Catherine Palace

 

These Neo-Classical stucco bas-reliefs in the Green Dining Room were based on motifs from frescoes discovered in Pompeii.

 

 

 

 

The Hermitage, where Elizabeth would entertain small groups of guests for dinner.

 

Musicians would serenade Catherine and her courtiers as they floated by in guilded gondolas on the man-made lakes.

Girl with a Pitcher, the 1816 sculpture by Pavel Sokolov which inspired Pushkin to write his memorable poem, Fountain at Tsarskoe Selo.

 

In the poem he muses on the girl who has broken her urn and now sits timelessly sad over the timeless stream.

 

 

 

 

 

The colonnaded Marble Bridge.

 

 

With Elena, our lovely 26 year old guide.

 

Elena teaches English in a school as well as being a trained tour guide.

 

She was a brilliant guide and spoke excellent English.

 

 

 

 

The church near Catherine Palace where Elena and Vladimir were married.

 

The Amber Room in Catherine Palace has been recreated since our visit in 1999.

 

The original amber panels (1709) by Andreas Schlüter were a gift from Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia to Peter the Great.

Much of Catherine Palace was destroyed by the Germans during World War II and the original panels are missing.

The room has been restored from photos.

We were not allowed to take photographs in this room.

Elena took these photos when the room was opened and emailed them to me.