TOURS TO THE CITIES OF RUSSIA

TRIP TO ST. PETERSBURG

SUBURBS OF THE ST. PETERSBURG

It is impossible to think about St. Petersburg without the magnificent palace-and-park ensembles that surround the city. Luxurious suburb residences stretch out along the the coast of the Finnish Gulf and in the valleys of rivers and lakes. Poetic beauty of Russian nature together with solemn grandeur of architectonic monuments of various styles and different historical epochs create the marvelous world of harmony and art.

Each suburb has its own unique charm.

The main residence of Russian Emperor, Peter the Great, in Petrodvorets (Peterhof, Petergof) the Finnish Gulf coast was conceived and constructed in honor of Russian triumph in the Northern War with Sweden. The Great Emperor Palace is located along the high rampart and faces the Finnish Gulf with its front. Grand Cascade complex with fountains, sculptures and beautiful decoration elements would amaze everyone who came to see this grandiose monument of baroque epoch for the first time.

Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo, Tsar Village), which is the State museum sanctuary, is situated to the South of St.Petersburg. The splendid palace-and-park ensemble combines two styles of European gardening and parking art, i.e. regular and landscape. The Grand Emperor Palace, which was the main residence of Elizaveta Petrovna, and later of Catherine II, is a masterpiece of Russian baroque (created by the architect F.-R. Rastrelli). In this park you can find multitudinous architectonic/sculpture compositions of different styles.

Pavlovsk is considered to be the most romantic suburb of St.Petersburg. It was founded as a summer residence of Russian Emperor Paul I. The British architect Charles Cameron established a unique and full of artistic expressiveness and poetic beauty ensemble to the classicism style. The Grand Palace, pavilions and sculpture compositions are masterly blended with picturesque park landscapes stretching out along the bank of the Slavianka River.

Lomonosov (Oranienbaum), conceived as a suburb residence of Duke Menshikov, the first Governor of the Northern Capital, lies on the shore of the Finnish Gulf. Magnificent palace, terraces with parterres and stairs descending to the Lower Garden were constructed to a regular style with fountains and sculptures. The period when Catherine II owned Oranienbaum marked the peak of activity for construction of parks and palaces. The Higher and the Peter's landscape parks stretch out along picturesque banks of the Karost River. Today the Chinese Palace and the Toboggan Hill Pavilion, constructed to a rococo style, look exactly as they were built.

The most distant park-and-palace ensemble of St.Petersburg is Gatchina, the former residence of Russian Emperor Paul I. The Grand Gatchina Palace was constructed as a medieval castle or a fortress with bastions, ditches, and bridges. The Palace Park and Connetable complex are located next to it. Picturesque landscape parks stretch out along the lakes and rivers. They comprise extraordinary architectonic compositions that look like medieval castles. Added to the poetry of Russian nature, they form unique romantic atmosphere of this palace-and-park ensemble.

Today, all suburbs of St. Petersburg offer many interesting events to the visitors. In summer, as well as in winter time you can enjoy various festivals and carnivals, and all palaces and pavilions being open. It would be a special fun to visit the suburbs on holidays. In summer time you would enjoy yourself by rowing boat along the rivers and lakes in fresh shadows of huge trees, while in winter time your would be able to feel the jingling whirl of Russian Troika rushing through sparkling winter forest.

Everyone who visited St. Petersburg suburbs is bound to be eager to see them again.