Elagin Island historical background. Elagin Palace. Elaginsky Palace: history
Elagin Island can rightfully be called a St. Petersburg oasis: this is where you can escape from the bustle of the city and relax and enjoy the harmony of nature. Meanwhile, this island is remarkable not only for this: this place has a truly amazing history, in which there was a place not only for facts, but also for legends.
Fact No. 1: The island was originally called Mishin
On old Finnish and Swedish maps the island was called Mistula-saari, which means "Bear Island". According to one version, it received such an affectionate name by analogy with other islands: Zayachiy, Losiny (now Vasilyevsky), Voronyy (now Aptekarsky), Koshachy (now Kanonersky) and others.
There is a legend that the island became Mishin with the light hand of Russian soldiers. So, according to legend, on one of the May nights of 1703, a small detachment of Preobrazhensky residents landed on one of the islands of the Neva delta. Making their way through the swampy forest, the soldiers suddenly heard a crash. Suspecting a Swede's trap, they stopped and put their guns on the butt. Suddenly, from behind a fallen tree, the figure of a large gray bear rose up with a roar. “Ugh, you abyss, we thought we’d see a Swede, but ran into a bear, which means this island is not Swedish, but Mishkin,” one of the soldiers commented on the unexpected meeting.
Fact No. 2: Evening festivities were popular on the spit of the island in the 19th century
St. Petersburg residents especially liked the western tip of Elagin Island - the so-called arrow. Such an unexpected choice of vacation spot is associated with the name of one of the St. Petersburg beauties - Countess Yulia Pavlovna Samoilova. In St. Petersburg she was called the queen of salons, she had a relationship with the famous artist Karl Bryullov, and Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin himself wrote the following enthusiastic lines about her: “She has no rivals, no friends, our pale circle of beauties disappears in her radiance...”.
The young countess was the mistress of a family country estate near St. Petersburg, not far from Tsarskoe Selo - Grafskaya Slavyanka - all of St. Petersburg came to the receptions that she hosted here. According to legend, Nicholas I was extremely annoyed by the popularity of the young beauty, so he resorted to a trick: the emperor offered to sell him the Count’s Slavyanka. Countess Samoilova could not ignore the sovereign’s proposal, which sounded like an order, however, according to legend, she made it clear that she saw through his plan, asking him to tell the emperor that “we did not go to Slavyanka, but to Countess Samoilova, and, wherever she was, will continue to visit her.”
The next day, the beauty, accompanied by her closest admirers, came to the then deserted spit of Elagin Island and allegedly said: “This is where they will come to see Countess Samoilova.” And she turned out, in fact, to be right: after a short time, the arrow became a favorite place for evening festivities of the St. Petersburg nobility.
Fact No. 3: Under Elagin, the island acquired its name
Before the director of the court theater I.P. Elagin, the island belonged to different people: diplomat P.P. Shafirov, Prosecutor General P.Ya. Yaguzhinsky, Senator A.P. Melgunov. It is known that after the latter was appointed governor-general of Yaroslavl, he sold the estate to Prince G.A. Potemkin for 9 thousand rubles. But it was Elagin who truly transformed the island - a stone palace with greenhouses, gazebos, pavilions and service premises was built, and the garden, laid out under Melgunov, became public. The island itself has since become known as Elagin.
This is how one of Ivan Perfilyevich’s contemporaries recalled this time: “Due to the hospitality of the famous owner of the cheerful island, it can be considered a public garden, since all well-dressed people are not forbidden to walk throughout the summer. In addition, everyone who came for a walk, even in the absence of the owner, was received by the butler and treated, depending on the time, to lunch or dinner.”
Fact No. 4: Elagin Palace is the first serious creation of Karl Rossi
After the death of I.P. Elagin in 1796, the estate changed owners more than once - finally, by 1817, the mother of Emperor Alexander I, Maria Feodorovna, became its official owner. The very next year, work began on the island to rebuild the palace; the court architect Carl Rossi was appointed their leader.
As a result, only strong outer walls remained of Elagin’s former house. In parallel with the Rossi Palace, a granite pier, a pavilion with a flagpole, and a kitchen building were created, which was connected to the palace by a special underground passage for serving dishes. Stables were located nearby, and a project was also developed to create a park in the English style. Thus, this large-scale work by Carl Rossi on Elagin Island became his first unified architectural ensemble.
Fact No. 5: Elagin Palace was sometimes called the “palace of doors”
The palace received such a funny nickname due to the truly huge number of doors it has - and it is absolutely impossible to find at least two identical ones. In addition, Carl Rossi created several false doors for symmetry. By the way, this was not the only thing that the famous architect took care of: all the furniture, including even the most insignificant interior details, was made according to his drawings.
Fact No. 6: Central Park of Culture and Culture is a favorite vacation spot for Leningraders
In 1932, one of the first Soviet recreation and entertainment centers for workers was opened on Elagin Island - the Central Park of Culture and Recreation, or CPKiO for short. It was decorated with various Soviet symbols: sculptural images of athletic girls, valiant young men in army uniforms and pioneers with traditional ties around their necks - the best creative forces of Leningrad worked on their images. The new park was so loved by the townspeople that it received an affectionate informal name – “Chickie”.
Petrogradsky district is a great place to relax. This is one of the oldest districts of St. Petersburg. Here you will find many historical monuments, noisy avenues and quiet streets, parks and squares. If you decide to relax in St. Petersburg, an excellent solution would be to rent an apartment on Petrogradskaya.
Today we will tell you the story of one of the most picturesque places in St. Petersburg - Elagin Island.
XVIII century
Creating the new capital of the Russian Empire on the banks of the Neva, Peter I sought to develop the surrounding territories, distributing them to his comrades. The first owner of the island in 1709 was the vice-chancellor Baron Pyotr Pavlovich Shafirov (1669–1739), a famous diplomat and statesman. During the 18th century, the island had nine noble owners. During this time, it was renamed several times. Its original name was “Mistula-saari” in Finnish. Then the island was called Mishin or Mikhailin. According to legend, a patrol of Russian soldiers encountered a large bear here. The island received its current name in honor of the fifth owner - Ivan Perfilyevich Elagin, chief chamberlain of the imperial court.
19th century
By the beginning of the 19th century, maintaining a large estate located on Elagin Island became too expensive, and the last owner of the island, Grigory Vladimirovich Orlov, sold it in 1817 to the treasury for three hundred and fifty thousand rubles.
From this time on, a new stage in the life of Elagin Island begins. For the next hundred years it comes into the possession of the Russian imperial house. In 1818, by decree of Emperor Alexander I, “a committee was formed to rebuild the former Elagin Palace, build kitchen and stable buildings, remodel a large stone greenhouse and other things on Elagin Island.”
K. Rossi was appointed chief architect of the construction. He had to rebuild the palace, create new service buildings and equip the island for the summer stay of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. The architect did not limit himself to just rebuilding the palace and office premises, but transformed the entire island.
Rossi had to carry out construction work, and the improvement of the island and the redevelopment of the park were entrusted to the experienced gardener Joseph Bush Jr., famous for the creation of Pavlovsky and Tsarskoye Selo parks. The master plan of the palace ensemble on Elagin Island, which consistently implements the principle of a landscape park with its asymmetry and picturesqueness, was developed jointly by Rossi and Bush. Through their efforts, the island, “with great difficulty torn out of the swampy soil of St. Petersburg, was turned into the Isola bella of the Russian North - a “beautiful island”, and the park on it - into one of the most beautiful parks in Europe.
During two construction seasons, 1818 and 1819, the palace was rebuilt. The date of completion of construction and finishing work, as well as interior decoration, is considered to be 1822.
For a hundred years, the island remained in the possession of the Romanovs and was a favorite vacation spot for the imperial family. Over the years, the Elaginoostrovsky Palace has developed a unique collection, the basis of which was laid by works originally designed by the great architect, master of interior design and decorative arts, Carl Rossi.
XX century
By decision of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR dated December 2, 1931, the TsPKO park was opened on Elagin Island. The opening of the folder took place on August 5, 1932.
After the death of S. M. Kirov in 1934, Krestovsky, Elagin and Kamenny Islands were renamed Kirov Islands, and the Central Park of Culture and Recreation was named after S. M. Kirov. Numerous sports grounds and attractions are being created on the island.
02.05.2014
Elagin Island: history and attractions.
02.05.2014
The symbols of St. Petersburg are famous throughout the world: the Winter Palace, the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Palace Bridge. But the northern capital of Russia is rich in masterpieces not only in the city center. The outskirts contain a great many beautiful places, rich in green parks and architectural masterpieces. One of these is Elagin Island. Here is the central park of culture and recreation named after. CM. Kirov, Elagin Palace and the unique Museum of Art Glass...
Where is
Among the other islands of St. Petersburg, Elagin is the northernmost. It is located in the Neva delta, between the Bolshaya (in the north) and Srednyaya Nevka (in the south) rivers. On the western side, its narrow part extends into the Gulf of Finland (Western Spit). There is a mini-zoo here, where reindeer, a dwarf goat, a fox cub, ornamental chickens, colorful pheasants, and guinea fowl live. Most of the area of Elagin Island (96.8 hectares) is occupied by a magnificent landscape English park, laid out here in the 18th century. It has survived to this day in almost unchanged condition. Since 1934 it has been called the Central Park of Culture and Leisure named after. S.M.Kirova. Since 2012, the island has been included in the list of specially protected areas as a natural monument. This is one of the greenest places in the city, a unique garden and park ensemble of antiquity that has survived to this day. The history of the island can be traced back to 1643, when it was first marked on Swedish maps. Finnish residents nicknamed the island “Mistula-saari”, Russians called it “Mishin” or “Mikhailin”. This name existed until the 18th century. This land became private property in 1709, after Peter I granted it to the baron, the most prominent diplomat of the era, Vice-Chancellor Peter Shafirov. Later, the island often changed owners, among them was even His Serene Highness Prince Grigory Potemkin.
History of the island and the palace
The island became Elagin only after it was acquired by Ivan Perfilyevich Elagin in 1777. He was the fifth owner of the island estate after Shafirov. A well-known figure in Catherine's reign, a poet, a translator from French, a historian, who headed the Russian Academy of Sciences for many years, the chief chamberlain of the court was famous for his generosity and hospitality. He owned the island until his death in 1793. Under him, a palace was built here (not preserved) and a park was laid out. To protect the island from frequent floods, canals and ponds were dug in it.
After the death of the nobleman, his heirs sold the property, followed by a series of purchase and sale transactions. In 1817, the government of Alexander I bought the island for 350 thousand rubles from Count Orlov, the nephew of the famous favorite of Catherine II. The following year, the architect Carl Rossi began rebuilding the Elaginoostrovsky Palace in the spirit of classicism. According to the architect's design, piers, summer pavilions, and buildings for household needs (kitchen and stable buildings) were also built. The construction of the park in the English style was undertaken by Joseph Bush, the leading gardener in Russia since 1775 (nowadays he would be called a landscape designer). Before that, he and his father lived for a long time in Tsarskoe Selo. He took part in the arrangement of the royal parks of the Central Park and Pavlovsk. In addition to the existing ones, on Bush’s instructions, workers dug new canals and ponds on Elagin Island. Low-lying marshy areas were filled with excavated soil, raising the level of the island. The excavation work under the leadership of Joseph Bush took on a scale unprecedented at that time. The result was an increase in the island's land area and improved safety against Neva floods. To further strengthen its flood protection, two-meter embankments were built along the banks. A wide road for carriages and a pedestrian path for the walking public were laid along this embankment. There are a total of 9 ponds on the island, which occupy a fifth of its entire area.
After the main work on the reconstruction of the palace and the arrangement of the park was completed (1818 - 1822), the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna (wife of Paul I, mother of the Russian Tsars Alexander I and Nicholas I) settled here.
Island before and after revolutions
Elagin Island Park is a magnificent example of landscape gardening art. The fact that it was preserved almost without loss only gives it environmental and aesthetic value. Today, young trees are being planted. The oaks, Siberian larches, lindens, and silver ash planted by Bush turned into giant trees in almost 200 years. The flora of the island consists of 500 plant species, including those imported from Europe, America, and Asia. After Joseph Bush, Peter Brook took charge of the Elaginoostrovsky park. The house was built for him by Carl Rossi. Through Brook's efforts, greenhouses, a fruit tree garden, a vegetable garden and extensive flower beds appeared on the island. Not only the owners of the estate ate Elaginoostrovsky fruits and vegetables; other St. Petersburg residents could also buy them. By the way, the entrance to the park has been available to citizens since 1826. The public walked here even in the absence of the palace owners. The Elaginoostrovskoe estate remained the property of the royal family until 1917. True, after the death of Maria Feodorovna, crowned persons did not often visit this place, especially the family of Nicholas II. The last Russian Tsar preferred to spend his summers in the modest Alexander Palace of Tsarskoye Selo. It is interesting that during the years of the Imperialist War (1914-1918) a hospital was located in the Elaginoostrovsky mansion.
After the February Revolution of 1917, the palace and all buildings on the island were nationalized. After the October Revolution, the purpose of the former imperial residence changed frequently. The Museum of History and Life (until 1929), a branch of the Institute of Plant Growing of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and a recreation center operated here. After the devastating flood of 1924, when a wave from the Gulf of Finland covered the island and swept away many of the park’s trees, a two-tier terrace with an observation deck was built on the Western Spit. Its parapet is lined with pink granite. The site is decorated with marble lions. In 1932, the island park (CPKiO) was again opened for public access, and since 1934 it was named after Kirov. Many Leningraders began to call this vacation spot “Tsipochka.” During the Great Patriotic War, a fire broke out in the Elagin Palace from an incendiary bomb that hit the chimney. The fire destroyed most of the interior, unique doors and stucco. The fragments were collected and preserved by museum staff. Based on these remains, as well as images in old photographs, the restoration of the palace began in 1946. It lasted until 1961.
Construction and restoration of the palace
Carl Rossi, creating his first creation in St. Petersburg - the Elaginoostrovsky Palace, showed the best qualities of his talent: the accuracy of engineering calculations and the breadth of three-dimensional vision, the highest knowledge of the composition and laws of ancient architecture, careful elaboration of the project down to the last detail of the interior. His fate in Russia depended on the quality of execution of the imperial order; the architect understood this very well. He worked under conditions of a given volume and area. Alexander I wished to preserve the walls and shape of the former palace, built by Ivan Elagin. Rossi had to create something new on the old basis, worthy of the presence of a royal person. The palace was supposed to combine solemnity and intimacy. Become a place where luxurious balls of high society and family dinners of the imperial family will take place. The result of the architect’s efforts still amazes us. The palace built according to his design was compared by one of the court ladies to a beautiful white lily protruding from the swift waters of the Neva. The two-story mansion is set on a high base. The front façade is crowned by a Corinthian portico with six columns. A wide staircase, decorated with cast iron lions, descends to the Butter Meadow. (Celebrations took place here during the celebration of Maslenitsa, hence its name). By the way, the St. Petersburg fashion for decorating palaces, embankments, and parks with sculptures of lions came from the Elaginoostrovskaya estate. A semicircular staircase on the opposite side goes down to the river (Srednyaya Nevka). Marble vases and cast iron baskets give it a formal look. An openwork lattice separates the palace from the Butter Meadow and the river. To create the interiors of the palace, Rossi attracted the best decorators, experienced and talented painters and sculptors. The specialists who began restoring the palace after the Great Patriotic War faced an incredibly difficult task: to create a masterpiece anew, if possible, without deviating from the 19th century original. The architect Savkov took measurements of the palace; together with his colleagues, he collected and preserved marble fragments, pieces of stucco and the remains of painting. This put unique material into the hands of specialists.
The author of the project was the architect Plotnikov. Leningrad restorers recreated the ceremonial premises of the palace, located on the first floor. They did this with great skill and attention to the Empire style.
But the interiors of the palace had to be restored not only after the Great Patriotic War, but also much later. For several decades there was a recreation center for workers, with recreation rooms, an assembly hall, a billiard room and a dance hall. Naturally, over the years of intensive use, the palace lost its splendor. The last restoration began in 1987, when the Russian creation was given museum status.
Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts and Interior
The team of the newly created museum began research work and the difficult task of collecting historical artifacts under the leadership of director Mukhin. The main task was to restore the lost interior decoration of the palace. Rare antique objects began to be transferred to the museum from many sources (the Ministry of Internal Affairs, customs, the Astoria, Evropeyskaya, Central Park of Culture and Culture hotels, etc.) Today, visitors can admire the completely restored state rooms of the palace. Admire the magnificent painting and decoration of the Dining Room, Blue and Crimson Living Rooms, Porcelain Cabinet. On the second floor, where the private chambers of members of the royal dynasty were previously located, art and applied exhibitions are now held. Today the museum's collection includes 12 thousand items: paintings, graphics, sculpture, folk arts and crafts. The collection is constantly replenished, including through private donations. On the third floor, the restoration of the house church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is still ongoing.
Museum of Art Glass
This unique collection was housed in the Orangery building, designed by Carlo Rossi. The basis of the collection is the funds of the Leningrad Art Glass Factory, the leading glass enterprise in the Soviet Union (closed in 1986). The Museum of Art Glass on Elagin Island opened in 2010. Today on 700 sq.m. The area displays more than 500 glass and crystal products; in total, the funds number 8 thousand exhibits. The permanent exhibition is located in the Central and Black halls, the White hall is intended for temporary exhibitions and master classes. A visit to the museum is a fascinating journey into the history of the development of glass making in the USSR. Dishes, vases, sugar bowls, figurines, trays, wine glasses and other items made using various decoration techniques (“frost”, “crackle”, laminated glass with engraving) amaze with their elegance and thoroughness of finishing. The fame of Leningrad glass masters has thundered throughout the world since the 50s of the last century. Among the most famous exhibits of the museum: the “Leningrad” vases - created for the 250th anniversary of St. Petersburg, “Neptune”, and the composition “Rus”. The famous sculptor Vera Mukhina did a lot for the formation of the LZHS (the funds of which were transferred to the Museum of Art Glass). Some of her glass creations can be seen on display. The museum's collection is constantly updated with modern products by Russian and foreign masters.
To discover all the riches of Elagin Island you will need more than one day. But a trip to this green corner of nature is worth it. You can get here by taking the metro to the Krestovsky Island station and walking to the 2nd Yelaginsky Bridge.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the island, washed by the waters of the Bolshaya and Middle Nevka, was called Mishin, or Mikhailin. Most likely, this name was given to it by Finnish hunters by analogy with the names of other islands: Zayachiy, Losiny - now Vasilyevsky, Koshachiy - now Kanonersky, Vorony - now Aptekarsky.
But there is another version of the origin of this name. Historian and local historian Peter Stolpyansky describes the following legend.
In May 1703, a detachment of Peter's soldiers inspected a small outer island in the Neva delta, expecting to meet the Swedes here at any moment.
When the crackling of the bushes was heard and the soldiers took their guns to the butt, a bear came out of a pile of windfall with a roar. “We expected to meet the Swedes, but we saw a bear. This means that this island is not Swedish, but Mishkin,” the soldiers said.
At the beginning of the 18th century, Elagin Island, located on the western outskirts of the city, was associated in the minds of residents with that geographical boundary beyond which construction was no longer possible. This is reflected in urban folklore, which speaks of the poverty and need of the people: “A louse and a rat as far as Cape Elagin.”
History of the creation of TsPKO
Initially, the island was owned by diplomat Pyotr Shafirov and Prosecutor General Pavel Yaguzhinsky, Senator Alexei Melgunov and Prince Grigory Potemkin, who resold the estate to the director of the imperial theaters Ivan Perfilyevich Elagin.
It was under him that a stone palace and greenhouses, a picturesque park with grottoes and gazebos, bridges and pavilions were erected here. To protect against floods, ponds and canals were built, and huge embankments were built along the shore.
The picturesque park became open to the public, and the island began to be called Elagin. Soon, a tradition arose among the city's nobles to take daily walks in the park.
In the notes of St. Petersburg academician Ivan Georgi, it is noted that in the park “all well-dressed people are not prohibited from walking throughout the summer. In addition, everyone who came for a walk, even in the absence of the owner, was received by the butler and treated, depending on the time, to lunch or dinner.”
After the death of Ivan Elagin, relatives sold the island and it changed its owners several times. The last private owner was Grigory Vladimirovich Orlov, nephew of Catherine II's favorite.
In 1817, the estate was sold to the state treasury. Alexander the First decided to rebuild the palace for his mother Maria Feodorovna, who had difficulty getting to her summer residences in Pavlovsk and Gatchina.
In addition to the construction of a new palace, it was decided to build the Kitchen and Stable buildings, and rebuild the Large Stone Greenhouse. The work was supervised by the court architect Carl Rossi, and he was assisted by experienced craftsmen - architects and sculptors, artists and carvers. Construction lasted for five years, from 1818 to 1822.
The work was carried out in three stages: first, the palace was built and the interiors were completed, then the construction of service outbuildings took place, and at the last stage - the arrangement of the park and the creation of garden pavilions.
In the 19th century, St. Petersburg wits called the western part of Elagin Island “Pointe”. Perhaps this is due to the shape of the island, reminiscent of the toe of a ballet shoe, or perhaps from the desire to stand on tiptoe and freeze in anticipation of the moment the sun completely sets over the horizon of the Gulf of Finland.
TsPKO im. Kirov was opened in 1932 and Leningraders began to call it the gentle word “Chick”. This folklore name is associated with a sound association (CPKO) and, probably, with memories of the old name - “Pointe”.
On Elagin Island there is the Elagin (Elaginsky) Palace, which today is the architectural core of the Central City Park of Culture and Recreation; During the tsarist period, the palace was the basis of the composition of a vast and picturesque country estate. Its owners were at the end of the 18th century. Obergoffmeister of Catherine II I.P. Elagin (since the 1770s, the owner of the island, which eventually began to be called by his name) and almost from the beginning of the 19th century. Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna (widow of Emperor Paul I). By order of Elagin, a palace was erected on the island in the 1780s (architect D. Quarenghi), a park was laid out, ponds and canals were dug, bridges and pavilions were built. The park became one of the most favorite places for walks of the St. Petersburg nobility. In 1817, the imperial family became the owner of the island. At first, they were going to rebuild the Elagin mansion and turn it into the palace of Emperor Alexander I. And when the island became the property of his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, according to her order, the architect K. Rossi created it on it in 1818-1822. a magnificent ensemble in the style of classicism. The finishing and decoration of the premises of the Rossi Palace were carried out by the best sculptors, painters, and master decorators of that time: V.I. Demut-Malinovsky, S.S. Pimenov, D. Scotti, A. Vigi, B. Medici and others. The converted Elagin Palace became the summer residence of Maria Feodorovna. At the same time, the island was still called Elagin, like the palace.
Gradually, Elagin Island became known as one of the centers of Russian Freemasonry. Meetings of the Freemasons were held in the Rotunda pavilion (Pavilion under the Flag), which was part of the Elagin Palace complex.
Soon after 1917, the Historical and Household Museum was opened in the nationalized palace. In 1932, the Central Park of Culture and Recreation was created on Elagin Island; It remains a recreational and entertainment center now, but this place is more often called, as in the past, “Islands.” The palace houses the Museum of Russian Decorative and Applied Art and Interior of the late 18th - early 20th centuries. (The Blue and Crimson Drawing Rooms and the Oval Hall, restored by restorers, are especially good).
The buildings of this palace complex suffered greatly during the Great Patriotic War. In the post-war period, restorers restored the composition of the facades and decoration of the palace interiors. The center of the palace complex is the palace, fenced with an openwork cast-iron lattice. The palace has differently designed front facades. The facade facing the garden is decorated with a six-column portico (with columns of the Corinthian order) under a pediment and a ramp with cast iron lions (these lions, cast at the St. Petersburg State Foundry at the end of the 18th century, are copies of the lions from the Piazza della Signoria in Florence; they were the first cast iron lions in St. Petersburg). Facade with columns facing the river. Middle Nevka, has special features due to the oval, protruding double-height hall. The complex of palace buildings also includes the Stable and Kitchen buildings, the Greenhouse, the Music Pavilion, the Pavilion with a granite pier, the Guardhouse, etc. All buildings are located among the greenery of the park freely, without a strict system, which emphasizes the picturesque overall composition of the island, designed by the best garden master of the first quarter XIX century D. Bush. According to the project of K. Rossi and D. Bush, an extensive landscape park was created around the palace.
Since the 1770s, Elagin was the owner of the island, which eventually received his name. By this time he was already an influential and wealthy man, he loved life and could afford all its joys. On the island, in his luxurious house with a winter garden and a rich cellar of rare wines, Elagin lived cheerfully, loved guests, organizing parties and balls, the company of young and beautiful women, for whom he always had an insurmountable weakness until old age (his passion for women made him funny and eternal object of secular gossip). He was married to N.A. Ratikova, had two daughters. He spent the last years of his life away from the court, devoting almost all his time to his literary and historical works. His historical works are of some interest, but he too often failed to soberly and critically evaluate historical events and personalities. He died at the age of 68.
After Elagin, the preservation of the attractiveness of Elagin Island with the palace was facilitated by Empress Maria Feodorovna (1759-1828), the wife (from 1776) of Emperor Paul I, who left a good memory of herself in Russia. At the age of 17, she became the second wife of the 22-year-old cuckolded widower and heir to the Russian throne, Tsarevich Paul. After the death of Catherine II, Maria Fedorovna became, at the age of 37, the wife of the reigning 42-year-old Emperor Paul. During a quarter of a century of their married life, she was the wife of Emperor Paul I for only 5 years; in 1801, he was killed at the age of 47. They had 4 sons and 6 daughters. Then for 27 years she was the Dowager Empress, who saw her two sons (Alexander I and, after his death, Nicholas I) as Russian emperors. Being the mother of 10 children, whom she loved very much, she was largely removed from their upbringing (especially her sons), since these concerns were taken upon by the royal grandmother - her mother-in-law, Empress Catherine II. Pavel was removed from participation in government affairs and received limited funds for his “Small Court”. A rather secluded life in Pavlovsk and Totchina in conditions of limited funds marked the beginning of Maria Fedorovna’s economic activity and her close acquaintance with the life of the lower classes of the population. She always found and allocated tangible funds for charity and helping those in need.
Over the years of marriage, she was able to learn patience and forbearance towards the many shortcomings of her husband, who had a difficult, suspicious character. There was little joy in the family life of Maria Fedorovna, given the character of her husband, financial restrictions, and the death of their 5 children during her lifetime. Maria Feodorovna had the wisdom to find a common language with her husband’s close friend, maid of honor E.I. Nelidova (1758-1839), moreover, to make friends with her.
Empress Maria Feodorovna was the wife of Paul I for 25 years (of which 22 years she performed all marital duties, during 1776-1798 she gave birth to 10 children, in 1798 doctors forbade her to give birth because of the threat to her life from the next possible birth, which meant then the termination of her close relationship with her husband). She was the first empress in Russia to be crowned together with her husband, and therefore believed that after his violent death it was she who should have become the first person in the state (but this was contrary to the law adopted by Paul in 1797), but she could not. She accused the son of Alexander I, the new Emperor of Russia, of connivance in the murder of his father and her husband, made him understand that her nobility and moral superiority over him forced her to allegedly voluntarily cede his rights to the throne, and reminded him of the inevitable punishment of God for all the sins of people . After all this, while remaining the Dowager Empress, she was in fact the reigning empress, although her daughter-in-law, the new, young, very beautiful, charming Empress Elizaveta Alekseevna, was formally considered such. Much more money was spent on maintaining the court of Maria Feodorovna than on the maintenance of the court of the young empress. Pavlovsk under Maria Feodorovna in her status as Dowager Empress became a kind of center for the birth of large-scale charity plans, but also many intrigues. After the tragic death of her husband in 1801. she devoted almost all her energy to charitable and educational activities. She already had experience in this, especially since Emperor Paul I entrusted her with the management of educational homes and the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens in St. Petersburg. Maria Feodorovna devoted herself entirely to the cause of the military education of future Russian mothers; women’s education in Russia owes a lot to her. She created a number of charitable and educational organizations in our country, mainly noble organizations (Mariinsky Department).