The Chinese palace in Oranienbaum is made in the style. Chinese Palace of Catherine II in Oranienbaum

Chinese palace, the pearl of the Oranienbaum palace and park ensemble, which is part of the Peterhof State Museum-Reserve, is the only architectural monument in the Rococo style that has survived in Russia. He celebrates his 250th birthday, and a long-term restoration became a gift to the hero of the day. This year, after restoration, three halls were opened: a damask bedchamber, a boudoir and Pavel's office.

The Chinese Palace was erected by 1768 by order of Empress Catherine II and was a building for a short rest. The gardener Lamberti was invited to plan the park, and the recently arrived in St. Petersburg Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi, the founder of the rococo style and early classicism in Russia, was involved in the design of the palace.

For the first time, interest in China arose in Rus' at the end of the 15th century, when merchants began to bring Far Eastern fabrics to Moscow. And by the middle of the 18th century, all more or less prosperous St. Petersburg houses were furnished with Chinese things. The royal court set the tone for this fashion for "chinoiserie", the Chinese style. The Chinese Palace got its name from the decoration of some of the rooms. There was a large collection of Chinese arts and crafts and Japanese porcelain.

Fragment of the southern facade. Sculpture "Cupid and Psyche" - a copy of an antique original from the Capitoline Museum in Rome.
The facades of the palace are decorated with pilasters and semi-columns with Ionic capitals and garlands. From the south facade there are two lovely gardens with marble sculptures and flowering flower beds. The palace is planned with the letter “P” and has three enfilades: the Front, sixty-five meters long, and two residential, short, located perpendicular to it.
For two centuries, in connection with the change of owners, the palace underwent a number of reconstructions, the second floor was built on. Until the 1917 revolution, Oranienbaum was the property of the Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

The halls are decorated with picturesque panels, inlaid parquets, gilded carvings, embroideries and furniture inlaid with natural colored stones. Interiors with unique decorative decoration of the 18th century have been preserved. It is known that from 1765 to 1768 the French merchants Francois Rembert and Billio supplied furniture and bronze “in the latest taste” to the palace for its furnishings. Famous artists Stefano Torelli, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, brothers Serafino and Giuseppe Barozzi, sculptor Marie-Anne Collot, mosaic master Giacomo Martigny and Russian masters of the Peterhof Lapidary Factory were engaged in interior decoration.

Glass cabinet. Mirror in a carved gilded frame
The main attractions of the palace are the Bugle Cabinet and unique parquets. The walls of the office are decorated with 12 panels - these are canvases, on which embroidery is made with glass beads and multi-colored fleecy silk - chenille. The unique parquet floors of the palace are made of mahogany and ebony, amaranth, boxwood, Persian walnut, and maple. “A true miracle, full of miracles of the eighteenth century,” wrote Igor Grabar about the Chinese Palace.

Bugle cabinet
The glass cabinet in the 18th century was called Mosaic Peace. It had a floor made of smalt glass, made according to the recipe of M.V. Lomonosov at the neighboring Ust-Ruditskaya factory. Due to dampness, it was not preserved and in the middle of the 19th century it was replaced by a type-setting wooden parquet with a repetition of the pattern of the mosaic floor. The walls of the office are divided by carved gilded frames in the form of trunks with leaves and flowers into separate panels with glass beads. There are twelve of them - ten on the walls and two desuportes. Depending on the lighting, the panels shimmer with lilac, pink, blue and silver hues. Fantastic scenes with landscapes and birds are embroidered on top of the glass-beaded background with special silk threads - chenille - a unique work of Russian gold embroiderers under the guidance of the Frenchwoman Maria de Chelle.

Hall of Muses
The picturesque decor is by Stefano Torelli. Venus and the Graces are depicted on the plafond, and Apollo with cupids and nine muses, personifying the arts, are depicted on the walls and the ceiling.

Damask bedchamber
“We managed to return a lot of authentic items to the palace and reveal for viewing the painting hidden under layers of paint,” Tatyana Syasina, curator of the Chinese Palace, shows the Damask Bedchamber. “Although many of the items we acquired again.” Inscriptions of the XVIII century have not been preserved, they appeared only in the XX century. But there are descriptions of things that the last owners of Oranienbaum, the Mecklenburg-Strelitzkys, bought.

The damask of the 19th century has been preserved - according to its model, the upholstery of the bedchamber was recreated. A mirror, a fireplace screen, and other authentic items have returned here. Friends of the museum donated porcelain vases produced by the Meissen manufactory - similar to them stood here 250 years ago. The plafond by Maggiotto was erected in its original place. Authentic 18th-century paintings are revealed on the wall panels under the windows.

Wardrobe

St. Petersburg is famous for its palaces and parks, located not only in itself, but also in its environs. So, one of the architectural sights of this region is the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum, interesting for its history, external and internal decoration.

Where is the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum located?

The settlement of Oranienbaum has been gone since 1948, so those who wish to visit the Chinese Palace will face the problem of how to get to it. In fact, everything is very simple, you should go to the city of Lomonosov. Since this town is one of them and is located only 40 km from it, tourists should first come to the northern capital, and then take a bus, train, minibus or ferry to the Oranienbaum Palace and Park Ensemble.

There are several options:

from Avtovo metro station - bus No. 200 and minibuses No. 424a and No. 300;
from the station of the Baltic railway station - an electric train;
from the metro station "Prospekt Veteranov" - minibus No. 343;
from the port: ferry St. Petersburg - Kronstadt - Lomonosov.

You can find the Chinese Palace in the western part of the Upper Park (or Own Dacha), at the end of the Triple Linden Alley.

What is interesting about the Chinese Palace?

This graceful building was created as the personal residence of Empress Catherine II and her son Paul. The Chinese Palace was erected in 1768 according to the design of Antonio Rinaldi in the Rococo style, but with the use of Chinese motifs and works of art of this country in the interior, for which it got its name.

The northern part of the facades has been almost completely preserved in its original form, despite the completion of the second floor, while the southern side has been completely changed.

Externally, the Chinese Palace is quite simple, but its interior amazes visitors with its diversity and richness. Among the interior spaces are of great interest.

Lomonosov Palace and Park Ensemble (Oranienbaum)

The Ensemble of the Own Dacha. Treasures of the Chinese Palace

Oranienbaum (German Oranienbaum - "orange tree") - a palace and park ensemble on south coast Gulf of Finland, 40 km west of St. Petersburg. It is located on the territory of the city of Lomonosov (until 1948 - Oranienbaum) and includes palaces and parks of the 18th century. The palace and park ensemble is part of the monument world heritage « Historical Center Petersburg and Associated Complexes of Monuments. Located in the depths of the Upper Park, the Chinese Palace is part of the palace park complex Own dacha of Empress Catherine II.

Chinese palace

built in 1762 - 1768 according to the project and under the guidance of the great architect of that time Antonio Rinaldi (1709 - 1794), whose name is associated with the most important period in the creation of the Oranienbaum architectural ensemble. Arriving from Italy at the invitation of K. G. Razumovsky (1751), Rinaldi spent many years in Russia, finding a second home here.

Chinese palace along with other most valuable architectural monuments of that time, it belongs to the masterpieces of Russian art. The name assigned to it in the 19th century is conditional. The appearance of the building has nothing to do with the architecture of China. Only in the decoration of some rooms freely interpreted Chinese decorative motifs were used. The palace had a large collection of Chinese decorative arts and Japanese porcelain. Part of the collection has been preserved.

The palace is a relatively small elongated building, somewhat reminiscent of a summer park pavilion. It is surrounded by a low panel of stone slabs and a decorative iron grate. Two small parterre gardens, laid out in front of the southern facade, are included in the overall composition of the building and, according to the architect's plan, are an integral part of it. The middle part of the palace is somewhat overestimated and serves as its compositional center. The facades are finished with pilasters, the calm rhythm of which is emphasized by the smooth planes of the walls. Windows and glazed doors are decorated with stucco frames.

Half Paul:
3 - Pink living room
4 - Damask bedchamber
5 - Boudoir
6 - Pavel's office

Front enfilade:
7 - Hall of Muses
8 - Blue living room
9 - Bugle cabinet
10 - Great Hall
11 - Plaster rest
12 - Small Chinese Cabinet
13 - Large Chinese Cabinet

Half of Catherine II:
14 - Chinese bedchamber
15 - Kameryungferskaya
16 - Portrait
17 - Cabinet of Catherine II.

The appearance of the building, the combination of its volumes, the proportions and ratios of individual parts reveal the location of the interior. The difference in the purpose of the latter is emphasized by the peculiarities of the architectural solution and the decoration of the corresponding sections of the facade. The plan of the palace is distinguished by symmetry and compositional balance. It is characterized by an enfilade system - the arrangement of interconnected interiors along one axis:

Great Hall of the Chinese Palace ,

having a height of 8.5 meters. Such central ceremonial halls, often called "Italian", play the role of an important organizing link in the planning of palace buildings.

The Great Hall serves as the compositional center of the palace. It was intended for ceremonial receptions, so its decoration is decided in a more austere style than the rest of the rooms. The hall in plan is an oval, which gave rise to another name for it - Round.

A significant part of the walls of the hall is free from any decor, and this is not accidental. The walls are treated with artificial marble of various colors - this material in itself has a sufficient decorative effect. Severity and solemnity of the room are also given by windows-doors and columns. The presence of columns makes the interior somewhat classic.

On the east and western walls Above the doors to the Plaster Room and the Glass Cabinet are marble bas-relief images of Peter I and Elizabeth Petrovna. They were performed by M.-A. Collo by special order of Catherine II. The bas-reliefs are included in oval-shaped medallions made of red and blue smalts.

The smooth surface of the walls contrasts with the elegant molding of the ceiling, which completely covers the high arches and the ceiling. The stucco decor, consisting of branches, garlands of flowers, wreaths, birds, is almost completely reflected in the pattern of the parquet. However, if light colors predominate in the decoration of the ceiling, then the floor is mainly made of dark wood (only the center of the room is highlighted in light).

On the sides of the hall, along the main axis of the palace, there are living rooms (Blue and Lilac)

Chinese Palace. Blue living room. Plafond "Time stealing the Truth" F. Cugno

The interior of the Blue Drawing Room and other rooms of the Chinese Palace at the beginning of the 20th century was captured in a series of watercolors made for the last owner of the Chinese Palace, Grand Duchess Elena Georgievna, who wished to perpetuate it unique look. Watercolors depicting the halls of the palace and details of their decoration were included in the album entitled "Etchings, facades, plans and sections of the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum, performed by former students of the St. Petersburg Central School of Technical Drawing Baron Stieglitz", formed in 1911 and stored in personal collection of Elena Georgievna; now the album is in the State Hermitage”.

Watercolors have rendered an invaluable service to modern restorers. Looking at the interiors captured by the artists, the craftsmen restored the decorations of the premises

Cabinets (Bugle and Small Chinese), included in the enfilade of front rooms.

The decorative design of the glass cabinet is distinguished by impeccable taste. Oriental motifs, here barely outlined by the theme of the drawing, anticipate the already fantastic exoticism of the East, which will find its place in the decoration of the Chinese cabinets of the palace.

Chinese palace. Glass cabinet. Fragment of the interior

According to Wikipedia, the most famous chamber of the Chinese Palace is the Glass Bead Study, which retains the original decoration of the 1760s. The walls of the room are decorated with glass beads. These are canvases on which glass beads are embroidered. Bugle was made at a mosaic factory founded in the vicinity of Oranienbaum by the Russian scientist M. V. Lomonosov.

Against the background of glass beads, complex compositions with images of fantastic birds are embroidered with chenille (fleshy silk) in a no less fantastic landscape. For a long time it was believed that the panels were made in France, but now it is established that they were embroidered by nine Russian gold embroiderers under the direction of Marie de Chelle.

The panels are framed with gilded carvings imitating tree trunks entwined with leaves, flowers and bunches of grapes; they are extremely expressive due to the depth of the carved relief, reaching 18 centimeters.

In order for the Bugle Cabinet to appear today before the visitors of the Chinese Palace in all its glory, the restorers carried out a very difficult job. When an attempt was made to restore glass beads in the century before last, the craftsmen did not find anything better than to renew the panels with paint. Modern restorers needed to rid the glass beads of paint.

Priceless items were restored in the workshops of the Hermitage. A lot of difficulties were also caused by the absence of glass beads on some threads. I had to restore everything. Until now, no one has ever done such work, so the restorers were looking for ways to solve problems, not being able to rely on someone else's experience.

The linen lining of each panel was also heavily soiled and deformed, torn in places. As a result of restoration and conservation, all twelve panels were cleaned from a dense layer of dirt and mold. Thanks to the cleaning and removal of late painting, the embroidery was able to restore the original color scheme and reveal an elegant pattern. Velvet threads of chenille and glass beads are reinforced. Losses of glass beads were made up in strict accordance with the original technique.

Chinese palace. Small Chinese Cabinet. Fragment of the interior

Chinese Palace. Small Chinese Cabinet

The enfilade ends on the east and west sides with the Hall of Muses

Chinese palace. Music Hall. Paintings by S. Torelli. 1768

and the Great Chinese Cabinet

Chinese palace. Large office, fragment of the interior

The decoration of the Great Chinese Cabinet is complemented by authentic objects of applied art of the 18th century from China and Japan, unusual for Europeans in shape, color, and material from which they are made. The decoration of the Chinese bedchamber is also distinguished by its originality and exoticism. Type-setting parquet, with the inclusion of floral and geometric motifs in the composition, meets the general design concept.

Chinese palace. Large Chinese Cabinet. Fragment of the interior

CHINESE PALACE. BIG HALL. FRAGMENT WITH FIREPLACE

CHINESE PALACE. BIG HALL. BAS-RELIEF

Big Chinese cabinet. Plafond "Union of Europe and Asia". S. Barozzi

Large Chinese Cabinet. A pool table. England, workshop of W. Clark

The large Chinese cabinet became famous not only for its decoration. It houses the famous billiard table. "Peter's table has survived to our times and is located in the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum" - say the authors of the book "Billiard Peter" A.I. Terkin and V.N. Pivovarov.

There is also a small summary printed in the guide to this museum and in the passport of this table (every authentic exhibit has it): that it was in the XVIII century. playing billiards has become a part of Russian life, and at the same time special billiard rooms have become almost an obligatory accessory of any noble estate. And the fact that this unique billiards could once have belonged to Peter I, unfortunately, has not yet been scientifically confirmed, since there are no compelling arguments for this.

The Front Hall adjoins the Great Hall, through which in the 18th century was main entrance. Next to it is the dressing room.

Chinese Palace. Wardrobe

Through the Blue Drawing Room and the Small Chinese Cabinet, the front suite directly connects with the small suites of the former “private” rooms of Catherine II and her son Pavel, running perpendicular to it.

With

Chinese palace. Boudoir. D. Guaran. Plafond "Psyche and Flora". 1760s

Chinese palace. Damask bedchamber
Bedchamber. Plafond "Urania Teaching a Young Man" by D. Maggiotto
Chinese Palace. Dressing. Ceiling "Geography" G. Diziani Chinese Palace. Chinese bedchamber. Plafond "Chinese Sacrifice" by D. Gvarana Chinese Palace. Boudoir

The Chinese palace was built during a transitional period in the history of Russian architecture, when the architectural and decorative techniques that were developed in the 40s and 50s of the 18th century no longer met the new artistic requirements, and another style that soon replaced them - classicism - had not yet had time to find its complete expression in architecture.

The features of this transitional period are especially evident in the appearance of the facades of the palace, where the emphasized decorativeness and ceremonial splendor characteristic of the previous buildings give way to the relative simplicity and conciseness of the artistic decoration, which was characteristic of the emerging classicism.

Two major Italian painters - Stefano Torelli (1712 - 1784) and Serafino Barozzi (d. 1810) - worked to decorate the palace with paintings and murals. Difficult architectural and decorative tasks have found a skillful solution here thanks to the high professional skill and great artistic culture of builders and decorators.

Parquet floors of the palace with unique artistic value with total area 722 sq. meters are collected from many domestic and "overseas" tree species, including red, pink, ebony and lemon trees, rosewood, amaranth, boxwood, Persian walnut, oak and others. Wooden plates were glued in the form of various patterns on the shields. Small patterns are then cut out or burned out. Each room had its own original parquet pattern, closely linked to the rest of its artistic decoration.

An organic part of the architectural decoration of the interiors of the Chinese Palace is decorative painting. Wall paintings, panels, plafonds occupy an important place in its decoration. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of these unique paintings.

Chinese palace. Portrait. Fragment of the interior

For the decoration of the rooms and halls of the palace, first-class works of fine and applied art were acquired. Most of the plafonds painted on canvas were made in Venice on special order by a group of famous painters from the Venice Academy of Arts. The palace contained valuable collections of Russian and Western European porcelain, furniture, as well as Chinese and Japanese art products of the 18th-19th centuries.

sources

Chinese Palace. Upper park. pergola

The Chinese Palace is part of the grandiose palace and park complex "Own Dacha" of Empress Catherine II. The palace was built by the architect Antonio Rinaldi. According to his project, a large rectangular pond was dug in front of the southern facade of the Chinese Palace, on the left bank of which a maid of honor was built, and on the right bank a place was allocated for a coffee house (the project of this building was never implemented). At the eastern facade of the palace, already beyond the border of the Own Dacha, the Kitchen Building was built.

In the middle of the 19th century, the Chinese Palace takes on a new shape. Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna is making great changes here. Designed by architects L.L. Bonshtedt and A.I. Stackenschneider, the second floor was built on, a glazed gallery appeared, brought under the balcony that appeared at the same time and connected two risalits on the south side, small anti-chamber rooms were attached to the end parts of the building from the east and west.

If outwardly the palace has undergone changes, then the interior decoration has been preserved, for the most part, from the 18th century. The Chinese Palace embodies the fashionable influences and aesthetic predilections of the 18th century; all the decoration of the palace was made by European and Russian master artists with amazing imagination.

The Chinese Palace, a brilliant example of the Rococo style in Russia, is rightfully considered the pearl of the Oranienbaum palace and park ensemble. Absolute authenticity makes this diverse suburb unique, distinguishing it from all the imperial residences that frame the Northern capital like a brilliant necklace.

The lands on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, on which Oranienbaum would later be located, were granted by Emperor Peter I to his favorite, Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, who at that time was in charge of the construction of the Kronstadt fortress on the island of Kotlin. The construction of the Great (Menshikov) Baroque Palace began in 1711, and the date of consecration of the palace church - September 3, 1727 - is considered to be its end. The authors of the project were the architects J.M. Fontana, I.G. Shedel and I.F. Brownstein. In 1742, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna presented the estate to her nephew, the future Emperor Peter III. For him, the famous Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi erected here the "amusing" Peterstadt fortress and a miniature palace. Later, Oranienbaum became the summer residence of Empress Catherine II. The so-called "Own Dacha" of the Empress was made up of the Chinese Palace (1762-1768), the Rolling Hill Pavilion (1762-1774), built by A. Rinaldi, and the Upper Park surrounding them.

Oranienbaum got its name from a German toponym. The legend brought to us the story of the orange tree cultivated here already at the beginning of the 18th century, which gave the name to the city and was included in its coat of arms.

Catherine II, while still a Grand Duchess, chose a "cherished" corner for herself in Oranienbaum. In her Notes, she recalls the year 1757: “I had a fantasy to build a garden for myself ... but I knew that the Grand Duke would not give me a single piece of land for this, and therefore I asked the Golitsyn princes to sell or give me 100 acres for a long time abandoned ... land that they owned near Oranienbaum itself ... They willingly ceded it to me. I began to draw plans and lay out a garden, and since for the first time I was engaged in plans and buildings, everything turned out to be huge and awkward for me.

Ekaterina Alekseevna was able to start implementing her plan only five years later, with the accession to the Russian throne. In 1762, the construction of the Own Dacha begins, and, above all, “a stone house and a mountain”. All work was carried out "under the supervision" of A. Rinaldi and according to his drawings. Catherine II sometimes came to Oranienbaum, watching the construction of the Dutch House, or the Chinese Palace. The Empress celebrated the housewarming at the Chinese Palace on July 27, 1768. This Sunday was celebrated with a divine liturgy in the church of St. Panteleimon, and then a ceremonial meal was held in honor of the completion of the palace construction: the bishops, archimandrites, along with the nobles, dined and "drank to Her Highest Imperial Majesty's health."

In the 1770s, the Empress often visited Oranienbaum and received distinguished guests here: not only "foreign" ministers, but also royal persons - the King of Sweden Gustav III, the Austrian Emperor Joseph II - came with visits. On July 17, 1780, Catherine II showed the palace to her grandchildren, Grand Dukes Alexander and Constantine for the first time. Since 1796, Oranienbaum belonged to Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich (the future Emperor Alexander I), and in 1831 the residence passed into the sole possession of his brother Mikhail Pavlovich. Later, the wife of Mikhail Pavlovich Elena Pavlovna became the mistress of the estate, and then their daughter Ekaterina Mikhailovna, who married Duke George of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; their children - George, Mikhail and Elena - owned Oranienbaum until 1917.

The Chinese summer pleasure palace was named due to the luxurious decoration of four rooms, designed in the spirit of the ideas of that time about the art of the East. There are other names: "The house in the Upper Garden", "A small house, Her Imperial Majesty's own." Indeed, the loud definition of “palace” is the least suitable for it - it rather resembles a park pavilion, standing on a low stylobate that forms a terrace.

The outwardly modest palace impresses with its interior decoration. Gilding and mirrors, shell ornaments, flower garlands, curls, intricately curved frames, stucco patterns whimsically running along the walls, ceilings and ceilings, exquisite murals shrouded in a pearl haze - all this creates an atmosphere of delicacy and comfort. Such is the Rococo style, which existed for a short time in the 18th century, but left a bright mark in Russia - the exquisite and intimate Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum. The stylized oriental motifs of decorative decoration and many genuine works of art from China and Japan give a special sophistication to the Rococo interiors. “The Chinese Palace is a one-of-a-kind pearl, a work of art so whole, so harmonious, so amazingly executed - such a graceful, elegant trinket that, looking at it, one cannot but admire ...”, wrote the famous art historian A Benois. The interiors of the Chinese Palace keep the original decoration of the 18th century: a rare collection of paintings by Italian artists, fine examples of Eastern and Western European porcelain, furniture of Russian and European masters. One of the main attractions of the palace are the unique parquets made according to the drawings of Rinaldi; they are unparalleled in Russian arts and crafts. Initially, the floors in the palace were made of artificial marble. In the 1770s, they were replaced with typesetting parquets made of various types of wood (there are up to 36 of them) - oak, maple, birch, rosewood, boxwood, mahogany and ebony, Persian walnut, sacchardan (brown wood), amaranth and others. Parquet flooring, which is not repeated in any room, impresses with its complex pattern and exquisite color scheme.

The Bugle Study, the Damask Bedchamber, the Hall of Muses, the Blue and Pink Drawing Rooms... These very names speak of the exclusivity of the palace premises, their enduring artistic and historical value. A journey through the halls of the palace justifies the most demanding expectations: in the design of the interiors, Rinaldi used the richest arsenal of decorative forms inherent in the Rococo style, achieving a harmonious relationship between the decoration of the palace and its architecture.

The center of the symmetrical composition of the Chinese Palace is the Great Hall, from which the premises of the front enfilade extend in both directions along the northern facade. Two wings, including small enfilades, adjoin the main volume of the building from the south at right angles; the western enfilade housed the private quarters of Empress Catherine II, the eastern suite housed the rooms of her son, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich.

The Anterior Room originally served as a vestibule; here, in the center of the southern part of the palace, and today the entrance to the building is located. After the addition of a covered glass gallery to this room in 1853, it was also used as a dining room.

The walls of the Front in the XVIII century were decorated with paintings by the Italian painter and decorator Stefano Torelli, a student of the famous Neapolitan artist Francesco Solimena. Torelli arrived in Russia in 1758, leaving service at the Saxon royal court. In 1764, the painter worked on the design Winter Palace, and in 1765 he began to work in Oranienbaum, and after a short time the interiors of the Chinese Palace were decorated with his talented works. In the 1850s, Torelli's wall paintings in the Perednaya were replaced with architectural landscapes by an unknown 19th-century artist Diana and Actaeon and Landscape with Ruins. A picturesque ceiling by S. Torelli “Apollo and the Arts” has been preserved in the Anterior: Apollo and the Arts, the patron of the arts, and images of female figures personifying the “three most noble arts” - painting, sculpture and architecture - a favorite subject in the art of that time. Above one of the doors is a painting by an unknown Italian artist of the 18th century “Selena and Endymion”. The mythological story about the vain shepherd Endymion who fell asleep forever at the behest of Zeus and the goddess of the night Selena, enchanted by his beauty, is found in the Chinese Palace three times.

One of the walls of the Front Room has preserved ornamental paintings of remarkable beauty in drawing by another Italian master, Serafino Barozzi, who, like Torelli, worked directly in the Chinese Palace. The decoration of the interior is complemented by the stucco decoration of the ceiling and the ceiling: shells, leaves of acanthus and other plants, flower garlands.

The anteroom is decorated with 18th-century parquet, made up of several types of wood - walnut, amaranth, birch, sandalwood, apple, rosewood and mahogany; his design, created by Rinaldi, seems to be reflected in the stucco decoration of the ceiling, which completes the interior design. The fireplace, made of artificial marble, was created in the 18th century by the "plasterer" Italian Alberto Giani, who worked hard on the manufacture of the original marble floors of the Chinese Palace. With its exquisite and elegant decoration, the Anteroom “sets the tone” for the appearance of subsequent chambers and sets the expectation of no less elegant decoration.

The Front Room is followed by the Dressing Room; from the west, it adjoins the Pink Drawing Room, linking half of the heir Pavel Petrovich with the main entrance to the palace. Initially, the room was used for its intended purpose, but it is known that during the 18th and 19th centuries it also served as a pantry and library.

In the decoration of the Dressing Room, as well as other interiors of the Chinese Palace, painting is widely used, embodying the plots of ancient myths. The central part of the ceiling is decorated with a picturesque plafond "The Judgment of Paris" by S. Barozzi; above the door to the Anteroom there is a panel "Venus and Mars", and above the entrance to the Pink Drawing Room - "Hercules and Omphale" - desudeports by unknown artists of the Italian school of the middle of the 18th century.

The interior of the Dressing Room has been repeatedly updated, and only the wall above the artificial marble fireplace has survived from its original decoration to our time. The exquisite carving, with which it is decorated, is in harmony with the plastered stucco ornament. The parquet floors of the Wardrobe with a somewhat monotonous geometric ornament were made later than the rest of the parquets of the palace, in 1819, and are significantly inferior to them in richness and complexity of the pattern.

The small eastern suite of the Chinese Palace includes the private quarters of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, among which a spacious room called the Pink Drawing Room, originally called the Children's Room, is noteworthy. The room had another name that perfectly defined the nature of its decoration in the 18th century - "Picturesque Antique". In 1767, S. Barozzi decorated the walls of the Living Room with paintings on the theme of tragedy. ancient city Herculaneum, who died in 79 when Mount Vesuvius erupted. Unfortunately, during the reconstruction of the palace in 1852-1853, the picturesque panels from all four walls were removed. It was not possible to restore them, and the walls were covered with paper wallpaper.

In 1894, the wallpaper was replaced with canvas painted in light pink, after which the Living Room got its current name. At the same time, the walls of the Pink Drawing Room were framed with gilded stucco decoration, which gave the interior originality and sophistication.

The pink living room retains the original stucco decoration of the porch and ceiling. An elegant trellis mesh - the main motif in the ornament of the ceiling and over-door fragments - is "reflected" in the pattern of the type-setting parquet, which gives the interior a harmonious look and completeness.

The “mandatory” ceiling of the Living Room “Diana and Aurora” was painted by the Italian artist Gasparo Diziani. The allegory of the change of night in the morning is distinguished by a carefully thought-out composition and fine pictorial elaboration. Desudeports "Cupids playing with a bird" and "Cupids playing with soap bubbles" were created by an unknown artist in the 18th century. They were moved to this room, probably later; at the same time their rectangular shape changed. Another composition above the door of the Dressing Room - "Cupids in the Clouds" - was made already in the 19th century.

Next to the Pink Drawing Room, on the axis of the small enfilade, is the Damask Bedchamber. This room got its name in the 18th century, when its walls were covered with light green (celadon) damask with a pattern in the form of wavy silver paths intertwined with white and pink flowers. The front bedroom of the heir to the throne, Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich, is divided into two parts, the smaller of which is an alcove. Being a purely intimate part, the alcove is decorated with exquisite carvings with delicate floral and plant motifs, but since the Bedchamber was intended for the heir to the throne, the future commander, military attributes - trumpets, banners, arrows - are also included in the decor. In the depths of the alcove there is also a children's portrait of Pavel Petrovich by Alexei Antropov. On both sides of the alcove topped with a gilded cartouche in the form of a shell, in niches, there are gilded shelves with small vases of Meissen porcelain from the middle of the 18th century.

In another part of the Damask Bedchamber, a square one, of special interest is an unusual ceiling in the form of a sail vault lined with artificial marble. This is the rarest example of the use of such material for decorative flooring. Pale pink marble is complemented by floral and rocaille patterns of gilded and white molding.

The drawing of the parquet of the Bedchamber, traditionally for the interiors of the Chinese Palace, is in tune with the decoration of the ceiling. In addition, it also reminds of another important feature of the parquet floors of the palace - neither the composition of their set, nor the color combinations are repeated anywhere. The parquet of the Bedchamber made of walnut, amaranth, rosewood, boxwood, lemon, birch and ebony in 1772 was made by Russian craftsmen "under the supervision" of the talented craftsman Johann Petersen.

The color palette of the interior is perfectly complemented by a pinkish-green faux marble fireplace. Among the examples of furniture decoration there is a ladies' bureau and a musical table made by French masters of the middle of the 18th century.

The study of Pavel Petrovich, adjacent to the Shtofnaya bedchamber from the side of the alcove, is isolated from the rest of the premises. This room, because of its diminutiveness (less than six square meters), was also called the “Cabinet-teak”. Its walls are decorated with ornamental paintings by S. Barozzi, which include Chinese marble and wooden tablets with carvings, hieroglyphs and landscapes. The picturesque plafond "Geometry" was made by G. Diziani: the allegorical female figure depicted on the canvas with a globe and a compass in her hands and cupids drawing geometric figures indicate that the room was intended for the training of the young heir. The suite of rooms of Pavel Petrovich is completed by the Boudoir. In the 18th century, this room, the walls of which were covered with picturesque canvases, was called the "Painting Study". The Boudoir acquired its current appearance in 1853, when the paintings were replaced by walnut panels, moved from Kameryungferskaya (or Dressing room) in the half of Empress Catherine II. Three paintings are included in the wooden panels - allegorical paintings "Music", "Painting" and "Drama". Their authorship is attributed to Jacopo Guarana, who also performed the ceiling of the Boudoir "Zephyr and Flora".

The furnishings of the Boudoir are elegant French rosewood bureau and Dutch chairs made in the 19th century. Porcelain dominates among the decorations of this interior: Chinese vases from the middle of the 18th century and English ones with paintings from the end of the 18th century.

The elegant and festive Hall of the Muses, which was intended for concerts, opens the suite of ceremonial halls of the Chinese Palace from the east side. It is symmetrical to the Great Chinese Cabinet, located in the western building of the palace. With its elongated proportions, this interior resembles a gallery, and six large glazed windows-doors located on three sides make it look like an open elegant park pavilion. Here, the words of A. Benois, who compared the Chinese Palace "in its purely musical effect ... with the sonatas of Haydn and Mozart", are perceived in a special way. The Hall of the Muses, retaining its original decoration, is one of the most significant palace interiors of the 18th century.

In the 18th century, the Hall of Muses was called the "Picturesque Gallery", which corresponded to the dominant role of painting in its decoration. Tempera paintings by the painter-decorator S. Torelli cover the walls and ceilings, and the ceiling of the hall by the same master “Venus and the Graces” (“Triumph of Venus”), made in oil, crowns the hall. Small compositions on the ceilings and on the ceiling, painted in light colors, alternate with light ornamental molding. All decorative design of the Hall of Muses is subject to a single artistic design, which gives this amazing interior a harmonious look.

Among the furniture decoration of the Hall, carved gilded banquettes, made according to the drawings of A. Rinaldi and designed specifically for this interior, are especially noteworthy. Here you can also see a variety of items made of Chinese and Japanese porcelain, as well as the marble sculpture "Boy on a Dolphin" - a copy masterfully made in the middle of the 19th century from the work of the Italian sculptor of the 16th century Lorenzo Lorenzetto, in turn referring us to the drawing by Raphael, which was inspired by this job. On the sides of one of the doors there are marble busts of Lucretia and Cleopatra of the Venetian work of the 18th century.

The most famous event that took place in the Hall of Muses can be called a magnificent celebration on the occasion of the arrival in Russia in 1818 of the Prussian King Frederick William III, “who came to bless the cradle of his newborn grandson”, the future Emperor Alexander II. On July 2, 1818, in this hall, "after the fireworks, a brilliant ball was given." Next to the Hall of Muses is the Blue Drawing Room, which connects the halls of the front suite with the rooms of Pavel Petrovich. Until the mid-1860s, the Drawing Room was covered with blue silk, which is how it got its name. At the same time, canvases made by the Russian artist A. Beideman appeared in the interior: two canvases with images of cupids - with a cornucopia and a grape brush, as well as free copies from the Hermitage originals - a fragment of "Madonna with Partridges" by A. van Dyck and "The Abduction of Europe" F. Albani. Beideman's brush is also attributed to the large author's work "Triton and Nereid", which decorates the space of the wall around the fireplace; however, this composition cannot be attributed to the creative successes of the famous artist, as it lacks expressiveness and dynamics. The blue living room is richly decorated with 18th century paintings. The ceiling is decorated with a plafond by the Italian artist Francesco Cugno "Time stealing the Truth", which also has a second name - "Time and Knowledge". Like a number of other plafonds of the palace, Zugno's work is a typical example of allegorical compositions with an abstract plot, which were very popular in the 18th century. The artist unfolds before us a dynamic scene of abduction, in the center of which two figures are depicted - a strong, muscular winged old man, personifying Time and its transience, and a woman representing Truth (or Knowledge). The attribute of the old man is the scythe lying at his feet, and the woman is holding a compass in her hands. Among the desuports are "Amphitrite" and "Neptune" by J. Guarana and "Italian Landscape" by F. Zucarelli; above the mirror is a painting "Two Cupids" by an unknown artist.

Various items of decorative and applied arts are presented in the Blue Living Room - Meissen porcelain, French clocks of the 18th century, carved gilded furniture of the 1760s by Russian craftsmen. The molding of the ceiling and the ceiling, the parquet set on a palm background, the exquisite fireplace convey to us the authentic look of the living room of the 18th century.

The interior of the Blue Drawing Room and other rooms of the Chinese Palace at the beginning of the 20th century was captured in a series of watercolors made for the last owner of the Chinese Palace, Grand Duchess Elena Georgievna, who wished to perpetuate its unique appearance. Watercolors depicting the halls of the palace and details of their decoration were included in the album entitled "Etchings, facades, plans and sections of the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum, performed by former students of the St. Petersburg Central School of Technical Drawing Baron Stieglitz", formed in 1911 and stored in personal collection of Elena Georgievna; now the album is in the State Hermitage.

The magnificent Bugle Cabinet, which precedes the Great Hall, is rightfully considered a world masterpiece of interior art. This brilliant example of the Rococo style is best known for its glass-bead panels. Twelve handmade panels were supposedly made according to the drawings by S. Barozzi in 1762-1764 by nine embroiderers: Anna Andreeva, Avdotya Loginova, Tatyana and Lukerya Kusova, Praskovya, Matryona and Avdotya Petrov, Cleopatra Danilova, Marya Ivanova under the guidance of the Frenchwoman Marie de Shelle , a former actress who organized a workshop "sewing for the rooms of Her I. V. wallpaper and other decorations." The glass beads were made at the Ust-Ruditskaya mosaic factory, which was founded by M.V. Lomonosov in the vicinity of Oranienbaum. The embroidered panels depicting exotic landscapes are framed in exquisitely carved gilded frames imitating tree trunks entwined with leaves, flowers and bunches of grapes and crowned with dragon figurines. If we recall that the floor in the Cabinet was originally made of smalt (colored glass tiles), also made at the Ust-Ruditskaya factory, then one can easily imagine the created effect of an unusual fairy-tale extravaganza, painted with oriental color. The original unusual floor finish gave the Cabinet a second name - "Mosaic Peace". The work on the set of mosaic floors, which began in 1763, lasted four years. On December 12, 1767, the head of the work, J. Martini, reported on their completion: “The masaish floors available in Oranienbaum are ready and laid on the spot, and the artisans are not at that work.”

Catherine II, proudly showing the palace to her guests, especially singled out the Bugle Cabinet, which, in the words of that era, had a “extraordinary appearance”. The Empress often received distinguished visitors here: for example, on July 27, 1774, “in a room that was glass-beaded, she received an audience with the Caesar (Austrian. - Yu. M.) Ambassador Prince Lobkovich.”

By the middle of the 19th century, the mosaic floor fell into disrepair due to dampness, and in 1856 it was replaced with parquet, however, it retained the same pattern in the new material.

The Bugle Cabinet houses two genuine masterpieces of decorative and applied art - unique tables made at the Peterhof Lapidary Factory under the guidance of craftsman Jacob Martini. Tabletops with wavy edges are decorated with the most complex compositions made from colored Lomonosov smalts; even the bases and legs of these graceful little tables are trimmed with orange smalt. The tabletop of one of them represents a landscape composition framed by geometric ornament: a narrow pyramid, reminiscent of park obelisks, is surrounded by fragments of the ruins of ancient buildings. On another table, with amazing accuracy, are depicted geographic Maps, notes, books, compass, globe.

The Great Hall, the central premise of the palace, is also referred to in the documents of the 18th century as the Reception Hall, the Round Hall, the Oval Hall, or simply the Hall. Decorated in the spirit of solemn elation, it was intended for official receptions and meals. Most visits to Catherine II's own dacha ended with dinner in the Great Hall. Entries about this "are often found in the Chamber Fourier journal: for example, on July 19, 1769," ... at 10 o'clock the EIV (Her Imperial Majesty. Yu. M.) deigned to eat evening meals in the Round Hall, in which they were placed at four corners. .. at the table, each sat 8 persons on tickets". Among the "persons" then were the Austrian, Prussian, Swedish, Danish, Dutch envoys, the English ambassador, the Saxon minister, as well as their spouses and a noble circle close to the empress. 27 July 1774, the Empress "in the hall favored ... foreign ministers," and then a gala dinner was held with "four round tables" with the participation of diplomats, given in honor of the conclusion of the Kyuchuk-Kaynarji peace, which consolidated Russia's victory in the Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774.

Unlike other premises of the palace, the interior of the Great Hall bears the features of a new style - classicism - and anticipates subsequent interiors created by Rinaldi in St. Petersburg, Tsarskoye Selo, Gatchina. The appearance of this ceremonial hall is strict and majestic, its decor is exquisitely noble and laconic. The walls and three-quarter Corinthian columns are decorated with artificial marble of different shades. The large hall is covered with a low dome cut through with round windows - lucarnes, which serve as a source of natural light. Through the large doors, glazed to the floor, a picturesque view of the parterre garden and the meadow, turning into the park, opens up.

The eastern part of the front suite of the palace is opened by the Plaster Room (also called the Lilac Drawing Room), which has retained its original stucco decoration, which is reflected in the name of the interior. The character of this cozy room, its dimensions and decorative finishes are significantly different from the solemn Great Hall, since it was intended for relaxation and intimate conversations, which was entirely consistent with its artistic decoration.

The richly pictorial decoration of the Stucco Rest: six canvases that adorn its walls and ceiling depict gallant scenes with the participation of mythological and literary heroes. All paintings are devoted to the theme of love and reflect the lofty feelings of the characters. Among them is the work of S. Torelli "Selena and Endymion", which is considered one of the best works of the Italian master. The author of the painting "Aphrodite and Adonis", presented in the Plaster Room, was the Italian painter of the 18th century, Pietro Rotari. Even before his arrival in Russia, the artist enjoyed European fame thanks to the many chamber portraits he executed, similar to those that make up the picturesque decoration of the Portrait Room of the palace. "Aphrodite and Adonis" is a rare example of a large canvas in Rotary's work with a complex composition on a mythological plot.

Desudeports of Stucco Rest - "Venus" and "Mars Yearning" - also belong to Torelli's brush. Placed opposite each other, these paintings are plot-related: according to the myth, Mars, having forgotten about military exploits, is in love anguish, dreaming of Venus. It is known that the model who posed for the artist was his niece, a beautiful young native of Bologna. The myth of Venus is echoed by the picturesque ceiling of F. Zugno "Orpheus meeting the sun", which was also interpreted as the "Hymn to Venus": the young man Orpheus, playing the harp, sings the beauty of the goddess of love.

The furniture decoration of the Plaster Room is made up of carved gilded banquettes and stools of Russian work of the 1760s, as well as a French type-setting bureau of the same time. The living room is decorated with Meissen porcelain groups, made in the 1770s according to the models of M.V. Acye. In the set of parquet, made according to the drawing by A. Rinaldi, mahogany and rosewood, rosewood, palm, birch, apple tree are used.

The “Chinese” style, which was widespread in the art of the palace interior of the 18th century, was vividly embodied in the Great and Small Chinese Cabinets of the palace. A peculiar comprehension by Russian and European masters of a distant exotic culture was expressed in the architecture and design of the Small Chinese Cabinet, the penultimate one in the enfilade of front rooms. Its interior is in a certain contrast with the previous rooms of the palace, which leave an impression of delicacy, smoothness, calm sophistication due to light colors and rounded shapes. Clear rectangular architectural planes, contrasting sonorous colors and strict geometric ornaments, combined with intricate floral patterns and finely drawn scenes from Chinese life, create a unique look for this interior.

The walls of the Cabinet are covered with green silk, recreated according to the preserved original samples, painted with images of exotic birds, butterflies and flowers. The lacquer furniture of China and Japan of the 18th century corresponds to the character of the decoration of the Small Chinese Cabinet: a Japanese red lacquer cabinet-secretary with gold painting and a black lacquer cabinet-chest with applied chased decorations, made in China.

In the style of "Chinese" in the middle of the XVIII century, Russian craftsmen made a black furniture set, decorated with oriental ornaments. Oriental porcelain perfectly complements the decorative ensemble of the Cabinet: statuettes and a vase of the “green family” of the end of the 17th century are presented on the fireplace; the console is decorated with an 18th century vase.

The floor of the Small Chinese Cabinet, made by master Jacob Lang after a drawing by Rinaldi, is one of the best examples of type-setting parquet, both in terms of the richness of the pattern and the brilliant mastery of using shades of the color of various types of wood - red, pink, black, brown wood, sandalwood, ebony, striped walnut, lemon, boxwood, amaranth, rosewood, birch, apple tree. The parquet includes figured inserts with Chinese characters and a skillful image of a low vase with a branch of a flowering fruit tree. On the wall is a picturesque portrait of "Catherine II in front of a mirror", the author's repetition of the Swedish artist Vigilius Eriksen. The study is crowned with a plafond by G. Diziani - an allegorical image of "Fortification".

The Small Chinese Cabinet in the 18th century also had a second name - the Bedchamber, since it precedes the bedroom of Catherine II - the Chinese Bedchamber, which opened the small (western) enfilade of her chambers. The Chinese bedchamber also belongs to the brilliant examples of the Chinoiserie style (“Chinese”). In the late 1760s and early 1770s, the walls of the room, covered with white satin, were painted in the "Chinese taste" by masters Fedor Vlasov, Fedor Danilov (who became an academician of painting twenty years later) and Yakim Gerasimov; the murals subtly harmonize with the solution of the plafond decorating the Bedchamber. “A graceful decorative fantasy of the 18th century” called A. Benois the ceiling “Chinese Sacrifice”, performed by J. Guarana, a kind of theatrical composition, which is distinguished by the beauty of the drawing and the richness of color.

The Great Chinese Cabinet, or "Chinese Gallery" - an interior symmetrical to the Hall of Muses - closes the front suite of the palace from the west. The unusually spectacular and original appearance of this hall is determined by the fact that the elements of the Rococo style are intertwined with oriental motifs in the most bizarre way.

The ceiling of the Great Chinese Cabinet is decorated with a picturesque ceiling representing the allegorical image of the "Union of Europe and Asia", which is also interpreted as a "Chinese wedding"; S. Barozzi is considered its author. On the sides of the plafond there are images of Chinese rulers, a Bogdykhan and a Bogdykhanshi, made in the technique of painting on a plaster basis. Carved oriental ornaments, stucco images of birds and dragons on the padugas enrich the decorative palette of this unique hall, the author of which is S. Barozzi.

The walls of the Great Chinese Cabinet are decorated with inlaid wooden panels made using the marquetry technique. The mosaic of thin plates of different types of wood depicts gallant scenes from the life of the Chinese against the backdrop of waters and mountains, pagodas and pavilions, flowering trees, hanging shoots and flying birds. These compositions are solved not in space, but in plane, in accordance with the canons of Chinese painting; their stories should be read from top to bottom. The panels are made of several types of wood - Karelian birch, amaranth, rosewood, Persian walnut, boxwood, maple, pear, apple, plane trees; the faces of the people and the leaves of the trees are made of walrus ivory. These unique compositions were created by a group of masters headed by G. Stahlmeer. Equally exotic is the type-setting parquet of the Cabinet of more than ten types of wood, made in 1773 by I. Petersen. It is known that for the manufacture of parquet in this and other rooms of the Chinese Palace in 1771, twenty species of overseas wood were released from the "... shop of the Construction Office."

As you know, in the second half of the 18th century, an intensive influx of Far Eastern art objects into Russia continued, which filled special halls and offices of country palaces. By order of Catherine II, a special caravan was sent to China in 1762 and 1775, from where furniture was brought to decorate the Chinese Palace, mainly the Great Chinese Cabinet - tables, cabinets, screens, as well as porcelain, trays, wallpaper. The diverse furnishings of the Cabinet include Chinese black lacquer chairs with gilded ornaments, Japanese black lacquer cabinets with painting and chasing, boxes and caskets of red and black lacquer, wooden sculpture - images of the god Shou Xin and the goddess Xi-Wangmu, bronze and enamel incense burners - traditional Chinese items. export, an almost obligatory element of "oriental" interiors. The fireplaces feature exquisite Chinese and Japanese porcelain vases.

The Large Chinese Cabinet was used by Catherine II for card games, of which she was a great fan. In the Chamber Fourier journal, there are often entries similar to the one made on July 28, 1774: "... they played cards in the Chinese corner on 6 tables." The ambassadors of Spain, Prussia, Sweden, Saxony, France, England, Denmark and "Caesarsky" (Austria), heir Pavel Petrovich and his wife, princes A. M. Golitsyn, A. A. Vyazemsky, counts G. G Orlov, N. I. Panin, Z. G. Chernyshev, A. K. Razumovsky.

The small enfilade of Empress Catherine II, in addition to the Chinese bedchamber, consists of Kameryungferskaya and Portraitnaya. Kameryungferskaya is decorated with magnificent images of court ladies of the “Small” (grand princely) court, presented in masquerade costumes and personifying the seasons, parts of the world and the elements. These eleven portraits do not pretend to psychological depth but are full of liveliness, their heroines are pretty and coquettish. The author of these works is the French artist Jean de Sampsois (Sansua), who arrived in Russia in 1755. The images are made in the complex pastel technique - as they said in the 18th century, "dry paints". The cold range of silver, blue, pale pink tones allows you to convey the sophistication of the young ladies who made up the court of the heir to the throne, Peter Fedorovich and his wife Ekaterina Alekseevna (future Empress Catherine II). The fact that the portraits were commissioned by Sampsua was reported in a letter from Ekaterina Alekseevna to the English ambassador Charles Williams dated September 17, 1756.

Initially, pastel portraits were in the Grand (Menshikov) Palace of Oranienbaum. In 1820 they were restored (“corrected”) in the Imperial Hermitage, and black gilded frames were also made. Only in 1853 did the paintings take their present place: the architect L. Bonshtedt introduced them to the decoration of Kameryungferskaya, transferring the walnut panels that previously decorated its walls, to the Boudoir on the half of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich.

In Kameryungferskaya parquet, made by craftsmen J. Lang and I. Petersen in the 1770s, has been preserved; its set is made up of palm, birch, walnut, plane tree, rosewood, maple, amaranth, mahogany and rosewood.

The main decoration of the room, called the Portrait Room, or the Rotary Cabinet, are twenty-two female portraits by the Italian artist Pietro Rotari. This master of salon painting created hundreds of chamber portraits, many of which were purchased by Catherine II for her country palaces. Small paintings are built into the wall of the Portrait Room and are connected with decorative stucco ornaments. The fashionable pictures, shallow in content, but elegant and pleasing to the eye, depict female half-figures and “heads”.

The small enfilade of private quarters of Catherine II ends with her Study. A writing table made in France in the middle of the 18th century, as well as a part of the suite of the middle of the 19th century, made in the forms of Rinaldiev furniture, make up the decoration of this room. For a long time, a small personal library of Northern Semiramis, as French philosophers called the Russian Empress, was kept here. In 1792, the books were transported to St. Petersburg, to the Winter Palace.

The Chinese Palace is located in the southwestern part of the Upper Park. In front of the palace there is a meadow with flower beds, and centuries-old oaks serve as side wings and background for it. In the 18th century, the park was designed in the regular French style, and a pool of regular geometric shape was “inscribed” in its composition. By the middle of the 19th century, the nature of the parklands had changed: the layout became free, and the Upper Park acquired a romantic look. The reservoir turned into a pond, and its banks took on softer outlines.

As a museum, the Chinese Palace opened in 1922. During the years of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945, Soviet troops defended the "Oranienbaum Piglet", which did not allow german army occupy Oranienbaum. The damage caused by the war did not distort the appearance of its monuments, and the skillful skill of the restorers only emphasized their highest artistic merit. In the summer of 1946, the Chinese Palace was the first among other historical and artistic objects of Oranienbaum to receive visitors. In 1983, the State Museum-Reserve was created, which included three ensembles - the Big (Menshikov) Palace with the Lower Garden, Peterstadt and Own Dacha. In 1990, due to their uniqueness, these art objects were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. cultural heritage humanity.

Today in Oranienbaum, in addition to the Chinese Palace, the Grand Palace, the Palace of Peter III, the Rolling Hill Pavilion, the Stone Hall, and Chinese cuisine are available to the public. Acquaintance with these monuments provides a unique opportunity to feel the atmosphere of past times and join the invaluable artistic heritage, world and Russian. Significant restoration work is planned for the coming years, which will allow Oranienbaum to adequately celebrate its tercentenary anniversary.

Marble

Cupid and Psyche
18th century
Copy from an antique original of the 2nd century BC.
Marble

Three Graces
Unknown sculptor. France
First half of the 19th century
A copy of the marble group by J. Pilon, made for the tombstone of King Henry II, XVI century
Bronze

And she
Unknown sculptor. Italy
18th century
Copy from the work of L. Lotto (Lorenzetto). 16th century
Marble

Today St. Petersburg is known throughout the world for its magnificent historical, cultural and architectural monuments. Many of them a few centuries ago were not built within the city. Gorgeous surroundings northern capital tourists are of great interest. Today you will learn about the Chinese Palace in Lomonosov. Opening hours of the ensemble, its address, historical information and other useful information- all this will be presented in the article.

The city of Lomonosov, or, as it was called earlier, Oranienbaum, is located 40 kilometers from St. Petersburg. It is in this place that there is a wonderful museum-reserve, where architectural masterpieces belonging to XVIII century. Go on an excursion to Oranienbaum and the Chinese Palace with us.

Historical information

The closest assistant of Peter the Great, Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, once visited the shores of the Gulf of Finland. It was in this place that he wanted to build his country residence, since the picturesque lands and The Gulf of Finland made a huge impression on him. Some time later, the Grand Palace appeared on this territory. With its luxury, it overshadowed even the palace of Peter the Great, which at that time was being built in Peterhof. Near the Great Menshikov Palace there was a beautiful Lower Garden. But it so happened that in 1727, Mr. Menshikov was sent into exile by the emperor.

Thus, all his property, as well as the palace and park ensemble in Oranienbaum, were transferred to the state.

Many years later, namely in 1743, Peter's daughter, Empress Elizabeth, presented this palace to her nephew, who later became famous throughout the world as Emperor Peter III.

The new owner gave the order to build an ensemble called "Peterstadt". It included a palace and a fortress.

With the coming to power of Catherine the Great, the next stage of construction started in the suburbs. The empress gave the order to build a summer residence in this place. Then in these lands appeared also beautiful palace under the name "Own Dacha".

Palace of Prince Menshikov

As it was written above, the first owner of the palace and park ensemble in Oranienbaum was Prince Menshikov. Contemporaries wrote that there is no equal palace in terms of area and luxury in the Russian Empire. But it is not for nothing that the palace of Prince Menshikov is called the Great. The whole point is that monumental palace looks due to the location on a hill. It seems as if the Chinese Palace is floating above the ground. Terraces descend from the façade. One-story wings on the left and right sides adjoin the main building. These extensions are completed with the Eastern and Church pavilions. They are attached to the kitchen, as well as the maid of honor outbuildings.

Peter III had a hand in the palace interior. Thus, the Eastern Pavilion has accumulated two hundred items of Japanese and Chinese porcelain in its interior. Therefore, this residence began to be called the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum.

A few words about the palace itself

Let's start with the fact that this beautiful residence was built for 6 years. It was erected in 1768 according to the project of the famous architect of the XVIII century Antonio Rinaldi. The middle of this century is the most important period in the construction of the Chinese Palace of Catherine the Great. Rinaldi (Italian by origin) was invited to Russia by Prince K. Razumovsky. The architect lived here for many years. In his memoirs, he wrote that on Russian soil he found a second homeland.

Looking at the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum, tourists recognize it as a masterpiece of Russian architecture. This palace is unique. Therefore, it deserves special study.

The name Chinese Palace is conditional. The architecture of the building has nothing to do with China. However, in some rooms there are decorative Chinese elements that can be freely interpreted. During the 18th century, a large collection of Chinese porcelain was assembled in the palace, some of the items in the collection have survived to this day.

Architectural elements of the palace

The Chinese Palace (St. Petersburg) is medium in size, has a slightly elongated building. It looks like a summer pavilion in the park. Today, it is surrounded by low stone slab panels, as well as a beautiful decorative cast-iron grille.

In front of the facade of the building there are small parterre gardens. They appropriately fit into the overall composition of the building and, according to the plan of the architect Rinaldi, became an integral element of the palace. This role is also played by the huge old oaks that were planted during the construction of the building.

Thus, one gets the impression that the oaks connect the Chinese Palace with a large park. The central part of the palace is overestimated. Its front side is decorated with pilasters, and stucco frames the doors and windows.

19th century rebuilding

According to the plan of Prince Menshikov and Catherine the Great, the Chinese Palace was one-story. The central part on the second floor had one or two rooms that had no decor. But in the middle of the 19th century, the appearance of the building changed. The second floor appears. Perestroika is under the leadership of A. Stackenschneider. Some time later, he adds an extension in the form of one room to the eastern part of the building. This is the Great Antichamber adjoining the Hall of the Muses.

A few more years will pass and in 1853 L. Bonstedt will add a building to the western wing - one more room, and also reconstruct the central part of the southern facade. So there will be a glazed gallery.

Interior architecture of the palace

The Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum (St. Petersburg) was built in such a way that the volumes, appearance, as well as the proportions of the individual parts of the building determined the placement of the interior. Each room had its own purpose.

It should be noted that all the palaces of that period were built according to this principle. The palace is characterized by symmetry and compositional balance. The interiors, that is, the rooms, are located along one axis. This principle of construction is called the enfilade system. It is inherent in the Catherine Palace, Peterhof and other imperial residences.

As conceived by the architect, the center of symmetry is the Great Hall, the height of which reaches 8.5 meters. These ceremonial halls have another name - Italian. They perform the organizing function of the residence planning. To the left and right of the Great Hall are the Blue and Lilac drawing rooms, and there are also two cabinets - Bugle and Small Chinese. On the one hand, the enfilade is limited by the Hall of the Muses, and on the other, by the Great Chinese Cabinet.

Features of the elements of the architecture of the palace

The Chinese Palace in Lomonosov was erected at a time when domestic architecture was at the stage of transition from one style to another. Those decorative techniques that were used in the middle of the 18th century were no longer in demand, and the emerging classicism had not yet formed in the art of architecture.

Thus, the front side of the facade of the palace became a vivid example of this period. Initially, it was planned to give it decorativeness and splendor. However, these qualities have given way to conciseness and simplicity of artistic decoration. After all, classicism is characterized by rigor and simplicity. The Chinese palace was built by skilled craftsmen of those times: sculptors and gilders, mosaicists and parquet makers, marble makers, as well as woodcarvers and other talented artisans.

After the revolution (in 1917), the Chinese Palace turned into a museum. It was open to everyone. During these years, it became possible to carry out a scientifically sound restoration, as well as to begin competent storage of the palace's artistic values. Between 1925 and 1933 artists carried out large-scale work to restore decorative painting.

Unique parquet

Pictures of the Chinese palace are often found in Russian glossy magazines. But its chic decoration excites researchers of Russian art, even abroad. That is why we will tell you what is the uniqueness of the parquet floor of the museum.

The thing is that 772 square meters of the palace area were lined with parquet, which was assembled from both domestic and overseas woods. These include pink, lemon, black, mahogany, as well as boxwood, amaranth, rosewood, Persian walnut and many other species. In some halls, researchers count more than 15 species.

The parquet of the Chinese Palace is highly valued, as it has no equal in our country in terms of its design and manner of execution. It turns out that wooden planks were glued to individual shields in the form of various patterns. Then small details for the ornament were burned out or cut out. Each room had its own interior, so the parquet pattern was tied to the general concept of the room.

Lower garden of the palace

And we are leaving the luxurious offices of the Chinese Palace and heading to the park of the summer residence of Catherine the Great. The lower garden is a standard of landscape gardening art. It became part of the park complex of the Grand Palace. In the center of it are parterres with a large number of rare flowers. It is surrounded by rows of slender maples, firs and lindens. Gardeners planted various fruit trees, including cherries, apples, pears, and so on. Traditionally, the garden is decorated with miniature fountains and white marble sculptures.

Coordinates and opening hours of the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum

Address: Lomonosov, Upper Park 7.

Cash desks are open from 10:30 to 17:00.

Visiting time of the complex: 10:30 - 18:00

Ticket price for adults - 500 rubles.

The ticket price for schoolchildren and students is 300 rubles.

Free entry for veterans of the Great Patriotic War and other categories of persons.

Remember that the doors of the palace are only open to visitors on a dry and sunny day.

Finally

We got acquainted with one of the most beautiful residences, which was built during the reign of Peter the Great, that is, more than three hundred years ago. The sights of Oranienbaum amaze everyone. They surprise visitors not only with their beauty and scale, but also with the fact that they keep the spirit of past eras within their walls.