms on the right side have, unlike the Imperial wing, largely, survived.   The roof and paintwork of the left wing (family wing) make that area appear a bit fresher, but the actual fabric of the entire building is in a serious state of decay..

tsaria

[dmitri]

I agree Tsaria. The real issue is getting the tourists to the Alexander Palace so they pay the entry fee and therefore help in the restoration of the building. Sadly at the moment most tourists bypass the Alexander Palace completely and only go to the grander Catherine Palace. This is the really major problem. Of course the Catherine Palace is superb but it is more a vast empty museum. I hope the Alexander Palace becomes more a tourist destination. Where are all the fans of Nicholas and Alexandra's time requesting visits to the Alexander Palace I ask myself?

[Bob_the_builder]

Wait, the Alexander Palace isn't yet restored?

[BobG]

When I was visiting Tsarskoe Selo, I had to insist that my tour include the Alexander Palace.  The company wasn't really interested, and didn't have the "script" for the AP, so they were reluctant to include it.  I wonder if the museums "tip" the tour guides for the numbers of people they bring, and the AP doesn't have the resources to "encourage" the tour guides to bring people there? 

Clearly, in its current state and without including any of the Parade rooms on display, the tour of the AP is only of interest to true N&A fans.  Once the palace is restored, it will hopefully begin to attract crowds.

BobG

[pookiepie]

 

wow, i love that balcony. that would be an awesome library up top (i love fantasizing about what kind of liabrary i would have if i had a lot of $$ ). are there any more pictures of it, or something similar?

[ChristineM]

Sounds like Bob the Builder is looking for a contract.

tsaria

[Bob_the_builder]

Sounds like Bob the Builder is looking for a contract.

tsaria

lol Right you are!

[LisaDavidson]

Wait, the Alexander Palace isn't yet restored?

Correct. The only restoration that was done was completed prior to the second world war. After WWII, many of the items that were sent from the AP to escape the advancing Germans were never returned to it - they were sent to other palaces. The Germans did much damage to the palace, and the Russians lacked resources (including money) to bring the palace back to where it was before. Restoration funds went to the grander places such as the Catherine Palace.

Bob Atchison was able to get inside the AP several times when it was under Soviet control, and he hoped to find a way to restore it. In the mid 1990's with the popularity of the internet growing, he launched this site to draw attention to the plight of the palace. In that effort, he has succeeded.

However, there remain many obstacles to the restoration, none of which have been overcome sufficiently to get the actual restoration done.

[Bob_the_builder]

Wait, the Alexander Palace isn't yet restored?

Correct. The only restoration that was done was completed prior to the second world war. After WWII, many of the items that were sent from the AP to escape the advancing Germans were never returned to it - they were sent to other palaces. The Germans did much damage to the palace, and the Russians lacked resources (including money) to bring the palace back to where it was before. Restoration funds went to the grander places such as the Catherine Palace.

Bob Atchison was able to get inside the AP several times when it was under Soviet control, and he hoped to find a way to restore it. In the mid 1990's with the popularity of the internet growing, he launched this site to draw attention to the plight of the palace. In that effort, he has succeeded.

However, there remain many obstacles to the restoration, none of which have been overcome sufficiently to get the actual restoration done.

That's why I thought this website was made. It's a wonderful thing Bob's doing, trying to restore the place that Nicky and Alix loved so much. I hope it can be restored to its former beauty. I've seen footage of the palace from 1995 and it looks in pretty bad condition from the outside.

[Petrushka]

Apologies for throwing my tuppenny bit in but.....

Any restoration to the Palace will have to take into account a myriad of opinions and ideas.  Undoubtedly we, as people fascinated by the last IF would love to think 'our' part of its history is the most relevant (myself included).  However, architecturally and to an extent historically, other issues and periods can be viewed as more valuable.
In my humble opinion the majority of the restoration currently on view is rather disapointing and constitutes more of an exhibition rather than any attempt at real restoration.  In many ways the areas that have been 'restored' feel like badly composed 'prop rooms'.  I am absolutely not being critical as I am well aware of the constraints (specifically financial) placed on any works undertaken.  But we need to be careful not to polarise our own agenda.  You only have to see the beautiful Catherine Palace to realise that with the right resources and the right rationale restoration is possible irrespective of the current condition (look at the pictures of the shell that was left after WWII).

I have only visited the Alexander Palace once and it was the culmination of ten years dreaming - some might say obsession.  Again from a personal view, I didn't need the room dressing or the props - for me it's about being there - sharing the space and the inumerable pictures I have in my head of what took place in that beautifully decadent building.
I would be happy if the building was made secure - the roof repaired and general maintenance regularly attended.  In this way the building would remain safe, the spaces complete and our imagination can do the rest.

Not to mention it would keep the visitor numbers low ........

[Vassili_Vorontsoff]

I do not understand anymore,Vlad told that no federal source spoke of this restoration,hence this would happen or not?

Bob! It is very strange idea. I have never heard that anybody in Tsarskoe Selo museum wants to recreate the Concert Hall. It is impossible. It sounds like to destroy the Catherine Palace therefore we want to recreate first small palace of Catherine I, wife of Peter I.
We never see this Quarenghi interior. It was one of the Nicholas II mistake, one small mistake in the huge list of his mistakes.

Vassili