Grotto Pavilion
This is a continuation of my story about the walk in Catherine's Park at Tsarskoye Selo, you can read about the start of the walk here.
Great Pond. Chesme Column
I took another look at the smooth surface of the Great Pond. In the center of the pond on a granite pedestal stands the Chesme Column. There is a legend that the obelisk can be reached by an underground passage. I had read a XIX century guide-book about Tsarskoye Selo, which said about an underground passage as usual park attraction. Did such underground passage exist or it was author's fantasy? I do not know.
Great Pond. Admiralty
In addition, there is a legend of an underground passage from the Ruin Tower, but no confirmation of this legend could be found. There are also legends about underground structures under the Cameron Gallery - I came to this gallery after traveling around the Great Pond.
Cameron Gallery
It is known about two underground passages in Tsarskoye Selo. The first underground passage connects the Alexander Palace and the palace kitchen, which is located in a separate building. This underground passage was made for the convenience of delivering ready-made meals from the kitchen to the dining room. During the Soviet regime, the military forces were located in the Alexander Palace, and they equipped a shooting gallery in the underground corridor. Now there is a museum in the Alexander Palace, and you can see the underground passage during the excursion.
Cameron Gallery. Hercules and Flora
Another underground passage belongs to the park's engineering structures. Several underground tunnels made of red brick, located at a shallow depth, are part of the hydraulic engineering system arranged for the drainage of the park. It is not an underground passage in the literal sense, but you can move along these tunnels for quite a long distance if you want or need to.
Cameron Gallery
The Cameron Gallery was built in the second half of the 18th century by the Scottish architect Charles Cameron. I think it is one of the most beautiful buildings in Tsarskoye Selo. It's a very light and airy construction, reminding us of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The architect traveled to Italy before working on this project and was inspired by classical architecture.
Cameron Gallery. Gentle ramp
I couldn't go up to the gallery this time because the museum was closed because of the lockdown. So I limited myself to walking around the building. The Russian Empress Catherine II loved to go up to this gallery and admire the views of the park. The empress suffered from a foot disease in the last years of her life and because of that she disliked walking up and down stairs, so the architect built a gentle ramp that took her up to the gallery and to the hanging garden next to it.
Catherine Palace
I approached the Catherine Palace again at the end of my walk, but this time I came to the opposite facade of the palace, not from the park side, but from the side of the parade ground. On this side is a large number of service quarters. These one-story buildings have a special name: circumferentia. These buildings are still used for various technical services of the palace.
Catherine Palace. Service building
A little discovery awaited me here. I was surprised to see that there was a hotel sign next to one of the doors: it turns out that you can stay a few days in the Catherine Palace and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of history.
Catherine Palace
The gate leading to the palace was closed, and I noticed from afar that many people were getting as close to this gate as possible and leaning or crouching down. I was intrigued by the actions of these people, but soon I did the same thing myself: there are wide gaps at the bottom of the gate bars that allow me to take a picture of the palace.
Catherine Palace. The gates are closed
At this point I decided to end my walk. On my way out of the park, I took a couple more pictures of the bridges over the canals. I would have loved to stop by some cafes after a long walk to rest and eat a hot meal, but because of the quarantine, the cafes were closed. Luckily, some cafes were still selling takeout. I went into a small, cozy pancake house to get a cheese pancake and a cup of coffee. Unfortunately, I could not take a picture of them: both hands were busy, but it was very tasty.
Cross Bridge
Hanging Bridge
| ○ | ○ |
|---|---|
| Smartphone | Xiaomi Redmi 3 |
| Location | Tsarskoe Selo, Saint Petersburg, Russia |