51. Дворцово-парковый ансамбль Гатчины/The Palace and Park Ensemble of Gatchina, 1766-1801

Authors: architects – A.Rinaldi, A.D.Zakharov, N.A.L’vov (1766-1781), V.Brenna (1796-1798), R.I.Kuz’min (1845-1855), gardeners – Chparot, D.Gackett, A.Kryazhov, I.Lebedev, etc (1771-1796)

Address: Gatchina town, from the Baltic Station

In 1762 Catherine 11 presented Gaichina⁵ to her favourite Count Grigoriy Orlov who was organi/cr of the Winter Palace upheaval of 1762. After Catherine ll's coronation G. Orlov got the title of Count and for ten years he was on of the most powerful noblemen in the Russian Empire.

In 1766 -1781 the Grand Palace was erected to the project by A. Rinaldi. A rectangular three-storey edifice with two towers on its sides had the passages joining the main building to the wings - the Kitchen and Arsenal. The walls of the Palace were decorated with a local grey-yellow limestone. The Park was laid out to the design by D. Bush. Only two monuments have survived from the lime of G. Orlov - the Chesmenskiy Obelisk and the Eagle. G. Orlov's life in Gaichina didn't last long. In 1776 he went abroad and after retum in 1782 was taken to Moscow by his brothers who noticed symptoms of madness in his mind. On 4 July 1783 Gaichina was bought by Catherine И and on 6 August it was presented to Pavel Peirovich Romanov (future Paul П.

In 1770s - 1780s Pavel was busy with the construction of the Palace and Park Ensemble in Pavlovsk. Having a limited budget the heir to the Russian throne could start the reconstruction of the Gaichina Ensemble only in 1790s. though he had been living there since August 1783. Paul I liked that residence more than any other, spending most of the time there'^s while Pavlovsk remained the residence of his wife Mariya Fyodorovna. In 179ft - 1797 V. В re n mi rebuilt the Palace and redecorated some rooms, including the Chesmen Gallery, the Crimson Dining-Room and the Main Bedroom. The Park was redecorated in the regular style: ihc Private Garden, the Lower and the Upper Gardens as well as the Botanic Garden were laid out. numerous stone bridges were built. The Pavilion of Venus on ihe Island of Love and the Great Stone Terrace on the Long Island uere constructed in ihe Park in 1792. The Poultry Yard was built to the design by A. Zakharov. The Connetable Square with a grand obelisk was laid oui near the Palace. The Priorate Palace was erected on the Black Lake by N. L'vov in a unique technique - the walls were made by filling the space between wooden shields with earth.

In 1801 ihe Gaichina Hnsemble became the property of Paul's widow, in 1828 - the residence of his younger son Nicholas I who inherited his father's passion to parades and used the square in front of the Palace for reviews and parades.

According to historians ihe name Gatchina comes from Hotchino - a small settlement

mentioned in one ofthe historical documents that dates back to 1499.