The St. Petersburg Catherine Palace is actually located in the town of Pushkin (named after the famous poet), twelve miles from St. Petersburg. The palace was originally built by Peter the Great in 1717 for his daughter, the future Empress Elizabeth. It has since been renovated and destroyed and restored again in the course of its rich and turbulent history.
When Empress Elizabeth came into power, she hired the famous architect Bartholmew Rastelli to renovate the palace, and he came up with its Russian baroque design with distinctive gold spires and light blue and white façade. The imperial family used the property for many affairs right up until the revolution in 1917. The communist regime nationalized the palace and turned it into a museum.
The St. Petersburg Catherine Palace was occupied by the Nazis during World War II and used as a barracks. The Germans looted what treasures were left there and destroyed the palace once they were done with it. After the war, one of the most extensive restoration projects ever done was commenced when the Soviets set out to rebuild the palace. The restoration was a success, returning the palace to its former glory. Today, the Catherine Palace is home to over 20,000 paintings, armaments, and applied decorative art pieces from the 16th to 19th centuries.
The St. Petersburg Catherine Palace Tours
While in St. Petersburg, Catherine Palace will surely be a part of your agenda. You can make sure you see Catherine Palace and many other great historical sites as well if you go with an established tour company that is devoted to art and history. St. Petersburg is filled with artistic treasures and you won't want to miss any of them.
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