Tsaritsyno Palace
Tsaritsyno (Russian: Царицыно, IPA: [tsɐˈrʲitsɨnə]) is a palace museum and park reserve in the south of Moscow. It was founded in 1776 by the order of Catherine the Great.
Царицыно | |
 | |
  Location within Moscow | |
| Established | 1775 |
|---|---|
History
The estate is known from the late 16th century, when it belonged to Tsaritsa Irina, sister of Tsar Boris Godunov. At that time it was called Bogorodskoye. In the 17th century it belonged to the Streshnevs and then to the Galitzines.
Architectural features of the Grand Palais
The basis of Bazhenov's architectural plan is formed by two equal wings, square in plan, intended for the apartments of Catherine II (right-wing) and Crown-prince Paul (left-wing).
The palace, despite its vivid neo-Gothic features (towers, lancet arches) in its solution is close to the canons of Classicism: strict symmetry, the tripartite division of the facades, the overall calm and balanced proportions, the monumental details (semi-columns in the corners of towers, fascias, loggias of side-wings). The hipped ends of the towers bear features tracing back to the towers of the Moscow Kremlin. In many respects, the Great Palace shows a different approach to the task of building a country residence "in the Gothic style".[1]
The palace was not completed due to the sudden death of Catherine II. By 1796 it already had a temporary roof painted black. This gave the building a gloomy appearance which affected the perception of contemporaries of the construction. It was only by the middle of the 19th century that critics started to give credit for the palace's architectural features.[1]
The ruined palace, which had not been used in any way during its history, was converted into a modern museum complex in 2005-2007.
Park
The 18th-century architecture ensemble was built (though not finished) following the order of Catherine II in Neo-Gothic style, after projects of the Bazhenov and Kazakov, and it is the only 18th-century architectural ensemble of such dimensions in Russia.
Ponds
The Tsaritsynskiye ponds cascade was formed during the XVI-XVIII centuries. The oldest is the Borisovsky pond, which was founded during the reign of Boris Godunov. The upper and lower Tsaritsynskiy ponds appeared when the estate of Chernaya Gryaz belonged to the boyars Streshnevs: the lower pond appeared in the XVII century. All the subsequent owners of the Chyornaya Gryazina paid a lot of attention to maintaining the ponds, building and reconstructing dams, water mills, creating artificial islands. The Middle Tsaritsynsky Pond appeared in the 1980s after the construction of a high dam, along which the route of Novotsaritsynsky Highway divided the Lower Pond into two parts. Directly adjacent to the Grand Palais and park ensemble are the Upper and Middle ponds. They form a natural boundary of the ensemble from the west and an important part of it. Some of the palace buildings and pavilions of the landscape park are oriented towards the ponds.[2]
Gallery
Palace lawn
Ponds
Bazhenov's "Opera House", 1776–1778
Smaller hall inside the grand palace
Palace front
Map of park locations in Tsaritsino
External links and references
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tsaritsyno Park. |
- Official website (in English and Russian)
- Photo of Palace Complex and Park
- Reviews on TripAdvisor (in English and Russian)
- Tsaritsyno Park - One of the Best Museums in Moscow (in English)
Specific
- T︠S︡arit︠s︡yno : attrakt︠s︡ion s istorieĭ. Natalʹi︠a︡ Samutina, B. E. Stepanov, Наталья Самутина, Б. Е. Степанов. Moskva. 2014. ISBN 978-5-4448-0171-0. OCLC 889406090.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - "Департамент градостроительства города Москвы". 2008-12-11. Archived from the original on 2008-12-11. Retrieved 2021-09-27.