Saint-Petersburg > Tsarskoye Selo

Tsarskoye Selo

The war evacuation of the collections and the destruction of the palace

The palaces and parks of Tsarskoye Selo are outstanding monuments of architecture and landscape art formed over three hundred years from the 18th to the early zoth centuries. This magn i fi cen t ensemÛe attracts huge numbers of visitors from around the world.

Architects from different countries were commissioned by Russian emperors and empresses to create this original ‘encyclopedia of art styles’ from baroque to art nouveau, which today draws people of all ages and occupations.

The parks of Tsarskoye Selo contain palaces of amazing opulence which stand side by side with small pavilions of different styles. These provide a special atmosphere for romantic walks among structures of Gothic, Turkish and Chinese inspiration, monuments glorifying Russian arms and marvelous examples of baroque and palladian architecture.

The former suburban imperial residences transformation into one of the iconic landmarks of St Petersburg is linked intrinsically with the name of Ivan P. Sautov (1947—2008), who was unanimously elected Director by the museum employees and headed Tsarksoye Selo for twenty years. Ivan P. Sautov worked his way up from an assistant district architect to head of the Inspectorate of Monuments Preservation and then took the helm at the museum during the turbulent 1990s to write a new page in the history of Tsarskoye Selo. His major achievements include the large-scale restoration and recreation of the Catherine Palace’s suite of state rooms, the rebirth of the legendary Amber Room (considered the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’), the restoration of park pavilions and the revival ofmusical evenings and dances in the palace halls. His sudden death deprived the museum of accomplish mg many of his other exciting plans for Tsarskoye Selo ahead of its glorious tercentenary.

Olga V. Taratynova, who became Director in 2008, took up the challenge to have the museum ready for the Tsarskoye Selo Tercentenary Celebrations in 2010. The museum marked the jubilee with a grandeur appropriate to the traditions of its imperial past and received a powerful creative stimulus for new projects. It has restored and reopened park pavilions, expanded its collections, created Russia’s first museum of World War One in the recently restored Martial Chamber, and designed interactive children s programs and other events of social importance. Annual events include the Stars of the White Nights Festival Performance by the Mariinsky Theatre, the Musical Olympus Foundation Charity Ball and the Ludvig Nobel Prize Award Ceremony.

Reborn from the ashes of World War U, the palaces and parks of Tsarskoye Selo today, like centuries before, stimulate an interest in Russian history and attract visitors ranging from heads of state and world-famous public figures to tourists from all over the globe.