Unit 7 Tsarskoye Selo. The Great Hall (Throne Room)

A visitor's introduction to the restored interiors of the palace begins with the Main Staircase situated in the central part of the palace. In Empress Elizabeth's day, the Chinese Hall was located here. In 1780 Charles Cameron replaced it with a mahogany staircase. In 1860 the staircase and stairwell were redesigned by the architect Ippolito Monighetti who embellished the walls and ceiling with Rococo-style moulding reminiscent of the carved decor of Rastrelli's interiors. During the Second World War, the Main Staircase, like most of the halls in the palace, was badly damaged. It was restored in the 1960s. The unique collection of antique Chinese and Japanese vases was saved by the evacuation of exhibits to the Urals.

In the Great Hall, which was the setting for the most important state ceremonies, the gilded carving was striking for its tremendous dimensions. The ceiling is adorned by a painting on the theme The Triumph of Russia designed by the noted master of decorative painting Giuseppe Valerian. The mirrors and patterned parquet floor made up of precious kinds of colored wood complemented the architecture of the interior. Court life in the eighteenth century was an endless succession of festivities. In March 1757 the British ambassador wrote in one of his dispatches that there had been no less than three masked balls and one opera in the past week and every day was marked by some amusement or other.

Banquets were an important aspect of formal court life in the eighteenth century. The tables were adorned by huge silver vessels, pyramids of confectionery and decorations made of porcelain and sugar, the latter important from distant lands. In the middle of the table there would usually be fountains flowing with wine, champagne and colored water. Today the look of a dining-room prepared for a banquet has been recreated in several of the palace interiors. A "must" for such ceremonial dinners were the elaborately shaped tables also designed by the architect Rastrelli. Great attention was paid to the way in which the tables were decorated. In eighteenth-century sources we can read such details as: “For banquets the tablecloths are to be artfully hung with scarlet and green ribbons and fastened with pins, while the tables are to be decorated with figures." The large festive gatherings held in the Great Hall and also in the Antechambers ended with celebrations for a select group of the guests held in the rooms of the enfilade. In some rooms the Empress received the good wishes of her retinue on Sundays after church, in others she allowed her hand to be kissed. In all cases patterns of behavior as well as dress were strictly regulated. In the evenings chess and cards were played, concerts and theatrical performances held in the drawing-rooms of the palace. Opera and ballet troupes were often invited to the palace to perform in various rooms.

Ex. 1. Answer the questions:

1. Who redesigned the staircase in 1860?

2. How is the ceiling adorned?

3. What did the British ambassador write in 1757?

4. What is considered as a “must” for ceremonial dinners?

5. Where were concerts and theatrical performances held?

Ex. 2. Match the words in A with their definitions in B:

A	B
1.amusement	a. a series of actions or events that together show how things normally happen or are done
2. distant	b. to make an object by cutting it from stone or wood
3. carve	c. something that you enjoy doing
4. precious	d. far away from the place where you are
5. elaborate	e. worth a lot of money
6. pattern	f. very detailed and complicated

Ex. 3. Complete the gaps with one of the words given below:

recreated	vessels
succession	complemented
patterned	performances

1. The mirrors and ……… parquet floor made up of precious kinds of colored wood ……… the architecture of the interior.

2. Today the look of a dining-room prepared for a banquet has been ……… in several of the palace interiors.

3. The tables were adorned by huge silver ……...

4. Court life in the eighteenth century was an endless ……… of festivities.

5. In the evenings chess and cards were played, concerts and theatrical ……… held in the drawing-rooms of the palace.

Ex. 4. Put the verbs in an appropriate tense and voice:

1. Great attention (be paid) to the way in which the tables (be decorated).

2. A visitor's introduction to the restored interiors of the palace (begin) with the Main Staircase situated in the central part of the palace.

3. In some rooms the Empress (receive) the good wishes of her retinue on Sundays after church.

4. Opera and ballet troupes often (be invited) to the palace to perform in various rooms.

5. Today the look of a dining-room prepared for a banquet (recreated) in several of the palace interiors.

Ex. 5. Translate the sentences into Russian paying attention to infinitive and gerund constructions:

1. I don’t like eating Indian food. It’s too spicy for me.

2. He’s just been voted the most successful hotelier of the year. The coworkers congratulate him on succeeding in this sphere.

3. It is always more convenient to book tickets in advance.

4. There is the opportunity to earn commission from selling excursions to boost your basic salary.