Grand Palace of the Museum of the Tsaritsyno Reserve. Tsaritsyno Grand Palace

Tsaritsynsky Grand Palace is one of the main parts of the ensemble created in the 18th century. Unfortunately, this building was never used for its intended purpose, but its architectural merits are undeniable, which makes it possible to include the building in the list of the most significant monuments era, especially since it was made in two different styles. Construction was carried out for quite a long time: from 1785 to 1796.

History of creation

The original design of the building belonged to V. Bazhenov, but the empress, who examined the building, was not satisfied, and therefore the author was removed from the leadership. Instead of him, his friend and assistant M. Kazakov was appointed, who completed the construction. The Tsaritsyno Grand Palace was designed in the style of pseudo-Gothic, but with clear features of classicism, which by the end of the century gained popularity and eventually became the standard for buildings.

The original version of the building involved the construction of a small structure, but the new author, following the tastes of Catherine II, changed the proportions. The structure has become more voluminous, but most importantly, it has acquired some heaviness in the design.

In 1790, construction was suspended due to financial difficulties due to the Russian-Turkish war. Three years later, the process resumed. However, now the Tsaritsyno Grand Palace has undergone new changes: its proportions have been reduced, which, in principle, violated the architect's intention. But soon the empress died, and the new ruler Paul I ordered the work to be completed. Thus, the building was never used for its intended purpose.

Architecture

The construction is interesting because it combines different styles - pseudo-Gothic and classicism. From this point of view, the building can be conditionally called belonging to a transitional period in the history of architectural construction.

The Tsaritsyno Grand Palace consists of two wings, inside of which there are two chambers: for the Empress and her son. The middle part from the outside looks especially majestic and monumental, but the plan shows that this part, in fact, is a narrow passage between the two main chambers. Two towers made in the style of pseudo-Gothic give special elegance to the structure. The last direction also includes, although the shape of the windows is actually rectangular.

Additional elements

Matvey Kazakov gave the building rigor and harmony of forms. The building has three facades, semi-columns and columns that adorn the main entrance. Some parts give the building heaviness: powerful buildings, arcades, arches. Generally appearance designed to demonstrate the imperial power of power, while the original project assumed greater intimacy and compactness of forms.

It should also be mentioned that initially Matvey Kazakov planned to build three floors in the palace plus a separate basement, but a few years later, at the request of the Empress, he was forced to reduce its height by one floor. As a result, the structure became squat and somewhat vague in appearance.

The reaction of contemporaries

So, the author of the Grand Tsaritsyno Palace during the construction was forced to make many changes, which led to a lack of unity and integrity in appearance building. In 1796, a black roof was installed over it, which caused criticism from the then Russian society. Many artists noted that it makes a rather gloomy impression, despite the presence of decorations in the building.

In the second half of the 19th century, many began to note the undoubted architectural merits of the building: they said that its appearance was distinguished by festivity, and therefore many suggested removing the black roof.

Reconstruction

One of the largest palace and park ensembles of the capital is the complex in Tsaritsyno. The Grand Palace, the description of which is the subject of this review, was rebuilt and reconstructed in 2005-2006, which caused criticism from many experts. First of all, the builders replaced the black roof with a more beautiful and elegant roof with decorations, which, in fact, became a violation of the architect's intent. Secondly, they finished the interior, which in the original version was never completed. But the floors were covered with expensive material from valuable tree species. In addition, two halls are arranged in the palace - "Catherine" and "Tauride", in which exhibitions are held. Interior spaces decorated with sculptures and hung crystal chandeliers. In addition, there is a famous monument to the Empress by A. Opekushin.

So, at present, the building houses a whole museum complex, which is dedicated to the reign of Catherine II. Despite the fact that the palace was never used for its intended purpose, nevertheless it occupies an important place in the history of Russian architecture, as it marked the transition from Gothic and traditional to classicism.

May 10th, 2012

After visiting, I visited
another brand new complex - Big Palace in Tsaritsyno. I have walked around the park before
however, the interior of the Grand Palace went to see for the first time. Reviews of various etetstvuyuschie persons I heard.
As a rule, I do not pay attention to the words "horror, remake" and strive to form my own opinion.
For those wishing to read a historical excursion about Tsaritsyno, I recommend that you turn to Wikipedia, and I myself will continue my story based on personal impressions.

In the park we were met by a squirrel with the traditional "Nuts come on"

It was verbally explained to the squirrel that we were here for sightseeing purposes, and not for squirrel-feeding purposes.
As a result of an effective explanation, the squirrel switched to other visitors, and we drvini
went to see the Grand Palace.

Acquaintance with Grand Palace began with a monument to architects Vasily Bazhenov and Matvey Kozakov,
who contributed to the construction of this architectural structure. Around this monument, visitors
like to take tervel photos from the series "me and the monument". And they line up. We are with drvini
instead of classical photography, they began to photograph the details of the monument. What surprised the audience.


Moreover, we have followers. They discovered that macro can be beautiful.

Having finished with educational activities regarding the macro photography of the monument, we drvini
went down. For some reason, in order to enter the Grand Palace in Tsaritsyno, you first need to go down to the dungeon.

In the dungeon, visitors will find a cloakroom, a cash desk, a cafe with prices of "average redneck" and all sorts of souvenir shops.
In addition to the ticket, they will also make you pay for photography.
And put on booties. Moreover, shoe covers are issued by a specially trained aunt. Entrance ticket only and one pair per ticket.
If your shoe cover is torn while dressing, then you will be given another one.

After performing the necessary rituals for putting on shoe covers and showing tickets, you can go up from the dungeon to the first floor.

In the first hall, visitors can see the genealogical trees of the Rurikovichs and the Romanovs, as well as their busts.

And going to the next room, I realized that I like this museum rather than dislike it.
Yes, it does not contain masterpieces of world art, but it was created in the 21st century. So what!
The alternative was quite simple: either maintain the ruin as it was,
or complete the palaces, fill them with exhibits and allow visitors to touch Russian history.
Could it have been done better? - probably can. However, it could have been worse.

The exhibits are mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Tiling option

Various kinds of signs

Dishes

Fragments of frames

Part of the exhibits from the Historical Museum

Gloves and headgear

Halls

Vases, dishes

On the wall are paintings dedicated to Tsaritsyno


They are simple, but for those who are interested in the history of Tsaritsyno, they can be interesting.

Phone cases :)


Tablet stand :)

Utensil

Hall with fragments of original masonry

Model of the Grand unfinished Palace in Tsaritsyno


Please note that trees have already begun to grow on the walls. And they really started to grow
on the walls of the Grand Palace.

Here you can go to the lower hall


There are all sorts of archaeological finds in Tsaritsyno.


The cultural layer was not explored beyond the Middle Ages.

There is also an exhibition of silverware. 19th 20th century.

I really liked this writing instrument.


However, nowadays it is quite useless :)

And here is this silver arthropod

Fragment of genuine masonry

I also remember the coin purse


drvini said he's pretty solid

and mustache brush

exposition silver products pretty interesting. However, let's go further.

Please note: in addition to stairs, it is possible to climb in wheelchairs

It is also worth noting that the signs use Braille for people with visual disabilities.
And on some exhibits, there is such a hand hanging, which means that the exhibit can be touched:

Fragment of the main entrance


IN common days it is closed.

And we enter the Catherine's Hall


mixture of white and yellow. At the head of the hall is a monument to Catherine the Great.

However, let's get down to the details.

Door handles. Interestingly, in Peterhof, Gatchina and other palaces, there are also handles on self-tapping screws?
If I have a chance to visit again, I will certainly pay attention. It's interesting indeed.

Fragment of a column

doors

The gilding is peeling off somewhere.

Lamp

Stand

Please note - the screws here are covered with gold

lamp stand

Ornament

Column

Monument to Catherine the Great

Hall type:

View from the opposite side

Balcony

Then there are several halls dedicated to Catherine the Great. Talk about them in detail
I won’t - there are several paintings, clothes, coins:

I especially want to talk about museum workers. They are all polite, but as soon as you take out your camera, they
will attack you with the question "Is there a ticket for photography." Moreover, the closer the museum worker
to the entrance - the easier he believes in the word. Further from the entrance, a museum worker offers to show this ticket.
And it happens in every room.

And their name is Legion. The optimal solution is a badge where you can put a ticket. However, it is not given at the entrance.
Therefore, be prepared for such bullying.
At the same time, I don’t understand WHY museum workers collect money for photography. They don't set up a special light for the photo.
and they don’t protect the exhibit from visitors without cameras, so that the photographer can get a better shot.
They bully visitors with questions like "do they have a photo ticket", saying they are just doing their job.
In my opinion, their job, first of all, is to ensure that visitors from the museum have a good experience.
impression and I wanted to go there again and recommend my friends to go to this museum.
And so - the impression remains of the evil museum Cerberus, which do not allow even a frame to be taken without payment.
At the box office, by the way, when buying tickets for photography, the cashiers are instructed that it is impossible
to be photographed against the backdrop of the exhibits. Looks pretty wild.

However, back to the exhibits.

Glamor service

Silverware

Watch

View from the window

As a matter of fact, this is where I finish the story about the exposition of the Grand Palace in Tsaritsyno.

I will say a few words about other exhibitions.

On the second floor, paintings by the artist Vasily Nesterenko are presented.
Basically, these are epic canvases dedicated to the events of 1612 and 1812. I liked the way Vasily manages to paint people's faces.
It's pretty expressive.

In addition to the Grand Palace in Tsaritsyno, there is also the Bread Hall. In this same hall, except for a separate entrance ticket
You still need to buy a separate ticket for photography. At the same time, museum workers not only do not put on the light
and do not protect the photographer from other visitors in order to get a well-made shot, but not all exhibits allow taking pictures.
I then naively thought that I once gave 100 rubles for photography and go and take pictures. But no - it turned out not to be so simple!
The Museum Cerberus immediately explained to me that my ticket is valid only in the Grand Palace, and here they have the Bread Hall with a separate ticket for photography.
Before the museum Cerberus explained all this to me, I managed to take a couple of shots that I share with you, my dear readers.
At one of the exhibitions, an exposition is presented women's clothing 20th century


There were also all sorts of perfume bottles like "Red Moscow", "Sadko", "Black Casket", etc. But the museum Cerberus vigilantly watched
so that I don't take an extra shot.

At another exhibition of the Bread Hall - an exposition of folk crafts:

Summing up my story, I can say that I liked the museum in Tsaritsyno rather than disliked it.
Not that there was a desire to go there again. I prefer walking in the park.
But there was no rejection from what I saw. Those. turned out pretty good modern museum which can be visited.
In which all sorts of exhibitions and events are held and there may well be something interesting.
Official website of the Tsaritsyno Museum: http://www.tsaritsyno-museum.ru/ru/
The site is quite informative.

Is the Grand Palace. This building in pseudo-Gothic and classicism styles has a rather complicated fate, and the history of the construction of the palace is closely connected with the history of the Tsaritsyno estate.

The founder of the object is Catherine II, who commissioned the famous Russian architect Vasily Bazhenov to develop a project for the palace, which would become the architectural dominant of the Tsaritsyno estate. In 1775, Bazhenov proposed a plan for the construction of an original three-building building. The architect's ideas were approved, and he began construction.

After 10 years, the Empress decided to visit Tsaritsyno. A quick glance was enough for Catherine II to reject Bazhenov's work. The tsarina ordered the palace to be demolished, and the architect was deprived of his position as the chief builder of the Tsaritsyno estate.

The construction of the palace was entrusted to Bazhenov's talented colleague, Matvey Kazakov. According to the revised plan, the building was to become larger and more luxurious, but the general configuration of the Bazhenov Palace new architect saved.

Kazakov completed the construction in rough form only in 1976: work was constantly stopped due to lack of funds. Empress Catherine II never saw the Grand Palace: she died suddenly in November 1976. The new head of state, Paul I, was not interested in the Tsaritsyno estate. Moreover, the sovereign who hated his mother issued a decree prohibiting any construction on this territory of Moscow. So Paul I struggled with the memory of his great predecessor.

Left without care, the Grand Palace began to rapidly collapse. Marauders stole interior items, cut down bricks from the walls. At the beginning of the 20th century the temporary roof collapsed and majestic building only the walls remained.

In 2005, restoration work began. Within two years, the Grand Palace was revived. The restoration of the object was repeatedly criticized for numerous deviations from the plans of Bazhenov and Kazakov. However, due to the incompleteness of the object, it was not possible to fully recreate the original appearance of the building.

The restorers took the greatest liberties when working on the roof. In the 18th century the metal roof of the Grand Palace was painted black. The building acquired gloomy features and among the people it was nicknamed the "big coffin". During the reconstruction work, it was decided to use green paint for the roof.

The second floor of the palace was divided by Cossacks into 2 halls of equal size, which were supposed to be used for balls and social events. A wide staircase led to the halls from the first floor. In the western part of the building there is a luxurious "Catherine's Hall", generously decorated with statues, marble, gilding, rock crystal chandeliers. The central element of the decor of this room is a huge bas-relief "Catherine's Triumph", made by artists R. Sayfutdinov and V. Ageychenko. The triptych of E. Maksimov, dedicated to the coronation of Catherine, also attracts the attention of visitors.

In the "Catherine's Hall" of the Grand Palace you can see big statue empresses. The monument was made by the sculptor A. Opekushin in 1889.

In Soviet times, they wanted to turn the statue into a monument to Lenin, but art historians miraculously managed to defend it. During the war years, the marble sculpture was evacuated to Yerevan, where it remained until 2003, when the Ministry of Culture of Armenia agreed to return the monument to Russia.

Currently, the expositions of the museum-estate "Tsaritsyno" are located in the Grand Palace. Press conferences, meetings with interesting people, temporary exhibitions.

In the Grand Palace, you can use the services of a professional photographer: guests can take pictures in historical costumes against the backdrop of unique interiors.

Exhibitions of the Grand Palace

"Tsaritsyno Antiquities" and "Silver Pantry"

The Grand Palace houses four permanent exhibitions. The first two - "Tsaritsyn Antiquities" and "Silver Pantry" are located in the basement.

The exposition "Tsaritsyno antiquities" is a collection of ancient coins, jewelry, paintings, icons, candlesticks.

The "Silver Pantry" is divided into two halls: in the first one you can see the archaeological antiquities found during excavations in the museum-estate "Tsaritsyno". These are gold and silver coins, utensils made of metal and ceramics, household items, ladies' and men's jewelry. The pride of this part of the exposition is a collection of gold items from the burial mound of the ancient Vyatichi 11-13 centuries.

The second hall of the "Silver Pantry" is entirely dedicated to the art of jewelry. Visitors will see unique items made by the famous master Faberge, his students and followers. The vases "Swan" and "Cancer" by the jeweler Nemirov-Kolodin are of great interest. The master used gold, silver, platinum, precious stones in their manufacture.

The vessel of 1899, in which champagne was cooled, will also be of interest to guests. A large vessel made of rock crystal and silver, inlaid with diamonds.

"Memories of the Great Ruin"

On the ground floor there is a model of the Grand Palace, as it was before the start of restoration work in 2005. Tourists will see from which ruins they managed to raise architectural monument, to make sure that he gets a new life.

In addition, in this part of the exposition you can see a part of the original brickwork laid under Catherine II, as well as bricks with the marks of brick factories of the 18th century. LCD displays show photographs of the palace before and after restoration.

"Catherine II"

The exposition on the 1st floor is entirely dedicated to Empress Catherine II, whose reign is considered to be the golden age of Russia. Here are the personal belongings of the queen and her entourage, collections of paintings, documents, exhibits from the times of the queen's childhood, the palace coup and her heyday as an empress.

"The Art of Great Style"

The second floor is given over to a permanent exhibition dedicated to Soviet jewelry and decorative art. The collections include gold and silver jewelry, dishes, Soviet awards, commemorative coins, paintings, photographs and much more.

In this part of the museum, visitors will get acquainted with the life of the late USSR (from 61st to 91st), find out what the elite of the country and its ordinary citizens considered as luxury items.

He is in in general terms retained the Bazhenov plan, but now the grandiose palace already dominated the surrounding buildings. Due to funding problems, it took another 10 years of work for the palace to be ready. It was covered with a temporary roof, but the sudden death of Catherine and the accession to the throne of Paul put an end to the Tsaritsyno ensemble: it was forbidden to build there.

Over time, the unfinished palace in Tsaritsyno turned into huge ruin. Everything that was possible was stolen, trees grew on the roof, only the walls remained from the building. But in 2007 it was restored. And since the building was not completed historically, the restorers made many digressions. This is how the third Grand Tsaritsyno Palace was born.

Most of the questions were raised by the roof and interiors. At the end of the 18th century, the iron roof of the palace was painted black, which gave it a gloomy look. Now the roof is green and decorated with many decorative elements. Inside the Grand Palace, Matvey Kazakov designed about 120 rooms, but the architect's plans for their decoration are unknown.

The interiors of the Tsaritsyno Palace were stylized as the 18th century. On the second floor, Kazakov placed two galleries of the same size on opposite sides of the main staircase.

The western hall preceded the apartments of Catherine II. Now "Catherine's Hall" is luxuriously stylized: marble, gilding, crystal chandeliers. It is decorated with stucco decor on the theme of "The Triumph of Catherine" by V. Ageichenko and R. Sayfutdinov, and a triptych by E. Maksimov on the theme of the coronation of the Empress in Moscow in 1762. On the top of the wall above the balcony, in gold letters, is the statement of Catherine II: “Power without the trust of the people means nothing.”

The main decoration of the "Ekaterininsky Hall" is the statue of Catherine II by A.M. guardian. The sculptor created it in 1889 for a competition for a monument to the Empress in Rostov-on-Don. Then they chose another project, and in 1896 Opekushin's statue adorned the meeting room of the Moscow City Duma. In Soviet times, it miraculously survived, since they wanted to use its marble for busts of Karl Marx, V.I. Lenin and I.V. Stalin. Since 1952, the statue of Catherine II has been kept in Yerevan in the State art gallery Armenia. In 2003, the government of Moscow and the Republic of Armenia agreed to return the sculpture to Moscow.

And in front of the apartments of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich they also arranged a reception hall. It was named "Tauride" in honor of G.A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky. The hall was decorated with marble columns, painted on the ceiling in cherry tones.

There is a museum in the Grand Palace in Tsaritsyno, where you can learn about the history of the construction and restoration of the building, see the Catherine and Tauride Halls, visit temporary exhibitions in rooms that were conceived as private quarters.

They say that......the choice of Matvey Kazakov as the chief architect of the Tsaritsyno rework was not accidental. During her visit to Moscow, Catherine also visited the Senate Palace. The still unfinished building led her to admiration. They say that most of all she was impressed by the spectacular act of the architect. The workers were afraid to disassemble the fortifications of the dome, believing that it would collapse, because such a large dome had never been built in Russia before. Then Matvey Kazakov climbed to the top and stood there until the circle was removed.

Photos from the interiors and exposition of the Grand Tsaritsyno Palace:

Story palace and park complex Tsaritsyno is like the story of Cinderella from the fairy tale by Charles Perrault, which combines the hard and sad life of the heroine, the dislike of the stepmother and the happy ending of the fairy tale.

In the 1590s, the lands that lay down the Moscow River from the Kolomenskoye to the mouth of the Pakhra belonged to the Godunov family and bore the unattractive name "Black Dirt".

For almost two centuries, the land passed from hand to hand, until in 1775 Chernaya Mud, with all its buildings and a park, was bought by Catherine II from Prince Sergei Dmitrievich Kantemir. And it happened like this. The Russian Empress settled in the royal village of Kolomenskoye in May 1775 and took walks around the surroundings from here. In fact, Catherine did not like this residence of hers and spoke of it contemptuously: “against Tsarskoye Selo, Kolomenskoye is like a trashy play compared to the tragedy of La Harpe.” On May 4, the Empress made her next voyage and discovered that there are very interesting places not far from Kolomenskoye. This is how she described it in her letter to Baron Grimm in Paris: “Her Imperial Majesty got bored of wandering through the meadows and valleys of the village of Kolomenskoye, where you have the choice of either getting your feet wet, or climbing mountains like a goat, and so, one fine day, her majesty deigned to go to big road, which leads from Moscow to Kashira ... The road led to a huge pond, next to which there was a larger and more picturesque pond; and this pond did not belong to her majesty, but to her neighbor, Prince Cantemir. Here walkers, heading from one pond to another, either on foot or on horseback, at a distance of seven versts from Kolomenskoye, begin to envy someone else's estate, the owner of which, an old man over 70 years old, is completely indifferent to waters, and to forests, and to all scenic views that delight visitors. All he did was play cards and scold when he lost.” The “fighting old man” was none other than Prince Sergei Dmitrievich Kantimir, and the estate that aroused the envy of the empress was the Black Dirt estate once presented to Dmitry Kantemir by Peter I.

Grand Palace and Bread House.

Grand Palace and Bread Gate

After buying the estate, Catherine spent part of the summer of 1775 in a small wooden palace, urgently built in just two weeks. The Empress, fascinated by the local scenery, decided to give these lands a more euphonious name. In one of her letters to Baron Grimm, Catherine wrote: "I called my new possession Tsaritsyn and, by all accounts, this is a real paradise." In the same 1775, the Empress gave the task to her court architect Vasily Bazhenov to develop a project for a pleasure residence near Moscow. The empress expressed several wishes: that the building be in the “Moorish” or “Gothic taste”, and that the park be equipped as a landscape. Catherine II liked the project presented by the architect. On November 20, 1775, a decree was signed on the allocation of 30 thousand rubles from January 1776, and in May 1776 the construction of the palace complex began.

The architect planned the construction of a whole town - five palaces for Catherine II and her son Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich with his family, and around a whole scattering of buildings for the court nobility, houses for servants, pavilions, decorative structures, bridges. Also planned landscape park with the preservation of most of the existing landings.

Bazhenov project.

1. big bridge through the ravine. 2. Cavalry Corps. 3. Hexagonal pavilion (not preserved). 4. Cross-shaped pavilion (not preserved). 5. Figured bridge. 6. Chamber-Yungfer pavilion (not preserved). 7. Small Palace of Catherine II. 8. Palace on the Meadow ("Opera House"). 9. Figured gate. 10. Church of the middle of the XVIII century. 11. Cavalry Corps ("Octahedron"). 12. Large Cavalry Corps (dismantled by order of Catherine). 13. Palace of Catherine II (dismantled by order of Catherine). 14. Palace of the heir to Grand Duke Paul (dismantled by order of Catherine). The palaces of Catherine and Paul during the construction process were connected by a building for the children of Paul. 15. Cavalier Morpus. 16. Kitchen building ("Bread house"). 17. Administration building (not preserved). 18. Stables (not built). 19. Clock tower (was not built). During construction, a gallery with gates appeared, linking Pavel's palace and the Kitchen building.

Small palace.

Middle Palace (Opera House).

The architect chose a high triangular cape between the pond, formed from the overflowing river Gorodenka, and the ravine that cut into it as a place for the location of his ensemble. From the third side approached the "virgin" forest, which later turned into a landscape park. For the architect, this project has become the meaning of his life. In the first year, on the allocated funds, the work went successfully. But when there were problems with financing, in order not to stop construction, Bazhenov even had to take loans in his own name and carry out construction at his own expense. While working on the Tsaritsyno ensemble, Bazhenov was forced to sell his house in Moscow, along with all the furnishings and the library and his wife's estate, and by 1784, Bazhenov had about 15 thousand rubles of debt.

Finally, at the beginning of 1784, money was allocated to complete the construction. The unexpected generosity of the treasury was due to the fact that the next year the empress planned a trip to Moscow. Among other things, she wanted to inspect the new Moscow buildings she had started: at the same time as the Tsaritsyn ensemble, a palace was being built in Kolomenskoye under the leadership of Karl Blanc, and in the Kremlin - the Senate Palace by Matvey Kazakov.

The figured bridge was supposed to serve as a front arch at the entrance to the royal residence from the side of the ponds.

Monument to architects V. Bazhenov and M. Kazakov and Khlebnye Vorota.

By 1785, Vasily Bazhenov was building a unique palace complex in Tsaritsyno, numbering seventeen buildings. On the border between the main building and the flower parterre, there were two twin palaces. One, closer to the pond, was intended for Catherine II (it was her "Grand Palace"), the other - for "their imperial highnesses", the family of the heir to the throne, Grand Duke Paul. The palaces were two-story, with high openwork parapets. Above each, in the center, there was a dome, crowned with a columned belvedere - "gazebo". Initially, between the palaces of the queen and the Grand Duke, Bazhenov planned a greenhouse. But while construction was going on, the grand dukes Alexander (future tsar) and Constantine were born in the family of the heir. Then the architect proposed, and the Empress approved, to unite the twin palaces with the “Palace for the Children of the Imperial Family”. For Catherine II, Bazhenov erected two more palaces: "Medium" and "Small". He placed them on the high bank of the pond. Together with the main one, they made up a group of palaces of the Empress. Architectural ensemble complemented the Big Cavalry Corps, the Kameryunfar Corps, the Third Cavalry Corps, the Kitchen building and other structures of various sizes and configurations. The church was included in the ensemble. Holy Mother of God The Life-Giving Spring, built in the middle of the 18th century, under the previous owners. For faster and more convenient access to the village, "Tsaritsynsky Prospekt" is being laid, lined with birches. The alley stretched for two versts leading directly to Kolomenskoye.

The building of the Kitchens, in which Bazhenov combined all the services necessary in the palace economy (kitchens, pantries, laundries, etc.). Its inner courtyard was supposed to hide the economic "everyday life" of the estate from its inhabitants. Relief emblems are placed on two facades facing the ensemble: a loaf of bread with a salt shaker on it. Apparently, according to them, the Kitchen Building was later called the “Bread House”.

Inner courtyard of the Bread House. Photo by Valery Ulyanov.

However, almost completely completed, Tsaritsyno never became the current imperial residence. At the beginning of the summer of 1785, Catherine II, who arrived in Moscow for a short time, deigned to visit the village of Tsaritsyno, accompanied by an architect. After a walk in the park, the empress departed for Kolomenskoye and, it seemed, nothing foreshadowed the coming catastrophe. However, some time later, the highest order was issued to demolish the buildings intended for the imperial family: the Grand Palace of Catherine II, combined with the palaces of Paul and the Grand Dukes Alexander and Constantine, as well as the Cavalier Corps, that is, almost the entire central part of the ensemble. The empress herself wrote to her heir Pavel Petrovich that her Grand Palace “must be changed inside, because it would be impossible to live in it,” and described in more detail her first impressions of the interiors to Baron F.M. Grimm: "The vaults were too heavy, the rooms too low, the boudoirs cramped, the halls dark, the stairs too narrow."

3rd Cavalry Corps.

Cavalry Corps (Octahedron).

This was a big blow for the architect. Bazhenov at first tried to adapt to the new requirements of the empress, but having cooled off to him, Catherine approved the project of another Moscow architect, M.F. Kazakov, who continued construction. The palaces built by Bazhenov were demolished to the ground by July 1786, later their fate was shared by the Big Cavalry and Kameryunfar corps.

It is possible that the architect fell into disgrace because of his sympathy for the Masons. It is known that Vasily Bazhenov had close contacts with the Masons and built several structures for them. IN in large numbers Masonic symbols are also presented in the decoration of buildings in Tsaritsyno. Here is what Count Bruce wrote about Masonic symbols and Bazhenov in 1785 to Catherine II: “And the point is not even that the Bazhenov buildings in Tsaritsyn are decorated with many Masonic symbols. This is a small sin. And the great one is different. Mr. Bazhenov chose not the palace principle, but the monastic one, as a composition, for the construction of the Tsaritsyno ensemble. Only instead of a cathedral, he meant a pleasure palace, instead of chapels and churches - gazebos for gentlemen and ladies. It seems to me that this is a mockery of the shrines of Orthodoxy, which, apparently, is the duty of the Mason.

Facade of the Grand Palace. 1st option. Drawing by M. F. Kazakov. 1785

Over the next ten years, on the site of the destroyed buildings, Mikhail Kazakov erected an impressive neo-Gothic building of the Grand Palace. But, the completion of the construction of the palace was interrupted with the death of the Empress in November 1796. A few months later, Paul I was crowned in Moscow. Soon the emperor visited Tsaritsyno, after which a decree was issued to stop work. The grandiose epic of twenty years of construction turned out to be unfinished. The ensemble, created by two famous Russian architects, was never in demand for its intended purpose.

V. Ammon. View of the estate Tsaritsyno. 1835

In subsequent years, the unfinished royal residence quickly fell into disrepair, already at the beginning of the 19th century, the buildings began to collapse and overgrow with greenery. During the short reign of Paul, no work was carried out here; deprived of proper care, Kantemirov's "geometric garden" began to dry up.

A. N. Golitsyn. View of the Grand Palace and the Gallery-fence with a gate (from the side of the courtyard). 1893

A. N. Golitsyn. Figured ("Grape") gates. 1893.The figured gate is one of the most amazing and most remarkable buildings of Bazhenov in Tsaritsyn. Sometimes they are called the Grape Gates, after a white-stone bunch of grapes, a “weight” hanging in the arch opening.

Under Alexander I, Tsaritsynsky Park became available for festivities. And in 1856, at the beginning of the reign of Alexander II, a special decree in Tsaritsyn and Kolomenskoye allowed the public to drink tea. Temporary tea houses appeared in Tsaritsyno Park; in addition, some Bazhenov buildings were also adapted for them. Finally, in 1860, after an audit that admitted that the maintenance of the estate did not bring significant income, Tsaritsyno was transferred from the department that managed the royal property to the Department of appanages. Thus, Tsaritsyno ceased to be the personal property of the imperial family.

The Great Bridge spanning the moat is reminiscent of ancient Roman aqueducts.

Having become the property of the treasury, Tsaritsyno was supposed to generate income. At first it was supposed to sell all the buildings for demolition and analysis for 82,000 rubles, but there was no buyer. At the same time, by decision of the Moscow specific office, part of the Tsaritsyno lands was leased out for dacha development, and in the 1870s a whole suburban village New Tsaritsyno. The general condition of the ownerless palace buildings steadily worsened.

Abandoned greenhouse economy went under demolition; some buildings and pavilions were occasionally used and only then underwent cosmetic repairs, but most of buildings were still in disrepair. In 1880 there was a partial collapse of the roof of the Grand Tsaritsyno Palace; in order to avoid accidents, it was decided to remove the remnants of the roof and dismantle the frames of the Gothic completion of the towers.

In the first years of Soviet power, the surviving building of the First Cavalry Corps was used by local authorities, and in the early 1920s, communal apartments spontaneously arose in the Khlebny Dom, which lasted until the 1970s.

In 1926, the palace and park ensemble was transferred to the jurisdiction of Glavnauka. The very next year, a museum was opened in the premises of the Third Cavalry Corps, which lasted until 1935, after which a village club with a cinema was set up in the building.

In 1936, on the instructions of the Moscow City Council, a project was developed to adapt the Tsaritsyno ensemble into a rest home. The Great Patriotic War prevented the implementation of these plans.

In 1939, the temple was closed on the territory of the palace and park ensemble; The building was equipped with a transformer substation.

Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary Life-Giving Spring.

From 1927 and in subsequent decades, individual decorative architectural structures periodically underwent repair and restoration work, but the most ambitious restoration work historical complex occurred at the end of the 20th century. Since the mid-1980s, scientific restoration of the Tsaritsyno objects has been carried out, and almost all of them had been restored by 2004. In the same year, the museum-reserve was transferred to the city, and in September 2005, large-scale work was launched in Tsaritsyno to restore the Grand Palace and reconstruct the palace ensemble and park. On September 2, 2007, on the Day of the City of Moscow, official opening Palace and park complex Tsaritsyno. Today, undoubtedly, it is the most beautiful and interesting place became one of the main attractions of Moscow, and Russia. And, so that skeptics do not say, about whether it was necessary to restore this building unclaimed by Russian emperors or not, we can be proud that Tsaritsyno did not disappear, like many others historical monuments Russia and its present appearance. If possible, I will gladly come back here again and again.

Below pictures interior design palace. Text and photos are taken from the sites - http://www.tsaritsyno-museum.ru/ and http://www.angelfire.com/pa/ImperialRussian/news/tsaritsyno.html

M. F. Kazakov designed about 120 rooms on three floors of the Grand Palace. But the architect's plans for their decoration remain unknown. During the reconstruction of the palace in 2005-2007, its most important premises received an ensemble decoration based on architectural styles late 18th - early 20th century.

Main staircase. Kazakov completed the main staircase in the center of the building on the second floor, where the apartments of Catherine the Second and the imperial family were supposed to be located. He planned the entrance to the third floor through the stairs in the towers on the sides of the central part of the palace of the main (northern) facade.

Catherine's Hall. On the second floor of the Grand Palace, on the sides of the main staircase, Kazakov placed two reception halls of the same size, galleries. The western hall preceded Catherine II's own apartments. During the reconstruction, an exit was made from it to the balcony of a huge double-height room. On the top of the wall above the balcony, in golden letters, is the eternally relevant statement of Catherine II: “Power without the trust of the people means nothing.” This newly formed hall with an entrance on the first floor became the main ceremonial hall of the reconstructed Grand Palace and was named "Ekaterininsky".

An important decoration of the "Catherine's Hall" is the statue of Empress Catherine the Second by the outstanding Russian sculptor A. M. Opekushin (1838-1923). This work of Carrara marble (260 cm high and weighing more than 3 tons) was created by the master in 1889 for a competition for a monument to the Empress from the "grateful Armenians" of the city of Rostov-on-Don. The Rostov authorities then preferred a different project, and in 1896 Opekushin's statue adorned the meeting room of the Moscow City Duma. After the October Revolution, she traveled to different repositories and literally survived by a miracle. In the 1930s, they wanted to use it to make marble busts of Karl Marx, V.I. Lenin and I.V. Stalin. Since 1952, the statue has been kept in Yerevan in the State Art Gallery of Armenia. In 2003, the government of Moscow and the Republic of Armenia agreed to return the sculpture to Moscow. In 2006, it was decided to install it in the newly created "Catherine's Hall" of the Grand Palace.

Tauride Hall. In front of the apartments of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich in the eastern (facing the Bread House) wing of the Grand Palace, there should be a reception hall, equal in size to the hall in front of the apartments of Catherine II in the western part of the building. After the reconstruction of the palace in 2005-2007, this hall retained its dimensions and location. It is named "Tauride" in honor of the glorious achievements of Russia in the second half of the 18th century, among which is the conquest of the Tauride Peninsula of Crimea (Taurida) with the decisive role of Prince G. A. Potemkin.

The overall decoration of the "Tauride Hall" is intended to recall the glorious creators of Russian history and culture during the reign of Catherine II. Its main theme is the pictorial ceiling "The Triumph of Catherine II" by Igor Lozinsky (with the participation of Viktor Mironov). This theme is supported by the painting by Vasily Nesterenko, dedicated to the famous holiday of the foundation in 1787 of the Russian fleet in Sevastopol. V. Nesterenko also painted portraits of prominent figures of Russia in the second half of the 18th century - G. A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky, P. A. Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky, A. V. Suvorov, N. I. Panin, G. G. Orlov, A. G. Orlov-Chesmensky, F. F. Ushakov, I. I. Betsky. The gallery of sculptural portraits - Emperor Paul the First, Alexander the First and Nicholas the First, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, as well as M. V. Lomonosov, Princess E. R. Dashkova, N. M. Karamzin, G. R. Derzhavin - was created by a creative team under by the famous Moscow sculptor Alexander Burganov.

On the third floor of the central part of the Grand Palace, along its entire length, Kazakov initially designed a huge double-height hall-gallery. It was intended for magnificent royal ceremonies, receptions and balls with the participation of court nobles and invited nobility. At the beginning of 1793 (in the eighth year of construction), Catherine II ordered the palace to be reduced by one floor. Kazakov was forced to abandon the second tier of windows in this main hall. As a result, it became disproportionately low and therefore less representative. Newly built in 2005-2007 main staircase The palace divided the initially single space of the third floor into two equal rooms. Both new halls were decorated in the "Neo-Gothic style" of the 19th - early 20th century. They are named "Bazhenovskiy" and "Kazakovskiy" in honor of the creators of the Tsaritsyno ensemble - architects V.I. Bazhenov and M.F. Kazakov. They host exhibitions, concert and theatrical performances, scientific conferences and other public events.