The history of the Romanov’s residence in Tsarskoye Selo began in 1710, when Emperor Peter the Great presented those lands to his future wife, Ekaterina Alekseevna. Since then Tsarskoe Selo had the status of a summer ceremonial imperial residence. The palace, as we know it today, was designed by the architect F. Rastrelli in 1756, during the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. The Baroque building impresses with its rich decor. The facade is azure, with snow-white columns and gilded ornaments; the ceremonial suite sparks with gold. The splendour and luxury amaze the imagination.
In the 1770s new interiors appeared in the palace. They were created by the Scottish architect Charles Cameron, a connoisseur of ancient art. They are characterized by refinement, sophistication and severity of decorative details. The apartments of Catherine II, as well as the rooms of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich and Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna (Anna Pavlovna’s parents) were made in the spirit of antiquity.
After the revolution in 1917, the Catherine Palace was opened to the public as a museum. During the Second World War, the complex was damaged badly, and its restoration still continues . According to historical documents Anna Pavlovna visited Tsarskoe Selo both when she was a child (together with her mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna), and after leaving for the Netherlands, during her visits to Russia.
Read more about Tsarskoe Selo.
A source: https://tzar.ru/
