Imperial Travel Palace in Tver. Peter's Travel Palace - how to get on the excursion and what is now in the imperial hotel How to visit Peter's Travel Palace
The palace ensemble is the first independent work of Matvey Kazakov. The architect, who later rebuilt the center of Moscow in the Palladian style, chose pseudo-Gothic for the palace on the outskirts of the city, combining motifs of Old Russian, Gothic and Oriental architecture. A majestic building with lancet windows is located on the lands of the Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery. For this reason the palace began to be called Petrovsky. The second name - Putevoy - is explained by its purpose: for recreation on the way from St. Petersburg to Moscow. The road is not close - 700 kilometers.
The prototype of the building was a temporary city-theater in the Turkish style, built by Vasily Bazhenov on the Khodynskoye field for celebrations on the occasion of the signing of the Kuchuk-Kaynajir Peace Treaty. The Empress liked the work and wanted a similar palace. According to the architect's idea, the central dome symbolized the Orthodox church, rising above the minaret towers built into the side wings. The wealth and grandeur of the Russian Empire was emphasized by numerous stucco decorations, and a landscape park with grottoes and gazebos added coziness to the residence.
Catherine II stayed in the patterned castle only once, in 1787. 10 years later, Paul I visited the travel residence before his coronation, and subsequently Nicholas II.
In 1812, the imperial castle temporarily became Napoleon's headquarters. Bonaparte left the Kremlin engulfed in fire and watched from the window of the palace as Moscow burned.
Here, surrounded by his own oak grove,
Petrovsky Castle. He's gloomy
He is proud of his recent glory.
Napoleon waited in vain
Intoxicated with the last happiness,
Moscow kneeling
With the keys of the old Kremlin:
No, my Moscow did not go
To him with a guilty head.
Not a holiday, not a receiving gift,
She was preparing a fire
To the impatient hero.
From now on, immersed in thought,
He looked at the menacing flame.
This is how Pushkin described those events in Eugene Onegin. But the French army camp was located here for only four days. That did not stop soldiers and officers from plundering the palace and practically destroying the park. Only the walls survived. After the French fled, a temporary hospital was set up in the side wings.
Restored ensemble
Restoration of the ensemble began only under Nicholas I. The Emperor, having a higher engineering and technical education, personally supervised the work of the architect Auguste Montferrand. In 10 years, the French architect completely recreated the creation of his eminent predecessor. Only the round hall, located under the dome, was turned into a covered gallery. Decorative artist Giuseppe Angiolo Artari painted the spherical vault.
One of the dramatic events in Russian history took place in close proximity to the Travel Palace. In 1896, on the occasion of his coronation, Nicholas II received a delegation from peasants and Warsaw nobles at the palace. And on the Khodynka field temporary theaters were located for distributing “royal gifts”. 400 thousand gifts. Early in the morning on the eve of the festivities, half a million people had already arrived. It all ended in a terrible stampede in which almost 1,400 people died.
After the revolution, the palace was given over to the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy. The new owners carried out a redevelopment, adapting the historical building to their everyday needs: a dining room and library, offices and a motor laboratory. The outbuildings contain housing. During the Great Patriotic War, the palace housed the headquarters of long-range aviation.
Petrovsky Travel Palace today
After the transfer of the Moscow City Hall, the historical building became the Reception House of the Moscow Government. You can immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the former grandeur of the imperial castle by taking excursions organized by the Moscow City Museum.
What is the Petrovsky Travel Palace in Moscow famous for? facts of history and modernity. Excursion through the halls of the palace, where today foreign diplomats are received.
At the end of the 18th century, Catherine II wanted to perpetuate the triumph in the Russian-Turkish War. As a result, the empress received a symbol of victory embodied in stone, and the capital received another outstanding palace, glorifying the generosity of the empress and the skill of the architects. We are talking about the Petrovsky Travel Palace. This palace can be considered the architectural “peacock” of Moscow. It stands out from the background of typical metropolitan buildings: with brightness, boldness, enlivening and refreshing prim landscapes.
His image embodied many styles and, above all, Gothic and Moorish. The building is quite reminiscent of Turkish fortresses and mosques - these turrets that look like minarets, crenellated parapets, a massive central dome. The variegated redness of the terracotta is smoothed out by snow-white lace trim, stucco molding and window arches. The palace inherited elongated window arcades from Gothic architecture. And at the entrance you can see barrel columns, clearly borrowed from the Old Russian style.
All this beauty was built by the architect Matvey Kazakov, although when creating the project he was guided by another palace, made in Turkish motifs. The travel palace has a central part with a portico and a richly decorated facade, as well as side wings built in the form of fortress walls. Around the palace you can still see the remains of a luxurious 19th century park.
Travel Palace - historical background
The travel palace was supposed to welcome the imperial persons after a long journey from St. Petersburg to St. Petersburg, and it received the appropriate name. The top officials of the state stopped here to rest for a couple of days before official events, after which they went to the Kremlin, fresh and dressed.
Interesting facts from the history of the palace:
- In 1797, Paul the First stayed in the palace, exactly on the eve of his coronation, thereby starting the tradition of spending several days here before being anointed on the throne for all future monarchs. They did not dare to break the tradition even when Moscow ceased to be the center of the empire and all secular and noble life completely moved to St. Petersburg;
- In 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte settled in the palace and from here the failed ruler of Europe watched the city burn, which had never submitted to him. They say that while watching the fire, Napoleon even singed his hair, but this is rather a fantasy;
- Today, the Petrovsky Travel Palace still receives travelers after a long journey, and the most eminent and important guests, as in the old days. Even if these are not imperial persons, they are no less important personalities - diplomats, politicians, etc. There is an elite hotel in the palace, where only a select few are allowed. There is also a restaurant, a spa center, a sauna and other amenities. But mere mortals can also visit here. Albeit with a short excursion and only in limited areas.
Interior and interior decoration
Inside, current visitors will be disappointed. The deliberate luxury of facades and exteriors is replaced by emphasized modesty. There is no abundance of gold, antique furniture and expensive mountains of crystal mixed with bronze chandeliers and porcelain cups and vases.
Travel Palace in Moscow / Photobank Lori
Interior of the Travel Palace in Empire style / Photobank Lori
After the last restoration in 1998, the situation is close to almost monastic, although some of the former grandeur still survived. This is valuable parquet flooring, heavy velvet curtains, some antique furniture (in fact, it is a remake, and this is noticeable at first glance). But in the Petrovsky Travel Palace you can see paintings from the 19th century and old photographs exhibited in one of the halls. And in the round hall, concerts of organ and orchestral music and other social events are periodically held.
Another hall is decorated with busts of Russian emperors, and in the central hall you can admire the ceiling made using the grisaille technique, which was just becoming fashionable at the time the palace was decorated. In some places you can see decor in the form of bas-reliefs and gilding, but this is rather an exception. You can also see marble fireplaces and Venetian mirrors.
An hour of time is enough to explore the Travel Palace, during which you can learn interesting facts not only about the complex itself, but also a little about the celebrities who stayed there at different times.
Excursions around Moscow and surrounding areas
The number of walks around Moscow on Tripster has reached hundreds! A choice for every taste: sightseeing, quests, on-site. But before you go out of town, make sure that you have explored all the alleys, interesting mansions and estates of Moscow.
How to get to Petrovsky Travel Palace
The Travel Palace is located near the Petrovsky Park metro station. A little further is the Dynamo station, from which you will have to walk a little along Leningradsky Prospekt. The nearest bus stop is “st. m. Dynamo. Travel by routes No. 84, 318.
It is unlikely that anyone can help but pay attention to the beautiful pink building of the Petrovsky Travel Palace, with Gothic turrets on Leningradsky Prospekt. And what probably beautiful interiors can be found inside Petrovsky Castle! One day, while walking through Petrovsky Park, I tried to get into the territory, but that was not the case. The guards at the gate didn’t even let me into the courtyard, but suggested that I could get inside with a guided tour. Well, let's find a tour, the building is too gorgeous. And when something is inaccessible, it is even more interesting.
Sign up for an excursion to the Petrovsky Travel Palace
Finding a company that organizes excursions to the Petrovsky Travel Palace was not difficult. On one of the social networks, I received an invitation to this event. The cost was quite high - 700 rubles per person, plus photography for 150 rubles. Total: 850 rubles per person! Not bad, I tell you. For comparison: an excursion to Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin (more than 50 furnished rooms), with an audio guide and filming, cost us 18 euros. And they also say that it’s expensive in Europe!
When registering for the excursion, it was also required to provide passport information, since the object turned out to be sensitive. By security we mean that the palace belongs to the Moscow Government. That’s what it’s called now: the Moscow Government Reception House. On top of everything else, it was necessary to meet with the organizers and pay for the excursion in advance. But these are all trifles, because a real palace was waiting for us.
On the appointed day, the organizers gathered us at the Dynamo metro station and led the entire crowd to the Palace. There wasn't much time to admire the fence. After taking just a few shots, the whole group found themselves in front of the secret entrance to the palace.
The secret is located on the left side of the front entrance.
Fence tower of the Petrovsky Travel Palace
Inside there are iron frames and a stern man carries out passport control and a light inspection of bags. After all these manipulations, we found ourselves in the courtyard of the Petrovsky Travel Palace. Here it is, the forbidden fruit! Envy the passers-by! You are there, and we are here! Be-be-be!
Exterior view of the Petrovsky Travel Palace and the courtyard
The building of the Petrovsky Travel Palace was built by the architect Matvey Kazakov in 1768-1774 by order of Catherine II. From the outside, the building turned out to be very strange and unusual for that time, since the decor is eclectic, that is, made using different architectural styles. Pointed arches and windows are reminiscent of Gothic, Baroque elements can be seen in the stars on the towers, and barrel-shaped columns characterize the Old Russian style. With all this, there is a classic, clearly verified composition.
In 2014, this palace will be 230 years old, and everyone continues to admire it!
You can look at and discuss the elements of the exterior decoration for a very long time, but the excursion group will not wait. The guide of the Moscow Museum invited us inside.
At the entrance to the palace we were greeted by a pair of swans carved from ice.
What is the Petrovsky Travel Palace famous for?
Oddly enough, the name of the palace does not tell us that it was built by order of Peter I. The palace was built much later than his reign, in 1768-1774, in honor of the end of the Russian-Turkish War. And it was named Petrovsky for two reasons. Firstly, this is the name of the area where the palace was built. Yes, yes, before the area near Dynamo metro station was not a prestigious place, almost in the center of Moscow. It was a village called Petrovskoye. And secondly, Catherine II idolized and respected everything Russian, including Peter I.
The palace was built as a travel place for the kings to rest after a long carriage ride from St. Petersburg to Moscow. All royal persons came to the royal wedding in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, despite the fact that the center of power was in St. Petersburg. This is how it happened historically, and none of the rulers decided to change the order established by Ivan the Terrible.
The royal cortege covered the distance from St. Petersburg to Moscow in two to three weeks. It’s no wonder that there was a need for stops and rest after the jolting in the carriage, even the most comfortable one. But still, this is not a luxury Mercedes. The royals spent 2-3 days in the Petrovsky Palace while preparing for the ceremony. Catherine II, Paul I, and Nicholas II stayed at the residence at different times. Busts of emperors and prominent figures are displayed in the columned gallery on the first floor of the palace.
1812 was a special year in the history of the Petrovsky Travel Palace. After a terrible fire in Moscow, Napoleon was forced to retreat north. Our enemy's headquarters were based in the Petrovsky Travel Palace for several days. It was from here that he watched the city burn, which he never got. It is these events that are described in the poem “Eugene Onegin” by A.S. Pushkin:
Here, surrounded by his own oak grove,
Petrovsky Castle. He's gloomy
He is proud of his recent glory.
Napoleon waited in vain
Intoxicated with the last happiness,
Moscow kneeling
With the keys of the old Kremlin:
No, my Moscow did not go
To him with a guilty head.
Not a holiday, not a receiving gift,
She was preparing a fire
To the impatient hero.
From now on, immersed in thought,
He looked at the menacing flame.
Restoration work took place during the reign of Nicholas I. For 10 years, the best architects of the Kazakov school restored the palace, and in 1837 the building again fascinated people.
After the revolution, the Palace was taken over by the military. After 1917, the palace housed a dormitory, and in 1920 it was transferred to the Air Force Engineering Academy. NOT. Zhukovsky, whose graduates included Yu.A. Gagarin, M. Tereshkova and many other famous pilots and cosmonauts. But at some point, officials decided that there was no need for a higher flight school in Moscow. Pilot training was transferred to Voronezh, and now Aeroflot does not know where to find professionals. But the building of the Petrovsky Palace has been under the jurisdiction of the Moscow city administration since 1997. The logic is simple. The palace has always belonged to royalty, but now what?
Since 1998, restoration has been carried out in the traveling Petrovsky Palace. After ten years of work, it opened in March 2009 and became the Moscow Government Reception Palace.
Interior interiors of the Petrovsky Travel Palace
The tour through the halls of the Petrovsky Travel Palace covered several rooms on the first floor and four living rooms on the second.
The first floor of the Petrovsky Palace is occupied by an exhibition about the past of the palace, the history of its construction, as well as its inhabitants and important events. We were lucky with the guide; it was clear that the man really loved his job and was happy to talk about it. It’s not often that you see such an enthusiastic guide who speaks as if he’s singing, while reciting poetry along the way.
On the first floor of the Petrovsky Travel Palace
Exhibits on the ground floor The following did not cause puppyish delight: a model of the palace, engravings, several old travel items (chest, guidebooks). Of interest is the map of Moscow before and after the Fire, which shows the territory that was engulfed in fire. The spectacle must be noted as terrible.
On the second floor of the Petrovsky Palace restored interiors of living rooms are presented. Among them are a large round hall, Peter's living room, and Catherine's office. Despite the external pomp, there is no smell of antiquity here. Everything gives the impression of a remake and something very official (which, however, is true). And uncovered surveillance cameras and modern lamps above the paintings, which cause glare on the painting and in the photographs, further kill the atmosphere of the museum.
The most impressive hall on the second floor is the Round Hall, with a luxurious high dome painted in grisaille technique. That is, it is a painting that uses several shades of the same color to imitate a material surface. In this case, stucco. According to our guide, when the palace building was transferred to the Military Academy in the 20s of the last century, the newly minted students deliberately destroyed the interiors and shot at mirrors and paintings. However, the beautiful dome was preserved by hanging an air-inflated balloon under the dome. Of course, when the destructive frenzy of youth subsided, the balloon was removed. But then few people cared about the dome.
The general impression of the excursion is ambiguous. That is, when planning to enter the palace, you need to take into account the fact that the interiors inside have undergone restoration and the main mission of the building is far from being a museum. You should not expect to see there anything preserved from the time of Catherine II, something similar to the splendor of the palaces of St. Petersburg. In my opinion, the outside of the palace is much more beautiful than the inside. However, you can go to satisfy your interest.
But still, a nasty feeling of disappointment was hammering through my brain.
Petrovsky Palace - newlyweds
I was amazed that wedding photo sessions were also taking place during the excursion, and we seemed to disturb them a little.
Walk through Petrovsky Park
In the warm season, it is very pleasant to stroll around the Petrovsky Palace. The perimeter of the outer wall cannot be called small, however, the decorative turrets of various fancy shapes occupy the attention, and the walk is easy.
How to sign up for an excursion to the Petrovsky Travel Palace
There are several options for how to get on a tour of the palace. You can find a commercial travel agency on the Internet and select the most convenient dates. The cost of the excursion will be from 700 rubles.
A cheaper option) is to sign up for a tour through the Museum of Moscow, you can find out more here. The cost of the excursion is 400 rubles.
Don’t forget to immediately purchase a ticket for photography that costs about 150 rubles; you won’t be able to purchase it on site at the Petrovsky Travel Palace.
And don't forget your passport, they check it.
Petrovsky Travel Palace, how to get there
M. Dynamo, exit to Petrovsky Park, Leningradsky Prospekt, 40.
Petrovsky Travel Palace is located at the address: Moscow, Leningradsky Prospekt, 40. You can get inside only as part of a guided tour.
01 I made an appointment a month before the visit. You definitely need to buy tickets at the Museum of Moscow in the Park of Culture. The excursion time is rather inconvenient - weekdays 12 noon.
02 Entrance ticket costs 400 rubles, photography 150.
03 The security is quite loyal, they just checked the passport with the list.
04 The palace was built by order of Catherine II in the 1776-1780s in honor of the successful completion of the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, as a residence for the rest of noble people after a long journey from St. Petersburg at the entrances to Moscow, according to the design of the architect Matvey Kazakov.
05 Empty lands, which at that time belonged to the VysokoPetrovsky Monastery, were allocated for construction.
06 Behind the palace there is a preserved part of Petrovsky Park, laid out at the beginning of the 19th century.
07 Petrovsky Travel Palace is one of the few monuments of cultural and historical heritage that have reached us almost in its original form, an example of neo-Gothic architecture.
08 The palace ensemble consists of a three-story central building and one-story side buildings surrounding the courtyard.
09 The buildings were never rebuilt, but only updated for the next visit of the titled person.
10 The only serious deviation from Mikhail Kazakov’s project was allowed by the architect Auguste Montferrand, who restored the palace after the fire of 1812.
11 He turned the round hall, located under the dome, into a covered gallery.
12 The southernmost travel palace on the road connecting the two capitals was originally conceived as a residence for the most important persons who could rest there after a long journey from St. Petersburg and proceed to the Moscow Kremlin with special pomp.
13 Catherine II stayed in the palace for the first time only in 1787.
14 According to the surviving legend, the empress sent away her personal retinue and guard and remained in the palace “under the protection of her people,” which led to a massive gathering of people and almost caused a stampede.
15 In 1797, before his coronation, Emperor Paul I, the son of Catherine II, visited the Travel Palace.
16 Since then, the palace has become a constant witness to official coronation ceremonies: on the way from St. Petersburg, Russian sovereigns stopped here before being crowned kings.
17 During the War of 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte’s headquarters was located in the Petrovsky Travel Palace.
18 It was from here that he watched the city that had not submitted to him burn.
19 The palace, destroyed after Napoleon's flight, was restored under Emperor Nicholas I.
20 In the renovated halls of the Palace, members of the imperial family again stopped to rest, and receptions were held in honor of noble deputations and delegations.
21 During the First World War, the palace housed a hospital.
22 Then all the walls of the front rooms were painted white.
23 During the years of Soviet power, the complex was transferred to the Red Aviation - the Air Force Engineering Academy named after. Zhukovsky.
24 After large-scale restoration, completed in 2008, the Moscow Government Reception House with the functions of a hotel was located in the Petrovsky Palace.
25 A new restaurant building with an underground garage appeared on the territory of the palace, made in the architectural style of the historical building.
26 The total area of the premises of the renovated Petrovsky Palace is 17,060 sq. m. m, of which the underground part is 6,785 sq. m. m.
27 A museum has been organized in the main building, which houses the halls of heraldry, emperors, as well as the hall of the history of Peter the Great's Travel Palace.
28 Restorers did everything to return this architectural monument to its original appearance, conceived by M. Kazakov 230 years ago.
29 In all rooms, according to old drawings with the selection of wood and patterns, the color scheme of the walls and artistic parquet were restored.
30 The facade and interiors have been restored and not changed at all.
31 The grisaille on the dome, stucco molding, marble fireplaces, and Venetian mirrors were revived.
32 The palace is furnished with furniture and interior items corresponding to the historical era of its origin.
33 Now the Petrovsky Travel Palace is under the management of the Renaissance Moscow Olympic Hotel.
35 The Petrovsky Travel Palace has everything for holding various events: press conferences, round tables, exhibitions, congresses.
36 Behind the historical walls there is ultra-modern equipment: fully equipped conference rooms, rooms for the press center.
37 Petrovsky Travel Palace is an ideal place for a wedding or celebration of a special event.
38 The palace is equipped with comfortable rooms, a restaurant and a spa center.
41 I have long wanted to get into the palace after restoration, and now the opportunity arose. The palace is very beautiful on the outside and simple without any frills on the inside. I would compare it with the palace in Tsaritsyno. When Napoleon lived in the palace, he was very impressed by the internal simplicity. When I visited it, I was surprised not only by the simplicity, but by the complete absence of antique furniture and interiors. Everything is very, very modern, even the expensive antique furniture. If it weren't for the excursion, it would have been completely boring and uninteresting.
Material taken from the site
In the depths of the Petrovsky Landscape Park, you can see the bright, unique architecture of the historical pearl of modern Moscow - the ensemble of the Petrovsky Travel Palace. This magnificent example of Russian Gothic from the late 18th century became a monument to victory in one of the key wars between the Russian and Ottoman empires. The peace treaty of 1774 brought an atmosphere of continuous celebration to Moscow for the entire next year and a charge of creativity in its architecture.
It was 1775 that became significant in his life: in January, after the construction of the Prechistensky Palace, he was officially presented to Her Imperial Majesty and in May confirmed with the rank of architect, which marked the beginning of his independent creative activity. The architect’s versatile talent was not limited only to Russian classicism. Kazakov and Bazhenov developed ways to master the ancient Russian architect, creating original works in the spirit of Russian architectural romanticism. Matvey Fedorovich created new forms and compositions, using the principles of picturesqueness of the ancient Russian architectural ensemble, techniques and materials of the past, in particular the combination of brick with white stone.
In the ideological and artistic content of his creative quests, elements are felt that are combined with the dominant principles of Russian classicism. This explains that the pictorial forms of Russian Gothic coexisted with order proportions and a strictly classical composition of plans in all of Kazakov’s romantic works.
The creation of the Petrovsky Travel Palace was preceded by the construction by the outstanding tandem of Bazhenov and Kazakov of a huge complex of “entertainment” structures on the Khodynskoye field to celebrate the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi peace, according to which the lands that once belonged to Ancient Rus' were returned to Russia. Naturally, the celebration had to be national in nature.
Therefore, the architects decided to revive ancient Russian architecture in their project, through which amazing works were created in the forms of national architecture and neo-Gothic, enriched with new techniques and motifs in accordance with modern conditions. Bazhenov, distracted by the failure of the construction utopia of the Grand Kremlin Palace and examinations of Kremlin construction work, shifted the main burden of the Khodynka work onto the shoulders of Kazakov. Thus, not far from the St. Petersburg road, in a vast area in April - June 1775, numerous temporary pavilions made of wood, painted to resemble stone, were erected, which were connected architecturally, compositionally and in content.
The main buildings depicted the conquered Turkish fortresses on the Black Sea (its role was assigned to the field), which retreated under the peace agreements of Russia: Taganrog, Kerch, Yenikale, Kinburn, Azov and the Berda line of fortifications. The remaining large structures were erected for illuminations and fireworks. Matvey Fedorovich depicted all the pavilions-fortresses on magnificent four etchings of perspective views of Khodynka buildings from different sides as if they were really made of stone, which was the design of this architectural ensemble.
The Empress, remaining satisfied with the past celebrations and the work of the architect, ordered Kazakov to design a new “entrance” palace near the village of Petrovskoye-Zykovo at the entrance to Moscow from Tver. This project was supposed to become a compositional, stylistic and symbolic continuation of the ensemble of Khodynka pavilions.
Empty lands belonging to the Vysokopetrovsky Monastery, opposite the Khodynsky field, behind the St. Petersburg highway, were allocated for construction. The southernmost, last, traveling palace on the road connecting the two capitals, was originally conceived as a residence for the rest of Her Imperial Majesty and the most important persons who could stop there after a long journey from St. Petersburg and proceed to the Moscow Kremlin with special pomp.
The project of the Petrovsky Travel Palace, which became the first major work of the architect, was drawn up in the summer - autumn of 1775, and its foundation was laid in September of the following year. In composition, the ensemble is a type of estate in the spirit of a decorative feudal castle, surrounded by walls and towers of a strictly symmetrical arrangement, typical of classicism. The strong classical basis of the project can be seen in the logically conceived plan, in the construction of the very volume of the palace and in its interior decoration.
The palace building, despite the complexity of the overall plan, subordinated all other elements of the composition. The front gate, flanked by picturesque towers, opened up the perspective of the main compositional axis of the complex. The center of the ensemble is a cubic three-story palace volume, crowned with a dome with a rather high light drum, connected by galleries with side wings. It was surrounded by two vast courtyards. Along the perimeter of the ceremonial semicircular court d'honneur on the side of the St. Petersburg road there were buildings for visitors, military guard premises and a kitchen.
On the opposite side of the palace there was a courtyard, where there was a small garden, adjacent to the walls of which were two more small utility courtyards with stables, barracks for soldiers, cellars and sheds from the north-west and south-east. There were large towers at the corners of the front and back yards.
A huge equestrian building was planned behind the palace, but due to lack of funds this part of the project remained unfulfilled. The dome was installed above the central round hall, from which four square halls diverged in a cross. Of these, two, located along the main axis of the ensemble, were intended for vestibules. The decoration of the main hall with Corinthian columns, a frieze, coats of arms, and “state portraits” in the style of Louis XVI, as well as the rest of the premises, did not introduce dissonance into the integrity of the entire composition. All structures were built of red brick with the use of white stone and ceramic parts.
This design, reminiscent of the patterned decoration of ancient Russian buildings, greatly increased the decorativeness and picturesqueness of the general appearance of the Peter's Palace. The service buildings and the backyard fence were decorated with several crenellated turrets (10 large and 11 small), which gave the entire complex an extraordinary fortress-like character.
The most common decorative details were pyramids - “a sign of glory and memory of good sovereigns”, placed around buildings, on a building, on a porch, on a dome. The oval windows of the main facade of the palace were framed by intersecting “horns of plenty”, symbolizing the extreme wealth acquired by victories. On the outside, a deep ditch was dug around the palace, the edges of which were lined with turf.
Stone bridges were thrown across the moat. Small bastions were supposed to be located near the round turrets protruding outward. Quite a lot of foreign masters worked on the implementation of the palace: for example, I. Yust performed external and internal decorative work, I. Ensh and I. Erke made sculptures. The construction of the palace dragged on for seven years due to meager funding. External construction work was completed in 1779, and interior decoration of the palace continued until 1783. After the departure of Napoleonic army from Moscow in 1812, the building was destroyed by peasants. Repeated restoration and repair work slightly distorted the image of the complex.
The symbolic meaning of the palace ensemble as part of the Khodynsky complex is interpreted in two versions. According to the first, the Petrovsky Palace was framed, like a fortress wall, by one-story buildings with towers and was likened to ancient Moscow, dominating the conquered fortresses.
The second says that, inspired by the victory of 1774, Catherine the Great dreamed of further victorious campaigns in Turkey to free the Greeks and take Constantinople. In this regard, the palace was included in the ensemble of Khodynka pavilions - captured Turkish fortresses - as a symbolic image of an inaccessible city and the embodiment of a hypothetical goal - Constantinople with the Hagia Sophia in the center. This easily explains the serf-like “Turkish” character of the service buildings surrounding the palace, similar to the architecture of Azov and Taganrog, and the image of the main building with a high dome.
The interpretation of the Petrovsky Palace as Constantinople is confirmed by the peculiar symbiosis of Gothic and Old Russian forms, executed by Kazakov with the aim of reproducing the Byzantine style. Such a vivid “quotation” of ancient Russian details cannot be seen in any other stone neo-Gothic work of the second half of the 18th century, including in the work of Matvey Fedorovich himself. Without a doubt, the Petrovsky Travel Palace is the most significant building of Kazakov of all those created by him in the national romantic traditions.
This is especially noticeable when comparing it with the unfinished palace in Tsaritsyn, which he built in 1787-1793 on the basis of a dismantled Bazhenov building, where an attempt to combine classicist and ancient Russian elements did not lead to the creation of a structure that was organic and integral in appearance. With the construction of the Petrovsky traveling ensemble, Kazakov immortalized himself as the largest representative of Russian Gothic, to the forms of which he repeatedly returned in his creative activity.
