There are many palaces turned into museums in Saint Petersburg. These provide you with a glimpse of what life was like in the time of emperors and empresses. One of the places I decided to visit during my stay was Pavlovsk Palace.
Inside the Palace
I had enough time to visit the Pavlovsk Palace after exploring the nearby Catherine Palace. I took the bus outside the Catherine Palace complex. It took a while to find the right one, but I managed to get on it in the end. When I arrived at Pavlovsk, it didn't seem like the other elaborate palaces I've seen thus far. It's exterior wasn't as majestic and striking as the others. When I entered, I realized I was mistaken, it had all the opulence (or at least close to it) of the palaces I recently entered when I visited St. Petersburg.
The facade of Pavlovsk pales in comparison to its nearby neighbor the Tsarkoe Selo. Its architect aimed for harmony in line with the neo-classicism that was in fashion in those days. Initially, Catherine the Great employed Charles Cameron and then construction started in 1782. However, Pavel and Maria Feodorovna didn't like the simple and pure approach of Cameron. They replaced him with his assistant, Vincenzo Brenna. The latter was tasked to extend the complex and give it a more majestic appeal.
The interiors and halls of the palace were exquisite. Some of St. Petersburg's most famous architects had a hand in designing the interior, some of which include Voronikhin, Quarenghi and Rossi. I couldn't help but marvel at the ornate and elaborate furnishings, carvings and styles used in the rooms and halls I went in and out of.
The halls follow a certain theme according to the taste of Pavel, which include antiquity and war motifs. He also had the halls named such as the Italian Hall, Hall of War, Hall of Peace, Grecian Hall and others.
It took me a couple of hours to explore the palace, it displayed the elegance, affluence and taste of the elite during the reign of the imperial court.
How to Get to Pavlovsk Palace
Entrance Fee: RUB 500
Make your way to any of the metro stations from St. Petersburg:
- Kupchino - take minibus 286 or 521 to Pavlovsk Palace and Park
- Moskovskaya - take minibus 299 to Pavlovsk Palace and Park