Express to Russia

08/02/2022

Museum of the History of Religion

In 1930, an exhibition devoted to the history of different religions was opened and quickly it turned into a museum. First, it was installed in the Kazansky Cathedral originally under the name of the Museum of Atheism, then in 2000 it moved to its current location: an ancient building on Pochtamtskaya Ulitsa.

The museum has exhibitions about the history of the world's religions from the 6th century BC all the way to the present day. The permanent exhibitions consist of 6th century BC Archaic Rituals, Mythology of the Ancient World, Judaism, Early Christianity, Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam and Buddhism. The museum has approximately 200,000 exhibits ranging from artefacts to art work.

Address and Contact Details:
https://www.expresstorussia.com/guide/petersburg-museum_of_history_religion.html

Photo By Museum of the History of Religion http://gmir.ru/virtual/virt-collection/sukhavati_zoom/

12/01/2022

09/01/2022

For a foreigner who has never visited Russia, Moscow is the perfect stepping stone into this great land of mystery. From the country’s best classical ballet troupes to snow-white troikas trotting through the parks, all the highlights of Russian culture can be had in Moscow. Explore Moscow with us!
https://www.expresstorussia.com/guide/moscow_vacation_guide.html

06/12/2021

The Bolshoi Circus
More than 120 years ago, the "Circus on the Fontanka" was opened and became the first Russian building (made of stone) designated specifically for circus performances. The idea of the "stone circus" occurred to the Italian circus actor, rider, and trainer Gaetano Ciniselli. This building was considered to be one of the most beautiful circus edifices in Europe. It is common knowledge that the last Russian Emperor’s (Nicholas II) family liked to visit this circus often.

Today the circus program is very dynamic and bright. There are many exotic animals, which are interesting for both children and adults. Besides the usual animals, such as monkeys, dogs and horses, there are also ponies, ostriches, goats, hippopotamuses, very long boas, which fly over the audience, crocodiles, and pelicans.

The edifice on the Fontanka also contains the Circus Art Museum. To this day, it holds a unique collection concentrating on the materials and documents concerning the history of both domestic and foreign circuses. The Museum holds tours for adults and children.
https://www.expresstorussia.com/guide/petersburg-circus.html

18/11/2021

What can you see and do at the Field of Mars?

Visit the Monument to the Fighters of the Revolution: in the centre of the Field of Mars are granite walls enclosing a central square, underneath which lies the communal grave of the revolution’s victims. Several famous Bolshevik revolutionaries are buried around the monument, whose names are indelibly inked on the textbook of Russian history, such as Moisey Uritsky – the first head of the Petrograd Cheka, whose murder sparked the brutal Red Terror.

See the Eternal Flame: at the very centre of the monument is the Eternal Flame, the very first to be lit in the USSR. It was sparked from a furnace at the Kirovsky Factory in south-west St Petersburg – a hotspot of revolutionary activity. The Eternal Flames of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Red Square and the Piskarevsky Memorial Cemetery in northern St Petersburg were lit from here.

Have a picnic: with its wide lawns and elegant landscaping, the Field of Mars is the ideal place for a summer day’s picnic. You’ll see plenty of Petersburgers here relaxing on the grass, enjoying food and drink with their friends and playing a game of frisbee.

Take a stroll: the Field of Mars is the ideal place to visit on your exploration of St Petersburg. After pacing the paths of the historical garden you can head onto the famous landmarks, picturesque spots and green spaces which lie a stone’s throw away.
https://www.expresstorussia.com/guide/the-field-of-mars.html

Image by Sergey Gorbachev from Pixabay
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11/11/2021

History of the Field of Mars - Soviet Russia
Following the February Revolution of 1917, the follies of Imperial Russia came to an end. After discussions to decide where to bury victims of the February Revolution, the Field of Mars was chosen for the communal gravesite. However, when the families of the dead heard that the Bolsheviks planned to bury them without a funeral service, many rushed to reclaim their loved ones. In the end, 184 people were laid to rest in the Field of Mars, each coffin lowered to the sound of a cannon shot from the Peter and Paul Fortress, and 800,000 people flocked to attend the funeral. A memorial to the dead was designed by Lev Rudnev (later the architect of Moscow State University main building) with inscriptions for the mass graves written by Anatoly Lunacharsky (the People’s Commissar of Education). The Field of Mars was renamed ‘Square of the Victims of the Revolution’, and essentially became a pantheon to fallen revolutionaries up until 1933.

Image by Mayya666 from Pixabay
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04/11/2021

History of the Field of Mars - Imperial Russia

At the turn of the 18th century, this piece of land bordering the Neva was an overgrown, murky swamp. After the swamp was drained by Peter the Great a meadow remained, which was transformed into a military parade ground and place for festivals. One particularly spectacular celebration was organised in 1721 to honour military victory in the Great Northern War against Sweden, and was complete with fireworks and a triumphal arch erected on the meadow. In honour of this, the meadow was nicknamed Poteshnoye Pole, meaning ‘Field of Amusements’.

Mansions and palaces of the Russian aristocracy gradually filled the surrounding streets in the 18th century, and the summer palaces of Peter the Great’s wife and daughter, Catherine and Elizabeth Petrovna, were built nearby. From 1740 onward, under Empresses Anna and Elizabeth Petrovna, the meadow was carefully landscaped with lawns, pavilions, fountains, trees and walking paths. Now more of a pleasure garden than a meadow, people flocked there for leisurely promenades and attractions on public holidays. Two theatres were erected there in 1750 – the first opera house in Russia, built by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, and the Maly Theatre (unfortunately, neither remain today).
The beauty of the garden would not last. Severe floods in 1777 damaged the ornate lawns and landscaping and military parades resumed shortly after. Following in his grandfather Peter’s footsteps, Paul I organised military parades and exercises and built barracks alongside the garden. His son Alexander I continued this tradition, and renamed the parade ground ‘The Field of Mars’ in honour of the Roman god of war.
The Field of Mars remained St Petersburg’s main military parade ground from 1820 onwards, and folk festivals like Maslenitsa, Easter and the Emperor’s name day continued to take place there from 1869, celebrated with fairground rides, music, performances and refreshments.

28/10/2021

What can you see and do at Kolomenskoye?
Today, Kolomenskoye has been transformed from an abandoned estate into an open-air complex of ethnographic, historical and architectural wonders, where visitors today can travel back in time. The different sections of Kolomenskoye – Ascension Square and Tsar’s Courtyard, the Museum of Wooden Architecture, and the Palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich – are dotted throughout the parkland, allowing visitors not only to explore a treasure trove of history and culture, but to enjoy a walk in peaceful nature at the same time.
Continue Reading: https://www.expresstorussia.com/guide/kolomenskoye-park-moscow.html

Image by Alina Kuptsova from Pixabay
https://pixabay.com/users/akuptsova-1176597/

21/10/2021

History of Kolomenskoye - Soviet Russia and beyond

Restoration work in Kolomenskoye began in 1913 and, despite the disruption of revolution and the Civil War, resumed a decade later on the initiative of Pyotr Baranovsky. An eminent architect and restorer, Baranovsky carried out restoration and research of Kolomenskoye’s ancient monuments. However, Baranovsky did not focus his attention on Kolomenskoye alone: he was passionate about preserving other masterpieces of Russian wooden architecture from bygone centuries. Thanks to his efforts, abandoned wooden monuments from all around the USSR were transported to Kolomenskoye for restoration and research purposes, forming the Museum of Wooden Architecture. The work begun by Baranovsky has continued up until the present day, and the 16th and 17th century buildings of the imperial estate have been restored to their former glory.

Image by Svetlbel from Pixabay
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14/10/2021

History of Kolomenskoye - From ancient times to the Rurikid Dynasty
Kolomenskoye is one of the most ancient inhabited sites in Moscow, with archaeological sites dating back to the Stone Age. In later centuries, tribes of Finno-Ugric peoples settled on this forested land bordered by the Moskva River. As the Grand Dukes of Muscovy expanded their reach throughout the land, the villages of Kolomenskoye and Dyakovo were developed into a royal country estate. Among the first buildings constructed here were the Ascension Church (built in 1532 to celebrate the birth of the future tsar, Ivan the Terrible) and the Church of John the Baptist (erected in 1547 in honour of Ivan’s ascension to the throne).

Image by snow-dog from Pixabay
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07/10/2021

Kolomenskoye Park, Moscow
Kolomenskoye Park is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of Moscow, a picturesque oasis located less than an hour from the city center. Its rolling parkland is one of the most ancient sites in Moscow, once a royal estate belonging to the Grand Princes of Muscovy. Today, visitors can find a treasure trove of ethnographic, historical, architectural and natural wonders, including an open-air museum of Russian wooden architecture, a UNESCO-recognised church which set the stage for a century of Russian religious architecture, a palace once known as the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’, and scenic parkland home to protected nature.

Image by Alina Kuptsova from Pixabay
https://pixabay.com/users/akuptsova-1176597/

28/09/2021

The best way to see Russia is on the Trans-Siberian Railway – but not all of us have the time (or the stamina) for such an expedition. If only there was a way to take in all of Russia’s riches in one room. You’re in luck: Grand Maket Rossiya is an award-winning national museum filled with a 1:87 model of the highlights of the world’s biggest country. It is the second-largest model in the world, painstakingly crafted over five years by 100 specialists who used 11 tons of plaster to create the landscape of mini-Russia. The work was so complex that it took one specialist one whole month to build one square metre.

In just a couple of hours visitors can travel through every corner of Russia: from Kaliningrad and St Petersburg to Siberia and the Far East; from the Arctic to Southern Russia; from the Urals to the Caspian Sea. Although the model is not geographically accurate, it is meant to represent the sheer variety of Russia’s landscape all under one roof – the vineyards, seashores and towering mountain peaks of the south, the wild forests and rivers of Siberia, and the oil fields of the far north.
https://www.expresstorussia.com/guide/grand-maket-rossiya.html

Grand Maket Rossiya is a huge model of Russia packed with historical, cultural and natural wonders in every corner of the land, connected by a model railway and populated by 100,000 figurines

09/09/2021

A cruise along Russia’s rivers and lakes provides a unique way to experience all that this magical country has to offer. In just one trip you can sail between the great cities of Russia, uncover hidden gems only accessible by boat, and get acquainted with traditional Russian culture, food and way of life.
https://www.expresstorussia.com/travel-tips/russian-river-cruise-ships-in-2022.html

A cruise along Russia’s rivers and lakes provides a unique way to experience all that this magical country has to offer. In just one trip you can sail between the great cities of Russia, uncover hidden gems only accessible by boat, and get acquainted with traditional Russian culture, food and way ...

24/08/2021

What can you see and do at GUM?

Shopping
GUM is home to 135 shops, arranged along three 200-metre long arcades and set over three floors. Staying true to its roots, the ground floor arcade closest to Red Square is lined with luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Prada, Cartier, Gucci, Chanel and Burberry. These designer stores are famed for their elaborate window displays which are updated seasonally. Among the other shops in GUM, there are a large number of accessories, shoes and jewellery shops, as well as thirty different souvenir stores.

Food and drink
Gastronom No.1: GUM’s famous deli operated from 1953 to 1990, with abundantly-stocked display cases overlooking Red Square (seemingly to show off the plentiful food available under Khrushchev). Gastronom No.1 was modelled on this famous deli and is a real throwback to the past, with interior design, staff uniforms, and even food products reminiscent of the USSR in the 1950s and ‘60s. Here you can find confectionary, fish and seafood, meat and dairy products – and one of the best wine shops in Moscow.

Stolovaya No.57: For another Soviet experience, visit the Stolovaya (self-service canteen). Here you can sample a range of simple dishes which have been the favourites of Russians throughout the decades – soups, salads, pies, cakes, meat and fish dishes – and dine in a traditional Soviet interior. A three-course meal here costs less than 500 roubles.

Entertainment
GUM skating rink: arguably the most famous symbol of the festive season in Moscow, the GUM skating rink sits pride of place in Red Square. This is one of the most unique experiences for visitors to Moscow in the winter, who can zip around the rink while surrounded by the Kremlin, St Basil’s Cathedral, and GUM, which is dressed in golden lights during the winter. It usually operates, from December to March.

Image by Michael Siebert from Pixabay
https://pixabay.com/users/designerpoint-554875

17/08/2021

History of GUM - Soviet Russia

With the arrival of the October Revolution, trading initially ceased in the Upper Trading Rows. Goods were requisitioned and the People’s Commissariat for Food occupied the building. However, Lenin was afraid that the harsh and unpopular policy of War Communism (which had utilised nationalisation and requisition to deal with the economic problems of Civil War) would be the downfall of the Bolsheviks. He introduced the New Economic Policy, once again permitting private business to operate.

He decided to trial his new policy in the Upper Trading Rows, and famed artists of the time, including Alexander Rodchenko and Vladimir Mayakovsky, were responsible for creating posters advertising the reopening of the store – which became one of the symbols of the NEP era. Lenin was also responsible for the modern-day name of the department store: he signed a statute in December 1921 setting out regulations for the State Department Store – Gosudarstvenny universalny magazin, otherwise known as ‘GUM’. In the 1930s, Stalin once again closed GUM, relocating various ministries and departments into its luxurious halls, and even planned to demolish it in 1935 and later in 1947. Thankfully, this never came to fruition.

GUM was reopened in 1953 to great fanfare, just a few months after Stalin’s death. The queues to enter GUM were so huge, that special police squads had to be present to control the crowds. The reopening of GUM truly marked the dawn of a new era: in fact, the event was announced on the same day as was the ex*****on of Lavrenty Beria (the leader of Stalin’s secret police). After years of terror and deprivation, people could now revisit this historic place, a symbol of prosperity and entertainment, and browse tens of thousands of goods – from clothes and shoes, to children’s toys and books. Just as GUM had been a symbol of NEP, it became a symbol of Khrushchev’s Thaw.

Photo by Andrey Konstantinov on Unsplash https://unsplash.com/

10/08/2021

History of GUM - Medieval and Imperial Russia

The territory of the future Red Square was a trading center from the 11th century onwards, and by the 15th century a marketplace was established here, beside the Kremlin. As Red Square evolved into the center of Moscow’s political, civic and economic life over the next two centuries, a huge bazaar took shape in the center of the square. By the mid-17th century, almost all of Moscow’s trade took place on Red Square, and seven hundred shops were operating here.

Tsar Alexander II’s modernising reforms in the mid-1800s had created a rich and proud class of merchants in Moscow, who were keen to show off Russia’s technological progress and prosperity. Clearly, the crumbling Upper Trading Rows in the very heart of Moscow was not the image they wanted to project to the world. Eventually, the shop owners were persuaded to form a joint-stock company with the approval of the tsar, and they subsequently organised a country-wide competition to design the brand-new Upper Trading Rows – which was won by Alexander Pomerantsev.

Pomerantsev’s prize-winning design had envisioned a city within a city, sixteen buildings connected by glass-ceilinged streets. In this shining example of Russian capitalism, shoppers could browse 322 shops, including world-class products from famous brands: silks of the Sapozhnikov brothers, who won 6 Grand Prix at the World Exhibitions; watches from Mikhail Kalashnikov, who counted Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky among his customers; and the official perfumiers and confectioners of the Russian Imperial Court. As well as shops, the Upper Rows was home to a bank, restaurant, beauty salon, dentist’s practice and atelier – and the building was even supplied by its own power plant. Wholesale trade was conducted in the basement, the most luxurious shops held pride of place on the ground floor, and cheaper goods could be found on the upper floors.

03/08/2021

GUM Department Store, Moscow
GUM is the largest and most iconic department store in Russia, situated on Red Square. A symbol of Russian capitalism throughout the ages, it is not just a shop but a landmark that has been intertwined with the upheavals of Russian history. In GUM, you can experience the grandeur of Imperial Russia, enjoy the entertainment of Soviet Russia, and browse the luxury shops lining its grand arcades.

Photo by Yoksel 🌿 Zok on Unsplash https://unsplash.com/

27/07/2021

What can you see and do in Gostiny Dvor today?

Walking the two-kilometre route around Gostiny Dvor’s trading floors, you can browse an enormous variety of products.

On the first floor there are sections for home goods, leather goods, travel accessories, men’s and women’s shoes, jewellery, children’s toys and more. In the food hall visitors can purchase Russian delicacies such as Kamchatka crab, black caviar from Astrakhan sturgeon, bear chorizo and Tula gingerbread, as well as foreign products such as alcoholic beverages, sweets and chocolates, tea, coffee and meat. There is a section for high-quality Russian souvenirs like Khokhloma painting on wooden utensils and ornaments, Gzhel porcelain, Karelian embroidery, Zhostovo paintings on handcrafted metal trays, Vyatka nesting dolls, amber products and Pavlovo Posad shawls.

On the second floor is a large section of men’s and women’s designer clothing, an interior design salon with home décor items, and a wide range of porcelain, crystal and glass goods from several European countries. The Haute Couture Gallery occupies pride of place on this floor. Its grand opening in 1998 brought collections from the couturiers of Italy, France and England to Russia, and it has remained ever since a centre of fashion in St Petersburg. Today it is home to more than 40 world-famous brands including Versace Jeans Couture and Love Moschino.
https://www.expresstorussia.com/guide/gostiny-dvor.html

20/07/2021

Gostiny Dvor in Soviet Russia
This vibrant hub of trade could not but suffer after the October Revolution. The shops in Gostiny Dvor were boarded up and goods were requisitioned by the Committee for the Municipal Economy. Trading ceased entirely between 1918 and 1921, but during the New Economic Policy period (1921-1928), Gostiny Dvor reopened and flourished. One émigré, returning to Leningrad for a visit in 1925, discovered jewellery stores and even shops selling religious clothing and icons.
During the Siege of Leningrad, Gostiny Dvor was severely damaged by N**i bombing and subsequent fires, and many of its tenants died. Despite the destruction, plans to restore the building were drawn up in the winter of 1942/43, and restorations began in 1944. On 3rd December 1954, the USSR’s Council of Ministers issued an order to open the Gostiny Dvor Department Store – this date is considered the birthday of Gostiny Dvor. While the exterior was restored to its original design by de la Mothe, Gostiny Dvor’s interior was totally revamped. Instead of separate shops, an open-plan modern department store layout was implemented. The alley of linden trees, which had been torn down in the 1930s on the boulevard of the Nevsky Prospekt façade, was replanted as part of the reconstruction. The metro station ‘Gostiny Dvor’ was also opened in 1967.

13/07/2021

History of Gostiny Dvor
Gostiny Dvor during Imperial Russia
Before Gostiny Dvor was built, the intersection between Nevsky Prospekt and Sadovaya Street was filled with wooden shops. After fires devastated the growing city in 1736 and 1737, serious plans were made to rebuild St Petersburg in stone, including a decision to erect a stone building to replace the wooden merchants’ shops. This building would be called ‘Gostiny Dvor’ – usually translated as ‘Guests’ Court’ or ‘Merchants’ Yard’.

Upon completion Gostiny Dvor was home to over one hundred shops, and initially there were specific zones for certain types of trade, which included haberdashery, perfume, stationery, women’s goods, and precious metals. St Petersburg’s book trade first emerged in Gostiny Dvor at the end of the 1700s, and even when the bookselling industry was still in its infancy, there were fifteen bookshops in Gostiny Dvor alone. These were frequented by eminent writers such as Alexander Pushkin. A sprawling hub of trade spilled out of Gostiny Dvor and into the nearby streets, including the so-called ‘Feather Rows’ – a building specifically for female traders. By the 19th century, it was possible to find in Gostiny Dvor any good that was produced in Russia, and all of the city’s most important merchants had a shop there.

Gostiny Dvor was not just a retail zone but a city attraction, a place for entertainment, leisure and socialising where foreign dignitaries and aristocrats, artists and writers, students and workers rubbed shoulders among the merchants’ stalls. Over the decades Gostiny Dvor practically evolved into a city within a city, with its own rules and trading customs. Customers were drawn in by ‘barkers’ who called out to them on the streets, and no prices were displayed – the trader and customer bartered and made an oral agreement on the price. As more and more foreign merchants arrived to trade in Gostiny Dvor, this practice ceased and fixed prices had to be displayed.

10/07/2021

Gostiny Dvor
On a stroll along Nevsky Prospekt, it is impossible to miss Gostiny Dvor – a vast Classical building which occupies an entire block. Gostiny Dvor was the oldest and largest retail complex in St Petersburg, was one of the world’s first shopping arcades, and remains the largest department store in the city today. Not only is Gostiny Dvor a great place to shop and an impressive architectural monument, but it is one of the symbols of St Petersburg which was inextricably linked with the emerging city’s history.

What can you find at Gostiny Dvor?
✔️Fashion: browse the large selection of designer brands for men and women and visit the Haute Couture Gallery – a fashion hub for more than two decades
✔️Food: Gostiny Dvor’s food hall offers delicacies from Russia and around the world, including meat, seafood, confectionary and alcohol
✔️Souvenirs: explore the range of souvenirs, like Khokhloma or Zhostovo painting, Gzhel ceramics and Vyatka nesting dolls, and bring a piece of Russian folk culture home with you
✔️History: learn about the history of St Petersburg’s merchants in the small museum in Gostiny Dvor’s courtyard
Photo by Skif-Kerch on Wikipedia http://ow.ly/89hU50FsV3z

30/06/2021

Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art

Its name a portmanteau of ‘era’ and ‘art’, Erarta is an internationally-acclaimed museum and gallery which tells the story of art from 1945 until the present day. Not only was Erarta the first contemporary art museum in St Petersburg, but it is the largest of its kind in Russia. Erarta’s mission is to find, curate and share with the world the creativity of Russian and international artists – both household names and newcomers – whose works are showcased in permanent and temporary exhibitions spread over two wings and five floors of a historical Soviet building.

What can you see and do at Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art?

✔️Museum wing: Home to the museum’s permanent collection of nearly 3,000 works by 300 Russian artists. This exhibition chronicles the social, political and physical landscape of Russia over the past 75 years, and explores how Russia’s Soviet past feeds into the present
✔️Exhibition wing: 40 exhibitions are organised annually in these ten galleries, showing the work of emerging and acclaimed Russian and foreign artists. Visitors can see a huge variety of artistic disciplines all in one visit
✔️U-Space: One of Erarta’s unique projects, the U-Space comprises total installations based around a specific theme. Visitors spend 10 minutes in each space, entering another world
✔️Food and drink: Restaurant ‘Erarta’ serves artfully presented European cuisine at a good price, and the museum café is famous for its eclairs
✔️Museum shop: Visitors can browse original artworks, buy stationery and postcards, and even commission interior designers

27/06/2021

A Russian Land Tour or a Russian River Cruise - Which is Better?

Russia’s vast and rich landscape offers unparalleled opportunities for exploration. If you are someone with a spirit for adventure, what better way to experience the country than one of Express to Russia’s land tours or river cruises? We offer something to suit all preferences, whether it’s your first visit to Russia or you’re a seasoned traveller looking for something a bit different. We provide a huge range of private or group land tours, and group river cruises. What are the different options available, and which trip would best suit you?
https://www.expresstorussia.com/travel-tips/a-russian-land-tour-or-a-russian-river-cruise-which-is-better.html?utm_source=FB

Russia’s vast and rich landscape offers unparalleled opportunities for exploration. If you are someone with a spirit for adventure, what better way to experience the country than one of Express to Russia’s land tours or river cruises? We offer something to suit all preferences, whether it’s yo...

29/05/2021

The Botanical Gardens of Peter the Great in St Petersburg are both a scientific institution and a place of beauty. Once the center of botanical research in the Russian Empire, today the gardens boast the largest greenhouse complex in the country, an arboretum with over 900 species of plants and trees, and a 19th-century Botanical Museum.

https://www.expresstorussia.com/guide/botanical-gardens-of-peter-the-great-st-petersburg.html?utm_source=FB

24/05/2021

Gatchina Park was created at the end of the eighteenth century, and Catherine II was influential in its construction and design. The park occupies 700 hectares and, like other suburban imperial parks in the St Petersburg region such as Pavlovsk and Tsarskoe Selo, was designed as an English-style garden which closely imitated the natural landscape. Later, geometric, manicured French-style gardens were added, as well as a Botanic Garden.

https://www.expresstorussia.com/st-petersburg-russia-tours.html?utm_source=FB

18/05/2021

In comparison to the candy-coloured suburban palaces of Tsarskoe Selo and Peterhof, Gatchina Palace has a rather austere appearance that more closely resembles a medieval castle. A parade ground faces the south façade of the palace, and two semi-circular galleries and wings extend from the central palace around the sides of the parade ground. The north façade of the palace faces the Gatchina Park and Silver Lake, and two pentagonal signal towers crown the north corners of the central building.

https://www.expresstorussia.com/st-petersburg-city-tour.html?utm_source=FB

13/05/2021

Gatchina is the largest settlement in the Leningrad Region, located 45km southwest of St Petersburg. The area south of St Petersburg where Gatchina Palace and Park is located is much older than the city itself.
At the turn of the 15th century, it was a small village named Hotchino, inhabited by people from Novgorod, which was later occupied by Livonia and Sweden during a series of 17th century wars. Gatchina eventually became a Russian settlement again during the Great Northern War against Sweden (during which Peter the Great also acquired the territory on which he would found St Petersburg). In 1765, Catherine the Great purchased Gatchina and gifted it to her favourite, Count Grigory Orlov. Between 1766 and 1788, under the direction of architect Antonio Rinaldi, a huge 600-room palace in early Classical style and English landscape garden were erected there.

https://www.expresstorussia.com/guide/gatchina.html?utm_source=FB