Chinese palace of Antonio Rinaldi. The Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum opened after a grandiose restoration. Chinese Palace - from history

Chinese Palace, pearl palace and park ensemble"Oranienbaum", part of the State Museum-Reserve "Peterhof", is the only surviving monument of architecture in the Rococo style in Russia. This year he celebrates his 250th birthday. The gift to the hero of the day was a multi-year restoration that brought back to life a unique creation of the 18th century.

“We have a very special relationship with the Chinese Palace,” said Elena Kalnitskaya, General Director of the Peterhof State Historical Museum, at the opening ceremony of the palace. “It is unlike anything else; it is an exceptionally valuable example of Russian Rococo.”

Interest in China first arose in Rus' at the end of the 15th century, when merchants began to bring Far Eastern fabrics to Moscow. And by the middle of the 18th century, all more or less wealthy St. Petersburg houses were furnished with Chinese things. The royal court set the tone for this fashion for “chinoiserie”, the Chinese style.

Since 1743, Oranienbaum was owned by Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich, the future Emperor Peter III. His wife Catherine II, after coming to power, erected a complex of buildings in the Upper Park - “Own Dacha”. The Chinese Palace is one of the most famous buildings of this complex. It got its name from the decoration of some of the rooms. There was a large collection of Chinese decorative arts and Japanese porcelain. The construction and decoration of the palace was carried out by the Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi.

The main attractions of the palace are the glass cabinet and unique parquet floors. The walls of the office are decorated with 12 panels - these are canvases on which embroidery is made with glass beads and multi-colored fleecy silk - chenille. The palace's unique parquet floors are made of mahogany and ebony, amaranth, boxwood, Persian walnut, and maple. “A true miracle, full of wonders of the eighteenth century,” wrote Igor Grabar about the Chinese Palace.

In the second half of the 19th century, the new owners of Oranienbaum - descendants of the family of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich - significantly updated the buildings, changing their interiors according to the fashion of their time. During the Great Patriotic War, Oranienbaum was not destroyed; its buildings have been preserved and have survived to this day as authentic buildings of the 18th century.

The boudoir, called the Picturesque Study in the 18th century, completes the eastern suite of rooms in the Chinese Palace. Photo: State Museum "Peterhof"

“When we first entered these premises, they were very damp,” Mikhail Batakovsky, director of the St. Petersburg Restoration Company LLC, which carried out all the work in the Chinese Palace, told a TANR correspondent. “The air humidity was 80%, the contact humidity of the wood was 20%, like a freshly cut tree.”

The second stage of restoration work lasted four years. In the third year, they began general construction work - they reconstructed the subfloors and interfloor ceilings; A system for maintaining temperature and humidity conditions was installed in the building. And only the fourth year was spent on the actual restoration of the interiors. Three halls of the Chinese Palace were restored: the Shtofnaya bedchamber, the boudoir and the office of Paul I. “We carried out the most conservative restoration,” explained Mikhail Batakovsky. “There was no re-creation here!” According to Elena Kalnitskaya, each stage of work costs approximately 300 million rubles, now the total cost is approaching 1 billion rubles. The restoration will be completed by 2023, but the palace is already open to visitors. The picturesque panels have returned to the Shtofnaya bedchamber: they have also been restored. Decorative panels with paintings have been restored in the boudoir. In the office of Paul I, on the walls there is an original painting by Serafino Barozzi, which had to be completely removed during the restoration.

Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum after restoration. Photo: State Museum "Peterhof"

“We managed to return many original objects to the palace and reveal for viewing the paintings that were hidden under layers of paint,” Tatyana Syasina, curator of the Chinese Palace, shows the Shtofnaya bedchamber. “Although we purchased many items anew.” Inventories from the 18th century have not survived; they appeared only in the 20th century. But there are descriptions of things that were bought by the last owners of Oranienbaum - the Mecklenburg-Strelitzskys.

The damask of the 19th century has been preserved; the upholstery of the bedchamber was recreated based on its model. The mirror, the fireplace screen, and other original things were returned here. Friends of the museum donated porcelain vases produced by the Meissen manufactory - similar ones stood here 250 years ago. A lampshade by Maggiotto has been installed in its original place. On the wall panels under the windows, authentic paintings from the 18th century are revealed.

Until the restoration is fully completed, it will be possible to take an excursion to the Chinese Palace by appointment.

During the time of Peter I, the court servant (the first governor-general of St. Petersburg) Menshikov built a Chinese palace in a town with interesting name"Oranienbaum". It is still unknown what motives prompted it to be called “orange tree” (from germ. “Oranienbaum” - orange or bitter orange tree). Currently, the palace is part of the palace and park ensemble and is included in the list of objects cultural heritage UNESCO.

Story

The first mention of Orienbaum dates back to 1710, when A.D. Menshikov decided to build a palace with a park near Kronstadt on the territory of the modern town of Lomonosov (a suburb of St. Petersburg).

The architectural project was conceived as a ceremonial residence by the sea, welcoming its guests with a beautiful panoramic view.
On the land donated by Peter with the Karasta River flowing into the bay, the main architects of the estate, Schedel and Gottfried, begin work.

Later the property passed into the use of Peter III. The “amusing” fortress of Peterstadt is being built on the territory of the park.
After the palace coup in 1762, Catherine II built her own dacha in the Rococo style on the territory of the estate. The addition of the ensemble is the Chinese palace. This name was given to it due to the chinoiserie (Chinese architecture) style that was fashionable at that time.

The architect of the building is Antonio Rinaldi. The territory of the palace is being developed as a summer house for entertainment. After the revolution, Catherine herself explained her thoughts as follows: “I had the fantasy of planting a garden for myself in Oranienbaum... I began to draw plans and lay out the garden, and since this was the first time I was involved in plans and buildings, everything turned out huge and awkward for me. Oranienbaum gardener Lamberti helped me lay out the garden."

The main work was completed in 1775. The palace was decorated with the Rolling Hill and the Stone Hall, which became a kind of court attraction.

In 1831, the 4th youngest grandson of Catherine II, Mikhail Pavlovich, became the owner of the estate.

At the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century, internal restoration was carried out under the leadership of Preuss and Ruska (replacement of floors and reconstruction of walls).

In the middle of the 19th century, the southern part of the facade was framed by a second floor according to the design of Stackenschneider and Bonstedt. On the ground floor there is a glazed gallery and anti-cameras on the sides.

In 1925, the Chinese Palace was converted into a museum. In 1935, the museum became a sensitive object of cultural heritage of the USSR, and it was practically impossible to enter its territory. During the war, the facility was guarded by the Kalinin rifle division under the leadership of Safonov. All valuables are evacuated to Novosibirsk, Sarapul and Leningrad ( Saint Isaac's Cathedral). The palace is partially destroyed by a German shell hitting a window on the 2nd floor, the windows are broken and the army is trying to save the remains of the property.
The museum resumed operation in 1946 and welcomes guests with its doors open.

In subsequent years, the building is constantly being restored. In 2007, 4 new halls were opened to guests. By 2023, they plan to completely restore the museum.

Halls of the palace

Despite the fact that the palace is made in chinese style, the interior content is replete with European decor. The decoration of the halls is complemented by paintings and massive sculptures. All this fits perfectly with the overall composition: ornamental molding, wall painting, gilding, carvings, exquisite parquet and cladding.

Front

The front (southern facade) used to be the vestibule at the entrance to the palace. Has the shape of a square. Its walls are decorated with oil painted canvases. In the old days, in their place there were works by the Italian artist Torelli. On the walls adjacent to the entrance there is an ornamental painting by Borozzi, made in the form of bunches of greenery and flowers.

The final note of the design is the stucco ceiling and inlaid parquet flooring with a pattern repeating a similar one from the reign of Catherine II. The interior is complemented by two carved gilded tables.

Wardrobe

The dressing room was initially used for its intended purpose. It is located immediately behind the Front and connects southern part with a main entrance. On the walls you can see two panels made in the genre of mythology. Despite the fact that the author is unknown, they are still called “Venus and Mars” and “Hercules and Omphale.” The hall also has a fireplace, the walls above which are decorated with carvings and gilded stucco.

The parquet pattern has not survived to this day; now the floor is decorated with a geometric pattern. The ceilings (hollows) are made in the grisaille style.

Pink living room

The hall got its name from the color of the canvases that replaced the former wall paintings from 1894. This was once the children's room of Paul, the son of Catherine II. In 1767, the playroom was painted by Barozzi on the theme of the Roman ruins of Herculaneum. Now copies and originals of the ruler’s portraits hang on the walls of the hall.

Damask bedchamber

The front bedroom received this name because of the pale green shade of the damask on the walls. The pattern of the damask itself resembles twisted silvered lines with flowers of various shades. The furniture and fireplace are also covered in a similar type of fabric.

One part of the bedroom (alcove) has a portrait of Paul as a child and military paraphernalia of the Catherine era. In another part of the room there are masterpieces of handicraft - chenille embroidery and bugle beads on straw. They are made by Russian craftswomen in the French style. There you can also see pictures of everyday life in nature, framed in wooden frames with gold appliqué.

Boudoir

Previously, on the site of the boudoir there was a Picturesque Study. Its walls were completely covered with paintings (on canvas). Now the room is decorated with carved panels with paintings by Rinaldi (in walnut). There you can also see paintings by Jacopo Guarana with simple titles “Painting”, “Music”, “Drama”.

Pavel's office

This is a small room that was used as a bathroom in the 19th and 20th centuries. Now the walls of the office are decorated with paintings on canvas. There are small paintings with landscapes and hieroglyphs, decorated in fancy frames. The ceiling in the form of a hemisphere seems unusual.

Hall of Muses

It is the best creation of the palace. It opens up the enfilade of all the other halls. When creating the interior, it was planned to tell about the community of arts. The room has an oval shape with many large windows around the perimeter. That is why in the 18th century it was called the Picturesque Gallery.

Initially, the hall got its name because of the 9 muses painted on the walls of the room: Calliope, Urania, Terpsichore, Euterpe, Clio, Thalia, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Erato. All the muses are depicted in the walls between the windows and framed in stucco ornaments. The marble statues of Cleopatra, Lucretia, as well as the composition “Boy on a Dolphin” are also of interest.

Blue living room

Until the 1860s The walls of the hall were decorated with blue silk fabric. That's why it got the name Blue. Later, the dilapidated fabric was replaced with canvases by Beideman, Albani, and Van Dyck. These were mostly copies of Hermitage paintings. For example, "Madonna with the Partridges", "The Rape of Europa". To date, only part of the decoration of the hall has been preserved.

Glass bead cabinet

It is the most famous hall in the palace and has retained its original decoration in its original form, as it was under Catherine.
The room is equipped with 12 glass bead canvases. The glass beads themselves were made at a mosaic factory near Oranienbaum in the town of Ust-Ruditsa.

The paintings depict fantastic birds, butterflies and plants. They were embroidered by Russian gold seamstresses under the direction of the French actress at the Russian court, Maria de Chelles (Chen). The author was the same beloved by Catherine Barozzo. Together with the elegant design of the walls, ceilings and floors, the cabinet is considered a unique creation of that era.

Big hall

The Great Hall was conceived by Catherine as the center of the palace. Despite the fact that it was intended for holding various balls and receiving guests, its decoration was made in a strict form. Sometimes it is also called Round, because. it has an oval shape. The walls are treated with decorative marble of various shades; marble columns complete the interior.

Here you can also find bas-relief images of Peter I and Elizabeth Petrovna. The work was carried out by Falcone’s student, commissioned by Ekaterina Kollo M.A. The hall has a large fireplace, above which there are 2 panels “The Rape of Ganymede” and “Juno” by Torelli. Above the front door hangs a painting by an unknown Italian artist called “Selena and Endymion.”

The ceiling is entirely made of stucco decoration. This is an interweaving of branches, garlands of flowers, miniature wreaths and even birds.

Plaster rest

The plasterwork is entirely in Rococo style. Its walls are painted lilac, which is why it is also called the Lilac Living Room. There is also gilded molding on the walls and ceiling, hence the name "plaster", lavishly decorated. The interior is complemented by paintings on a love theme. The ceiling has the shape of a dome vault (ellipse).

Visiting information

• Opening hours: summer period from May 26 to September 30;
• Excursion times: from 10:30 to 18:00 (except for individual);
• Closed: Monday and last Tuesday of every month;
• Ticket prices (2018): 200-500 rub. (free for children under 16 years old).

• The palace was built entirely under the leadership of the Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi, who was invited to Russia by Count K.G. Razumovsky. Subsequently, Russia became a second home and homeland for Rinaldi.
• In total, there are 17 rooms in the Chinese palace. Catherine's Study, Small and Large Chinese Study, Chinese Bedchamber, Cameroon Fern, Portrait Room, Dressing Room - complete the list of halls to visit.
• During the time of Catherine, the palace was also called the Dutch House. Initially, it was small in size and, due to the abundance of trees, bushes and flowers, appeared completely unexpectedly before the guests.
• All the sleeping rooms of Catherine II and Paul were never used for sleeping. Usually guests came to admire the luxury and design of her creation. In the reception rooms they danced, played cards and had fun. And they went to sleep in the Menshikov Palace, located nearby.
• To decorate the hall in Chinese style, we specially went to China and Japan to buy porcelain, paintings, furniture and materials. The palace is especially famous for its parquet floors, which were once replaced by marble. For these purposes, more than 20 species of wood were used, including boxwood, amaranth, ebony and brown wood, and Persian walnut. Externally, the palace does not resemble anything Chinese. In addition, this is the only palace in Russia in the Rococo style.
• Of particular interest in the interior of the palace are the lampshades located on the ceiling. However, these are not the lampshades that we are used to hearing about in modern world, and canvases designed by Venetian artists and craftsmen specifically for ceiling cladding commissioned by Catherine. Each of them has its own name, and the performance has more than once become the subject of controversy between guests and favorites (mythology, allegory, pastorals).

Among them the most famous are:

• Apollo and the Arts (Torelli),
• Judgment of Paris (Barozzi),
• Diana and Aurora (Dizziani),
• Mathematics (Dizziani),
• Urania Teaching a Young Man (Maggiotto)
• Time that steals Truth (unknown)
• Rest of Mars (Tiepolo),
• Day driving away Night (Torelli)
• Orpheus meeting the Sun (Tsuño).

Some tourists managed to see and even communicate with ghosts. The last owner of the palace was the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He died on the eve of the Revolution, and his little daughter died a few months later. Since then, passers-by have often heard the sound of children's heels in the park.
Others see silhouettes of people dressed in ancient outfits and cocked hats, as well as ghostly transparent figures.

The Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum was the receiving residence of Catherine and her heirs. All the sketches and sketches of the queen became reality thanks to the adjustments and amendments of the Italian Antonio. The estate is of interest to tourists who are hunters of ideas from antiquity, as well as lovers of landscape gardening art.

The Chinese Palace can rightfully be called the treasure of the park in Oranienbaum. The name “Chinese” appeared for the reason that in the 18th century, during the time of Catherine II, the art of the Celestial Empire (chinoiserie style) became popular in Europe and several halls of the palace were decorated using oriental motifs. However, the art of China was interpreted very freely by the artists of that time.

The value of the palace lies in the fact that it has preserved original 18th-century interiors (unlike other royal residences in St. Petersburg, which were destroyed during the Second World War). Perhaps this is why the Chinese Palace is open to the public only in the summer; the rest of the time it is closed, since cold and wet air has a detrimental effect on the interior materials.

Opening hours of the Chinese Palace - summer 2019

• Open from May 25
• From 10:30 to 18:00
• Individual visitors are allowed from 12:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 16:45
• Days off - Monday and last Tuesday of the month
• Box office closes an hour earlier
• The museum may be closed during high humidity or rain.

Ticket prices to the Chinese Palace - summer 2019

• For Russian citizens
  • adults - 300 rub.
  • children under 16 years old - free
  • schoolchildren (from 16 years old), students and pensioners - 200 rubles.
• For citizens of the CIS
  • adults - 300 rub.
  • children under 16 years old - free
• For foreign citizens
  • adults - 500 rub.
  • children under 16 years old - free

Chinese Palace - description

The Chinese Palace was erected in the Upper Park in 1762 - 1768. Initially, the building was one-story, and its originality lay in the fact that the external design, as well as the internal decor, were made by one outstanding master - the Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi.

The building was built in the Rococo style, which (in contrast to the more magnificent and pompous Baroque) is characterized by sophistication, sophistication and delicate taste. The Chinese palace was created not for official receptions, but for recreation and entertainment of Catherine II and those close to her.

The external design of the building was quite restrained and in appearance it looked more like a summer pavilion than a palace. At the same time, the interior decoration surprised with its beauty and luxury.

In total, there are 17 halls in the Chinese Palace, where people danced, played cards and held feasts. Moreover, each room was decorated in its own way and was different from all the others. Gilding and mirrors, stucco molding and painting were used as decoration.

The front suite (the main axis of the building) includes the Hall of Muses, the Blue Living Room and the Glass Bead Study, the Great Hall and the Lilac Living Room, the Small and Large Chinese Study.

Two wings are located perpendicular to the front enfilade. In the eastern wing there were the chambers of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich (the Pink Drawing Room and the Damask Bedchamber, the Boudoir and the Study), in the western wing there were the chambers of Catherine II (the Chinese Bedchamber and the Portrait Room, the Dressing Room and the Kamerungfer - a room for duty of the court lady).

To decorate the halls in oriental style, many art objects were brought from China and Japan. The palace displays objects of art of the 18th century - paintings and porcelain collections brought from the east and from Europe, carved gilded furniture created by Russian carvers and gilders based on drawings by Rinaldi.

Particularly noteworthy is parquet, which is distinguished by its variety of patterns and colors. Initially, the floor in the rooms was made of marble, and in 1770 it was replaced by inlaid parquet, which was created using more than 20 types of trees, including red, black and brown wood, as well as boxwood, amaranth and Persian walnut.

Halls of the Chinese Palace

In 1850, the entrance to the building was moved to the eastern side, where the Great Anti-Chamber, which served as the Front Chamber, was added. The excursion to the Chinese Palace begins from this room, a kind of hallway. A monitor is installed here and while the group is gathering, you can watch a film about the history of the palace. At the door leading to the next hall of the Muses, there are cast iron floor lamps, made in the 19th century in Paris, and previously they stood on the porch at the entrance to the Anti-Chamber.

Hall of Muses

Following the Anti-Chamber is the Hall of the Muses, which is often called the Picturesque Gallery. Its walls are decorated with paintings by the Italian painter Stefano Torelli, depicting Apollo with cupids and nine muses, personifying art. On the ceiling you can see the goddess of beauty and love, Venus, and her companions, the Graces.

Glass bead cabinet

The decor of the Glass Bead Cabinet is the most original. The hall is decorated with twelve panels embroidered with glass beads (long tubular beads). The glass bead base is embroidered with fleecy threads, depicting exotic plants and birds against the backdrop of fabulous landscapes. Each panel is separated from the neighboring one by a carved gilded frame. There are no analogues to the Glass Bead Cabinet in the world.

Blue living room

Initially, the walls of this hall were decorated with blue silk, which is why the Living Room is called blue. Later, the dilapidated material was removed, and canvases by the St. Petersburg artist Alexander Beideman, created in 1862-1868, were placed on the walls.

Pink living room

The ceiling of the Pink Living Room with the image of Diana was painted by the Venetian painter Gasparo Dizziani. The living room is also decorated with two picturesque panels depicting cupids. Previously, the room was decorated with ceremonial and chamber portraits of Catherine II. According to legend, little Pavel, the empress’s son, often played in this room.

Wardrobe

In former times, the dressing room was decorated with elegant furniture and paintings. Now you can only see a fireplace and pale blue walls, decorated with carvings and stucco.

Big hall

The Great Hall is the main room of the Chinese Palace, it was also called the Reception and Oval Hall (the room has the shape of an ellipse). The hall is located in the center of the main front enfilade. The large hall was used to receive guests and therefore its design is distinguished by severity and solemnity. The height of the room is 8.5 meters; artificial marble of various colors and paintings, stucco molding and mosaics are used in its decoration. The presence of columns makes the interior somewhat classic.

Front

The front hall originally served as a vestibule; guests entered from the central entrance. Their admiration was aroused by everything around them - the parquet floor, similar to a carpet, the walls painted by Stefanno Torelli and the picturesque ceiling “Apollo and the Arts” (its authorship is attributed to Serafino Barozzi and Stefanno Torelli),

Chinese Palace - from history

The Chinese palace was the summer residence of Empress Catherine II and was part of a complex called “Own Dacha”.

The structure was originally planned as a secluded pavilion in a secluded place and therefore it was not visible from afar. The alleys leading to it were arranged in such a way that the palace, surrounded on all sides by greenery, appeared before the guests completely unexpectedly.

As a rule, Catherine II came to Oranienbaum’s Own Garden with a retinue of noble guests who toured the halls, admiring their interiors.

At the same time, the palace building was not comfortable, since all the rooms in it were located at ground level and felt damp. The fireplaces were made of artificial marble and could not be heated too much.

The halls of the Chinese Palace were not suitable for long-term stays of guests, but were used only for informal receptions. Usually, after visiting Oranienbaum, guests returned to Peterhof - the ceremonial residence, and if someone stayed overnight, they occupied rooms in the Menshikov Palace. The bedchambers of Catherine and Pavel Petrovich were also not used for sleeping.

In the middle of the 19th century, the Chinese Palace changed its appearance - the building became one floor higher, a gallery was built, connecting two risalits (protruding side parts of the building). The interior decor has also changed, but despite all the transformations, the building has retained its originality and originality.

In 1922, a museum was organized in the Chinese Palace, open to the general public. During the war, Oranienbaum was not occupied and therefore, in the post-war period, it was the first of the suburbs of St. Petersburg to open.

In 2009, large-scale restoration of the architectural monument began. The restoration of fragments of the unique decor is carried out thanks to inventories and watercolors preserved from 1901.

Antonio Rinaldi built the structure almost on the ground, and high humidity constantly destroyed the decoration of the rooms. To preserve the unique interiors, during the reconstruction the building was heated for the first time in 250 years, and special sensors were installed in all restored halls. With their help, the temperature and humidity of the air are controlled. Now the interior is not afraid of changes in outside temperature - in winter, the Chinese Palace is heated, it maintains optimal air humidity and a temperature of 4.5 degrees.

The Chinese Palace is the only monument of the Rococo style in Russian architecture. The architect Alexander Nikolaevich Benois compared the decoration of the building - its patterns and ornaments, paintings and architectural details, with the sonatas of Haydn and Mozart.

Catherine II called the Chinese Palace a “jewel box.” With the completion of the restoration, the unique architectural monument will become a real tourist pearl of Oranienbaum.

The St. Peter's Fortress, built in the eastern part of the estate in 1757, was transformed into the Peterstadt Fortress two years later. In plan, the fortress was a fourteen-pointed star with four bastions, surrounded by earthen ramparts and ditches filled with water. The two-hectare fortress was complemented by a complex system of additional fortifications. The pond located near the northern front was called the "Pleasure Sea". Naval battles took place here with the participation of warships: the twelve-gun ship "Oranienbaum", the frigate "St. Andrew", the galleys "St. Catherine" and "Elizabeth".
On the territory of the fortress there was an arsenal, barracks for artillery, dragoon regiments and cuirassier trumpeters, houses for officers and regimental commanders, a guardhouse, sheds for horses and carriages, and an arsenal.
In Russia, the tradition of amusing battles and the construction of fortresses for military amusements of the heirs to the throne appeared under Peter I. The Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments created by him played the role of amusing troops, and later became the main units of the guard.
Peter Fedorovich invited the regiments of the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein, where he was from, to participate in military games.
From the notes of Catherine II it becomes clear that she had a negative attitude towards the invitation of the Holsteiners:

...the number of Holstein troops and adventurers who occupied officer positions there increased from year to year.

The soldiers of the Ingria Regiment said: “Now we have become the lackeys of these damned Germans.” The palace lackeys said: “We are forced to serve this peasant.” When I saw and found out what was happening, I firmly decided to stay as far away from this dangerous childish game as possible.

The number of the Holstein garrison reached 1,500 people. The construction of the Peterstadt fortress was led by the Holstein master Förster and lieutenant engineer Savely Sokolov. The fortress occupied two hectares.
On the territory of the fortress there was the palace of Peter III, intended for his relaxation after military activities.

For the first time in Russian architecture, a palace building appeared on the territory of a fortification, serving not military, but entertainment purposes.

The first floor of the palace was for service. Several ceremonial rooms have been preserved on the second floor. The palace was built by the architect Antonio Rinaldi.

There is a monkey on the armor. It is known that Pyotr Fedorovich had a monkey named Elizaveta Vorontsova, it is possible that this is her:

As expected, there should be a secret staircase in the fortress:

Peter III lived in this modest house until his arrest. Here on June 28, 1762, he signed an abdication of the throne, was arrested and taken to Ropsha, where he soon died of hemorrhoidal colic.

Over time, the wooden buildings of the fortress fell into disrepair and were dismantled at the end of the 18th century. Today, only the remains of earthen ramparts, a small palace and the main entrance gate have been preserved:

Fortress layout:

This is how Catherine II recalled life in Oranienbaum in her notes:

In general, I and all of us were disgusted with the boring life that we led in Oranienbaum, where there were five or six of us women who remained alone, face to face from morning to evening, while the men, for their part, reluctantly practiced the art of war .

This is the lifestyle that I led in Oranienbaum then. I got up at three o’clock in the morning, dressed myself from head to toe in a man’s dress; the old huntsman I had was already waiting for me with guns; on the seashore he had a fishing boat completely ready. We crossed the garden on foot, with a gun on our shoulder, and we sat down - he, I, the kicking dog and the fisherman who was taking us - into this shuttle, and I went to shoot ducks in the reeds bordering the sea on both sides of the Oranienbaum Canal, which goes two miles into the sea. We often went around this channel and therefore were sometimes in quite stormy weather on the open sea on this shuttle. The Grand Duke arrived an hour or two after us, because he always had to carry breakfast with him and who knows what else. If he met us, we set off together; if not, then each of us went and hunted separately. At ten o'clock, and sometimes later, I returned and dressed for dinner; After dinner I rested, and in the evening either the Grand Duke had music, or we went horseback riding.

For my rooms in this palace, I bought everything with my own money, in order to avoid any disputes and difficulties, for His Imperial Highness, although he was very extravagant in all his whims, was sparing of money on everything that concerned me, and was not at all generous; but since what I did for my rooms at my own expense served to decorate the house, he was very pleased with it.

I then decided to build a garden for myself in Oranienbaum and, since I knew that the Grand Duke would not give me a single piece of land for this, I asked the Golitsyn princes to sell or give me a space of one hundred fathoms of uncultivated and long-abandoned land that they had very close to Oranienbaum; since this piece of land belonged to eight or ten members of their family, they willingly gave it to me, without, however, receiving any income from it. I began to make plans on how to build and plant, and since this was my first venture in terms of planting and construction, it took on quite extensive dimensions.

The best thing about Oranienbaum is its own dacha, which Rinaldi built in 1762-1774 for Catherine II. His own dacha became the third palace and park ensemble (after the Menshikov Palace and the Lower Park; the Peterstadt fortress and the Petrovsky Park around it).
Having ascended the throne, Catherine II ordered that 10 thousand rubles be allocated for the construction of her own dacha and allowed A. Rinaldi to invite first-class Russian and Western European craftsmen. With their participation, according to the drawings and drawings of A. Rinaldi, the Chinese Palace, unrivaled in the beauty of its interiors, was built (1762-1768).

The name "Chinese Palace" was first mentioned in 1774 in the Chamber Fourier magazine. Before this, the palace was called the “Dutch little house” (the same as the Monplaisir Palace in Peterhof), “the little house in the Upper Garden”, “the little house”. The name “Chinese” arose because a number of the palace’s interiors (the Large and Small Chinese Cabinets) were decorated in the spirit of Chinese art or using original works of art from China and Japan.

Last year, the restored Glass Cabinet from the Chinese Palace was exhibited at the Hermitage http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_Ru/04/2010/hm4_1_263.html.
From the Hermitage website:

The most famous chamber of the Chinese Palace is the Glass Cabinet, which has preserved the original decoration of the 1760s. The walls of the room are decorated with glass bead panels. These are canvases on which bugle bead embroidery is done. The glass beads were made at a mosaic factory founded in the vicinity of Oranienbaum (in Ust-Ruditsa) by the Russian scientist M.V. Lomonosov. Against a background of bugles, complex compositions with images of fantastic birds in an equally fantastic landscape are embroidered in chenille (fleecy silk).
Initially, the floor in the Glass Beads Office was made of multi-colored smalts, also made at the Ust-Ruditsk factory, but by the middle of the 19th century it fell into disrepair and the smalts were replaced with type-setting parquet while maintaining the same pattern.
The Chinese Palace is the only monument of the Rococo style in Russia. Most of the interiors of the palace have retained the original decoration of the mid-18th century. Of particular value to it are the unique objects of decorative and applied art from China and Japan from the late 17th to mid-18th centuries, as well as the preserved and extant typesetting parquet flooring from the second third of the 18th century (made according to sketches by Antonio Rinaldi).

Above the pond, at the southern facade of the palace, there are marble and bronze statues of characters from ancient mythology - copies of ancient originals.

Pergola in the background:

We didn’t get to the Chinese Palace because there is no heating there, so it is closed for the winter. As a consolation, we were informed that now in the palace, in addition to the Glass Beads Room, only two halls are open. The rest are under restoration. During Soviet times, the palace was completely open. Although it was quite shabby, you could still see everything.

The Chinese palace is part of a grandiose palace and park complex"Own dacha" of Empress Catherine II. The construction of the palace was carried out by the architect Antonio Rinaldi. According to his design, a large rectangular pond was dug in front of the southern facade of the Chinese Palace, on the left bank of which a Maid of Honor was built, and on the right bank a place was allocated for a coffee house (the project for this building was never implemented). At the eastern facade of the palace, already beyond the border of the Own Dacha, a Kitchen building was built.

In the middle of the 19th century, the Chinese Palace took on new shape. Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna is making great changes here. According to the design of architects L.L. Bonstedt and A.I. Stackenschneider built a second floor, a glazed gallery appeared, brought under the balcony that appeared at the same time and connected with south side two risalits; small anti-chamber rooms are attached to the end parts of the building from the east and west.

While the exterior of the palace has undergone changes, the interior decoration has been preserved, for the most part, from the 18th century. The Chinese palace embodied the fashionable influences and aesthetic preferences of the 18th century; all the decoration of the palace was made by European and Russian master artists with amazing imagination.

The Chinese Palace, a brilliant example of the Rococo style in Russia, is rightfully considered the pearl of the Oranienbaum palace and park ensemble. Absolute authenticity makes this diverse suburb unique, distinguishing it from all the imperial residences that frame the Northern capital like a brilliant necklace.

Earth on south coast Emperor Peter I granted the Gulf of Finland, on which Oranienbaum would later be located, to his favorite, Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, who at that time was in charge of the construction of the Kronstadt fortress on the island of Kotlin. The construction of the Great (Menshikov) Palace in the Baroque style began in 1711, and the date of the consecration of the palace church - September 3, 1727 - is considered its end. The authors of the project were architects J.M. Fontana, I.G. Shedel and I.F. Braunstein. In 1742, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna gave the estate to her nephew, the future Emperor Peter III. For him, the famous Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi built the “amusing” Peterstadt fortress and a miniature palace here. Later, Oranienbaum became the summer residence of Empress Catherine II. The so-called “Own Dacha” of the Empress consisted of the Chinese Palace (1762-1768), the Rolling Hill Pavilion (1762-1774), built by A. Rinaldi, as well as the Upper Park surrounding them.

Oranienbaum received its name from a German toponym. The legend brought to us the story of an orange tree cultivated here already at the beginning of the 18th century, which gave the name to the city and was included in its coat of arms.

Catherine II, while still a Grand Duchess, chose a “cherished” corner for herself in Oranienbaum. In her “Notes” she recalls the year 1757: “The fantasy came to me to plant a garden for myself... but I knew that the Grand Duke would not give me a single piece of land for this, and therefore I asked the Golitsyn princes to sell or cede to me 100 dessiatinas for a long time.” abandoned... land that they owned near Oranienbaum itself... They willingly gave it up to me. I began to draw plans and lay out the garden, and since this was the first time I was working on plans and buildings, everything turned out huge and awkward for me.”

Ekaterina Alekseevna was able to begin implementing her plan only five years later, with her accession to the Russian throne. In 1762, construction began on his own dacha, and, above all, “a stone house and a mountain.” All work was carried out “under the supervision” of A. Rinaldi and according to his drawings. Catherine II sometimes came to Oranienbaum to oversee the construction of the Dutch House, or Chinese Palace. The empress celebrated her housewarming in the Chinese Palace on July 27, 1768. This Sunday was marked by a divine liturgy in the Church of St. Panteleimon, and then a ceremonial meal was held in honor of the completion of the palace: the bishops and archimandrites, together with the nobles, dined and “drank to the health of Her Imperial Majesty.”

In the 1770s, the Empress often visited Oranienbaum and received distinguished guests here: not only “foreign” ministers arrived on visits, but also royalty - King Gustav III of Sweden, Austrian Emperor Joseph II. On July 17, 1780, Catherine II showed the palace to her grandchildren, Grand Dukes Alexander and Konstantin, for the first time. Since 1796, Oranienbaum belonged to Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich (future Emperor Alexander I), and in 1831 the residence became the sole possession of his brother Mikhail Pavlovich. Later, Mikhail Pavlovich’s wife Elena Pavlovna became the mistress of the estate, and then their daughter Ekaterina Mikhailovna, who married Duke Georg of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; their children - Georgy, Mikhail and Elena - owned Oranienbaum until 1917.

The Chinese summer pleasure palace was named due to the luxurious decoration of its four rooms, designed in the spirit of the ideas of the time about the art of the East. There are also other names: “The House in the Upper Garden”, “The Small House, Her Imperial Majesty’s Own”. And indeed, the loud definition of “palace” is least suitable for it - it rather resembles a park pavilion standing on a low stylobate forming a terrace.

The palace, modest in appearance, amazes with its interior decoration. Gilding and mirrors, shell ornaments, flower garlands, curls, intricately curved frames, stucco patterns whimsically running along the walls, arches and ceilings, exquisite paintings covered with a pearl haze - all this creates an atmosphere of delicacy and comfort. This is the Rococo style, which existed for a short time in the 18th century, but left a bright mark in Russia - the exquisite and intimate Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum. Stylized oriental decorative motifs and many original works of art from China and Japan add special sophistication to Rococo interiors. “The Chinese Palace is a one-of-a-kind pearl, piece of art so complete, so harmonious, so amazingly executed - such a graceful, elegant trinket that, looking at it, one cannot help but admire it...”, wrote the famous art historian A. Benois. The interiors of the Chinese Palace preserve the original decoration of the 18th century: a rare collection of paintings by Italian artists, fine examples of Eastern and Western European porcelain, furniture by Russian and European masters. One of the main attractions of the palace is the unique parquet floors, made according to Rinaldi’s drawings; they have no equal in Russian decorative and applied arts. Initially, the floors in the palace were made of artificial marble. In the 1770s, they were replaced by inlaid parquet floors made of various types of wood (there are up to 36 of them) - oak, maple, birch, rosewood, boxwood, mahogany and ebony, Persian walnut, sacchardan (brown wood), amaranth and others. Parquets, which are not repeated in any room, amaze with their complex patterns and exquisite colors.

The Glass Bead Cabinet, the Damask Bedchamber, the Hall of the Muses, the Blue and Pink Living Rooms... These names themselves speak of the exclusivity of the palace premises and their enduring artistic and historical value. A journey through the halls of the palace meets the most demanding expectations: in the design of the interiors, Rinaldi used a rich arsenal of decorative forms inherent in the Rococo style, achieving a harmonious relationship between the decoration of the palace and its architecture.

The center of the symmetrical composition of the Chinese Palace is the Great Hall, from which the front enfilade rooms extend along the northern façade in both directions. Two wings, including small enfilades, adjoin the main volume of the building from the south at right angles; in the western suite there were the personal chambers of Empress Catherine II, in the eastern suite there were the rooms of her son, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich.

The Front room originally served as a vestibule; here, in the center of the southern part of the palace, the entrance to the building is still located. After the addition of a covered glass gallery to this room in 1853, it began to be used as a dining room.

In the 18th century, the walls of the Front Hall were decorated with paintings by the Italian decorative painter Stefano Torelli, a student of the famous Neapolitan artist Francesco Solimena. Torelli arrived in Russia in 1758, leaving service at the Saxon royal court. In 1764, the painter worked on the design Winter Palace, and in 1765 he began work in Oranienbaum, and after a short time the interiors of the Chinese Palace were decorated with his talented works. In the 1850s, Torelli's wall paintings in the Front were replaced by architectural landscapes by an unknown 19th-century artist, “Diana and Actaeon” and “Landscape with Ruins.” In the Front, a picturesque ceiling by S. Torelli “Apollo and the Arts” has been preserved: the patron of the arts Apollo and images of female figures personifying “the three most noble arts” - painting, sculpture and architecture - a favorite subject in the art of that time. Above one of the doors is a painting by an unknown 18th-century Italian artist, Selene and Endymion. The mythological story about the vain shepherd Endymion, who fell asleep forever at the behest of Zeus, and the goddess of the night Selene, enchanted by his beauty, occurs three times in the Chinese Palace.

One of the walls of the Front Hall has preserved ornamental paintings of remarkable beauty in design by another Italian master, Serafino Barozzi, who, like Torelli, worked directly in the Chinese Palace. The interior decoration is complemented by stucco decoration of the hoops and ceiling: shells, acanthus leaves and other plants, flower garlands.

The front room is decorated with inlaid parquet from the 18th century, composed of several types of wood - walnut, amaranth, birch, sandalwood, apple, rosewood and mahogany; its drawing, created by Rinaldi, seems to be reflected in the stucco decoration of the ceiling, which adds completeness to the interior design. The fireplace, made of artificial marble, was created in the 18th century by the Italian “plasterer” Alberto Giani, who worked hard on the production of the original marble floors of the Chinese Palace. With its exquisite and elegant decoration, the Antechamber “sets the tone” for the appearance of subsequent chambers and sets the expectation for no less elegant decoration.

Following the Front is the Dressing Room; from the west it adjoins the Pink Living Room, connecting half of the heir Pavel Petrovich with the main entrance to the palace. Initially, the room was used for its intended purpose, but it is known that during the 18th and 19th centuries it also served as a pantry and library.

In the decoration of the Dressing Room, as well as other interiors of the Chinese Palace, paintings were widely used, embodying scenes from ancient myths. The central part of the ceiling is decorated with a picturesque ceiling “The Judgment of Paris”, executed by S. Barozzi; above the door to the Entrance Hall there is a panel “Venus and Mars”, and above the entrance to the Pink Living Room - “Hercules and Omphale” - desudeportes by unknown artists of the Italian school of the mid-18th century.

The interior of the Dressing Room was updated several times, and from its original decoration only the artificial marble wall above the fireplace has survived to this day. The exquisite carving with which it is decorated harmoniously combines with the applied molding ornament. The parquet floors of the Dressing Room with a somewhat monotonous geometric pattern were made later than the other parquet floors of the palace, in 1819, and are significantly inferior to them in the richness and complexity of the design.

The small eastern enfilade of the Chinese Palace includes the personal chambers of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, among which notable is the spacious room called the Pink Living Room, originally called the Children's Room. The room had another name, which perfectly defined the nature of its decoration in the 18th century - “Picturesque Antique”. In 1767, S. Barozzi decorated the walls of the Living Room with paintings on the theme of the tragedy of the ancient city of Herculaneum, which died in 79 during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Unfortunately, during the reconstruction of the palace in 1852-1853, the picturesque panels from all four walls were removed. It was not possible to restore them, and the walls were covered with paper wallpaper.

In 1894, the wallpaper was replaced with canvas painted light pink, after which the Living Room received its current name. At the same time, the walls of the Pink Living Room were framed with gilded stucco decoration, which gave the interior originality and sophistication.

The pink living room retains the original stucco decoration of the arches and ceiling. An elegant trellis mesh - the main motif in the ornament of the ceiling and over-door fragments - is “reflected” in the pattern of the inlaid parquet, which gives the interior a harmonious appearance and completeness.

The “must-have” lampshade of the Living Room “Diana and Aurora” was painted by the Italian artist Gasparo Diziani. The allegory of the change of night to morning is distinguished by a carefully thought-out composition and subtle pictorial elaboration. The desudéportes “Cupids Playing with a Bird” and “Cupids Playing with Soap Bubbles” were created by an unknown artist in the 18th century. They were probably moved to this room later; At the same time, their rectangular shape changed. Another composition above the door of the Dressing Room - “Cupids in the Clouds” - was made already in the 19th century.

Next to the Pink Living Room, on the axis of the small enfilade, there is the Shtofnaya Bedchamber. This room got its name in the 18th century, when its walls were covered with light green (celadon) damask with a pattern of wavy silver paths intertwined with white and pink flowers. The front bedroom of the heir to the throne, Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich, is divided into two parts, the smaller of which is an alcove. Being a purely intimate part, the alcove is decorated with exquisite carvings with delicate floral and plant motifs, but since the Bedchamber was intended for the heir to the throne, the future commander, military attributes were also included in the decor - trumpets, banners, arrows. In the depths of the alcove there is also a children's portrait of Pavel Petrovich by Alexei Antropov. On both sides of the alcove, crowned with a gilded cartouche in the form of a shell, in niches there are gilded shelves with small vases of Meissen porcelain from the mid-18th century.

In another part of the Shtofnaya bedchamber, a square one, of particular interest is the unusual ceiling in the form of a sail vault, lined with artificial marble. This is a rare example of the use of such material for decorative finishing of ceilings. Pale pink marble is complemented by floral and rocaille patterns in gilded and white molding.

The pattern of the parquet flooring of the Bedchamber, traditionally for the interiors of the Chinese Palace, is consistent with the decor of the ceiling. In addition, it also reminds of another important feature of the palace parquets - neither the composition of their set, nor the color combinations are repeated anywhere. The parquet of the Bedchamber made of walnut, amaranth, rosewood, boxwood, lemon, birch and ebony was made in 1772 by Russian craftsmen “under the supervision” of the talented master Johann Petersen.

The color palette of the interior is perfectly complemented by a pinkish-green faux marble fireplace. Among the examples of furniture are a ladies' bureau and a music table made by French masters of the mid-18th century.

Pavel Petrovich's office, adjacent to the Shtofnaya bedchamber from the alcove side, is separate from the rest of the premises. Because of its miniature size (less than six square meters), this room was also called the “Cabinet”. Its walls are decorated with ornamental paintings by S. Barozzi, which include Chinese marble and wooden tablets with carved figures, hieroglyphs and landscapes. The picturesque ceiling “Geometry” was made by G. Diziani: the allegorical female figure depicted on the canvas with a globe and compass in her hands and cupids drawing geometric figures indicate that the room was intended for the educational activities of the young heir. The enfilade of Pavel Petrovich's rooms is completed by the Boudoir. In the 18th century, this room, the walls of which were covered with paintings, was called the “Pictorial Study.” The Boudoir acquired its current appearance in 1853, when the paintings were replaced by walnut panels moved from the Kamerungfer (or Dressing Room) on the half of Empress Catherine II. The wooden panels include three paintings - allegorical paintings “Music”, “Painting” and “Drama”. Their authorship is attributed to Jacopo Guarana, who also performed the Boudoir ceiling “Zephyr and Flora”.

The furniture of the Boudoir consists of an elegant French rosewood bureau and Dutch chairs made in XIX century. Porcelain predominates among the decorations of this interior: Chinese vases from the mid-18th century and English ones with paintings from the late 18th century.

The elegant and festive Hall of the Muses, which was intended for concerts, opens the enfilade of state halls of the Chinese Palace on the eastern side. It is symmetrical to the Great Chinese Cabinet, located in the western building of the palace. With its elongated proportions, this interior resembles a gallery, and six large glazed windows and doors located on three sides give it a resemblance to an elegant open park pavilion. Here the words of A. Benoit are perceived in a special way, who compared the Chinese Palace “in its purely musical effect... with the sonatas of Haydn and Mozart.” The Hall of the Muses, which retains its original decoration, is one of the most significant palace interiors of the 18th century.

In the 18th century, the Hall of the Muses was called the “Picturesque Gallery,” which corresponded to the dominant role of painting in its decoration. Tempera paintings by the decorative painter S. Torelli cover the walls and arches, and the lampshade by the same master, “Venus and the Graces” (“Triumph of Venus”), made in oil, crowns the hall. Small compositions on the arches and ceiling, painted in light colors, alternate with light ornamental modeling. All decorative design of the Hall of Muses is subordinated to a single artistic concept, which gives this amazing interior a harmonious appearance.

Particularly noteworthy among the furniture in the Hall are the carved gilded banquettes, made according to drawings by A. Rinaldi and designed specifically for this interior. Here you can also see a variety of objects from Chinese and Japanese porcelain, as well as the marble sculpture “Boy on a Dolphin” - a masterfully executed mid-19th century copy of a work by the 16th century Italian sculptor Lorenzo Lorenzetto, which in turn refers us to the drawing by Raphael, which was inspired by this job. On the sides of one of the doors are marble busts of Lucretia and Cleopatra from the 18th century Venetian work.

The most famous event that took place in the Hall of the Muses was the magnificent celebration of the arrival in Russia in 1818 of the Prussian King Frederick William III, “who came to bless the cradle of his newborn grandson,” the future Emperor Alexander II. On July 2, 1818, in this hall “after fireworks a brilliant ball was given.” Next to the Hall of Muses is the Blue Living Room, which connects the halls of the front suite with the rooms of Pavel Petrovich. Until the mid-1860s, the Living Room was covered in blue silk, which is how it got its name. At the same time, paintings by the Russian artist A. Beideman appeared in the interior: two canvases with images of cupids - with a cornucopia and a brush of grapes, as well as free copies from the Hermitage originals - a fragment of “Madonna with the Partridges” by A. van Dyck and “The Rape of Europa” F. Albani. Beideman’s brush is also attributed to the large original work “Triton and Nereid”, which decorates the space of the wall around the fireplace; however, this composition cannot be considered a creative success of the famous artist, since it lacks expressiveness and dynamics. The Blue Living Room is richly decorated with 18th-century paintings. The ceiling is decorated with a lampshade by the Italian artist Francesco Zuno, “Time Stealing Truth,” which also has a second title, “Time and Knowledge.” Like a number of other plafonds of the palace, Zuño’s work is a typical example of allegorical compositions with an abstract plot, very popular in the 18th century. The artist unfolds before us a dynamic scene of abduction, in the center of which two figures are depicted - a strong, muscular winged old man, personifying Time and its transience, and a woman, representing Truth (or Knowledge). The attribute of the old man is the scythe lying at his feet, and the woman holds a compass in her hands. Among the ten deportations are “Amphitrite” and “Neptune” by J. Guarana and “Italian Landscape” by F. Zucarelli; above the mirror is the painting “Two Cupids” by an unknown artist.

Objects of decorative and applied art are presented in a variety of ways in the Blue Living Room - Meissen porcelain, French watches of the 18th century, carved gilded furniture from the 1760s by Russian craftsmen. The molding of the arches and the ceiling, the parquet set on a palm background, and the exquisite fireplace bring to us the authentic look of the 18th century living room.

The interior of the Blue Living Room and other rooms of the Chinese Palace at the beginning of the 20th century was captured in a series of watercolors made for the last owner of the Chinese Palace, Grand Duchess Elena Georgievna, who wished to perpetuate its unique appearance. Watercolors with images of the palace halls and details of their decoration were included in the album entitled “Etchings, facades, plans and sections of the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum, executed by former students of the St. Petersburg Central School of Technical Drawing of Baron Stieglitz,” formed in 1911 and stored in personal meeting of Elena Georgievna; the album is now in the State Hermitage.

The magnificent Glass Bead Cabinet, which precedes the Great Hall, is rightfully considered a world masterpiece of interior art. This brilliant example of the Rococo style is primarily famous for its glass bead panels. Twelve handmade panels were presumably made according to drawings by S. Barozzi in 1762-1764 by nine embroiderers: Anna Andreeva, Avdotya Loginova, Tatyana and Lukerya Kusova, Praskovya, Matryona and Avdotya Petrov, Cleopatra Danilova, Marya Ivanova under the direction of the Frenchwoman Marie de Chelles , a former actress who organized a workshop “for sewing wallpaper and other decorations for Her I.V.’s rooms.” The glass beads were made at the Ust-Ruditsk mosaic factory, which was founded by M.V. Lomonosov in the vicinity of Oranienbaum. Embroidered panels with exotic landscapes are enclosed in gilded frames of exquisite carving, imitating tree trunks, entwined with leaves, flowers and grapes and topped with figurines of dragons. If we remember that initially the floor in the Office was made of smalt (colored glass tiles), also made at the Ust-Ruditsk factory, then one can easily imagine the created effect of an extraordinary fairy-tale extravaganza, painted with oriental flavor. The original unusual decoration of the floor gave the Cabinet its second name - “Mosaic Peace”. Work on installing mosaic floors, which began in 1763, lasted four years. The head of the work, J. Martini, reported on December 12, 1767 about their completion: “The Maasai floors available in Oranienbaum are ready and laid in place, and the artisans are not at that work.”

Catherine II, proudly showing the palace to her guests, especially singled out the Glass Cabinet, which had, in the words of that era, an “excellent appearance.” The Empress often received distinguished visitors here: for example, on July 27, 1774, “in a room with glass bead wallpaper, she received the Tsar’s (Austrian - Yu. M.) ambassador, Prince Lobkovich, for an audience.”

By the middle of the 19th century, the mosaic floor became unusable due to dampness, and in 1856 it was replaced with type-setting parquet, however, even in the new material it retained the same pattern.

The Glass Beads Cabinet houses two genuine masterpieces of decorative and applied art - unique tables made at the Peterhof Lapidary Factory under the direction of master Jacob Martini. Tabletops with wavy edges are decorated with complex compositions made from colored Lomonosov smalts; even the bases and legs of these elegant tables are trimmed with orange smalt. The tabletop of one of them represents a landscape composition framed by geometric patterns: a narrow pyramid, reminiscent of park obelisks, is surrounded by fragments of the ruins of ancient buildings. On another table are depicted with amazing accuracy geographic Maps, notes, books, compass, globe.

The Great Hall, the central room of the palace, is also called the Reception, Round, Oval or simply the Hall in documents of the 18th century. Decorated in the spirit of solemn elation, it was intended for official receptions and meals. Most visits to Catherine II's own dacha ended with dinner in the Great Hall. Entries about this" are often found in the Camerfourier journal: for example, on July 19, 1769, "... at 10 o'clock EIV (Her Imperial Majesty. Yu. M.) deigned to eat the evening meal in the Round Hall, in which they were placed in the four corners. .. at the table, at each there were 8 persons with tickets." Among the "persons" then were the Austrian, Prussian, Swedish, Danish, Dutch envoys, the English ambassador, the Saxon minister, as well as their spouses and the noble circle close to the empress. 27 July 1774, the empress “in the hall favored ... foreign ministers,” and then a gala dinner took place with “four round tables” with the participation of diplomats, given in honor of the conclusion of the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi peace, which secured Russia’s victory in the Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774.

Unlike other rooms of the palace, the interior Great Hall carries the features of a new style - classicism - and anticipates subsequent interiors created by Rinaldi in St. Petersburg, Tsarskoe Selo, Gatchina. The appearance of this main hall is strict and majestic, its decor is exquisitely noble and laconic. The walls and three-quarter Corinthian columns are decorated with artificial marble of different shades. The large hall is covered with a low dome, cut through by round windows - lucarnes, which serve as a source of natural light. Through large doors, glazed all the way to the floor, a picturesque view of the parterre garden and meadow opening into the park opens up.

The eastern part of the palace's front enfilade is opened by the Plaster Room (also called the Lilac Living Room), which has retained its original stucco design, which is reflected in the name of the interior. The character of this cozy room, its size and decorative decoration differ significantly from the solemn Great Hall, since it was intended for relaxation and intimate conversations, which was fully consistent with its artistic decoration.

The design of the Plaster Chamber is richly picturesque: the six canvases that decorate its walls and ceiling depict gallant scenes with the participation of mythological and literary heroes. All paintings are dedicated to the theme of love and reflect the sublime feelings of the characters. Among them is the work of S. Torelli “Selena and Endymion”, which is considered one of the best works of the Italian master. The author of the painting “Aphrodite and Adonis”, presented in the Plaster Room, was the 18th century Italian painter Pietro Rotari. Even before his arrival in Russia, the artist enjoyed European fame thanks to the many intimate portraits he executed, similar to those that make up the picturesque decoration of the Portrait Room of the palace. “Aphrodite and Adonis” is a rare example in Rotary’s work of a large canvas with a complex composition on a mythological subject.

The desudéportes of the Plaster Repose - “Venus” and “Yearing Mars” - also belong to the brush of Torelli. Placed opposite each other, these paintings are plot-related: according to myth, Mars, having forgotten about military exploits, is in love-sickness, dreaming of Venus. It is known that the model who posed for the artist was his niece, a beautiful young native of Bologna. The myth of Venus also echoes the picturesque plafond of F. Zuno “Orpheus Meeting the Sun,” which was also interpreted as a “Hymn to Venus”: the young man Orpheus, playing the harp, glorifies the beauty of the goddess of love.

The furniture of the Plaster Room consists of carved gilded banquettes and stools made in Russia in the 1760s, as well as a French bureau of typesetting wood from the same time. The living room is decorated with Meissen porcelain groups made in the 1770s based on models by M.V. Asier. The set of parquet flooring, made according to a drawing by A. Rinaldi, uses red and pink wood, rosewood, palm, birch, and apple.

The “Chinese” style, which was widespread in the art of palace interiors of the 18th century, was vividly embodied in the Great and Small Chinese Cabinets of the palace. A peculiar understanding of distant exotic culture by Russian and European masters was expressed in the architecture and design of the Small Chinese Cabinet, the penultimate one in the enfilade of ceremonial chambers. Its interior is in a certain contrast with the previous premises of the palace, which leave an impression of elegance, smoothness, and calm sophistication due to light colors and rounded shapes. Clear rectangular architectural planes, contrasting, sonorous colors and strict geometric patterns, combined with intricate floral patterns and finely drawn scenes from Chinese life, create the unique look of this interior.

The walls of the Cabinet are covered with green silk recreated from the surviving original samples, painted with images of exotic birds, butterflies and flowers. Lacquer furniture from China and Japan of the 18th century corresponds to the character of the decoration of the Small Chinese Cabinet: a Japanese cabinet-secretary in red lacquer with gold painting and a cabinet-chest in black lacquer with applied chased decorations, made in China.

In the mid-18th century, Russian craftsmen made a black furniture set, decorated with oriental ornaments, in the “Chinese” style. Oriental porcelain perfectly complements the decorative ensemble of the Cabinet: on the fireplace are figurines and a vase of the “green family” from the late 17th century; the console is decorated with an 18th century vase.

The floor of the Small Chinese Cabinet, made by master Jacob Lang based on a drawing by Rinaldi, is one of the best examples of inlaid parquet both in the richness of the pattern and in the brilliant mastery of the use of color shades of various types of wood - red, pink, black, brown wood, sandalwood, ebony, striped walnut, lemon, boxwood, amaranth, rosewood, birch, apple. The parquet flooring includes shaped inserts with Chinese characters and a skillful image of a low vase with a branch of a blossoming fruit tree. On the wall there is a picturesque portrait “Catherine II in front of the mirror”, an original copy of the Swedish artist Vigilius Eriksen. The office is crowned with a lampshade by G. Diziani - an allegorical image of “Fortification”.

The Small Chinese Cabinet in the 18th century also had a second name - the Bedchamber, since it precedes the bedroom of Catherine II - the Chinese Bedchamber, which opened up the small (western) enfilade of her chambers. The Chinese bedchamber also belongs to the brilliant examples of the Chinoiserie (Chinese) style. The walls of the room, covered with white satin, were painted in the “Chinese taste” in the late 1760s and early 1770s by masters Fyodor Vlasov, Fyodor Danilov (who became an academician of painting twenty years later) and Yakim Gerasimov; the paintings subtly harmonize with the design of the ceiling decorating the Bedchamber. “A graceful decorative fantasy of the 18th century” was called by A. Benois the ceiling “Chinese Sacrifice”, performed by J. Guarana - a unique theatrical composition, which is distinguished by the beauty of the design and the richness of color.

The Great Chinese Cabinet, or “Chinese Gallery,” an interior symmetrical to the Hall of the Muses, closes the front enfilade of the palace from the west. The unusually impressive and original appearance of this hall is determined by the fact that elements of the Rococo style are intertwined here in the most bizarre way with oriental motifs.

The ceiling of the Great Chinese Cabinet is decorated with a picturesque lampshade representing the allegorical image of the “Union of Europe and Asia”, which is also interpreted as the “Chinese Wedding”; its author is considered to be S. Barozzi. On the sides of the ceiling there are images of Chinese rulers, Bogdykhan and Bogdykhanshi, made using the technique of painting on a plaster base. Carved oriental ornaments, stucco images of birds and dragons on the canopies enrich the decorative palette of this unique hall, the author of the artistic design of which is S. Barozzi.

The walls of the Great Chinese Cabinet are decorated with stacked wooden panels made using the marquetry technique. A mosaic made of thin plates of different types of wood depicts gallant scenes from the life of the Chinese against the backdrop of waters and mountains, pagodas and pavilions, flowering trees, hanging shoots and flying birds. These compositions are designed not spatially, but planarly, in accordance with the canons of Chinese painting; their plots should be read from top to bottom. The panels are made of several types of wood - Karelian birch, amaranth, rosewood, Persian walnut, boxwood, maple, pear, apple, plane tree; people's faces and tree leaves are made of walrus ivory. These unique compositions were created by a group of masters led by G. Stahlmeer. Equally exotic is the inlaid parquet flooring of the Cabinet, made of more than ten types of wood, made in 1773 by I. Petersen. It is known that for the manufacture of parquet in this and other rooms of the Chinese Palace in 1771, twenty types of overseas wood were supplied from “...the store of the Office of the Building.”

As is known, in the second half of the 18th century there continued to be an intensive influx of objects of Far Eastern art into Russia, which filled special halls and cabinets of country palaces. By order of Catherine II, a special caravan was sent to China in 1762 and 1775, from where furniture was brought - tables, cabinets, screens, as well as porcelain, trays, wallpaper - to decorate the Chinese Palace, mainly the Great Chinese Cabinet. The varied furnishings of the Cabinet include Chinese black lacquer chairs with gilded ornaments, Japanese black lacquer cabinets with painting and chasing, red and black lacquer boxes and boxes, wooden sculptures - images of the god Shou Xin and the goddess Xi-Wanmu, bronze and enamel incense burners - traditional Chinese objects export, an almost obligatory element of “oriental” interiors. The mantels display exquisite Chinese and Japanese porcelain vases.

The large Chinese cabinet was used by Catherine II for card games, of which she was a big fan. In the Chamber-Fourier journal there are often entries similar to the one made on July 28, 1774: “...playing cards in the Chinese Corner on 6 tables.” The card games were attended by ambassadors of Spain, Prussia, Sweden, Saxony, France, England, Denmark and Tsesarsky (Austria), heir Pavel Petrovich and his wife, princes A. M. Golitsyn, A. A. Vyazemsky, counts G. G. Orlov, N. I. Panin, Z. G. Chernyshev, A. K. Razumovsky.

The small enfilade of Empress Catherine II, in addition to the Chinese bedchamber, consists of the Camerjungfer and Portrait. The Camerjungfer is decorated with magnificent images of the court ladies of the “Small” (Grand Duke) court, presented in fancy dress and personifying the seasons, parts of the world and the elements. These eleven portraits do not pretend to have psychological depth but are full of liveliness, their heroines are pretty and flirtatious. The author of these works is the French artist Jean de Sampsois (Sansois), who came to Russia in 1755. The images are made using a complex pastel technique - as they said in the 18th century, “dry paints”. The cool range of silver, blue, and pale pink tones allows us to convey the sophistication of the young ladies who made up the court of the heir to the throne Peter Fedorovich and his wife Ekaterina Alekseevna (the future Empress Catherine II). The fact that the portraits were ordered by Sampsua was reported in a letter from Ekaterina Alekseevna to the English ambassador Charles Williams dated September 17, 1756.

Initially, the pastel portraits were located in the Great (Menshikov) Palace of Oranienbaum. In 1820, they were restored (“corrected”) in the Imperial Hermitage, and black and gilded frames were also made. Only in 1853 did the paintings take their current place: the architect L. Bonstedt introduced them into the decoration of the Kamerungferskaya, transferring the walnut panels that had previously decorated its walls to the Boudoir on the half of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich.

In Kameryungferskaya, parquet flooring made by masters J. Lang and I. Petersen in the 1770s has been preserved; its set is composed of palm, birch, walnut, plane tree, rosewood, maple, amaranth, mahogany and rosewood.

The main decoration of the room, called the Portrait Room, or the Rotary Cabinet, are twenty-two female portraits by the Italian artist Pietro Rotari. This master of salon painting created hundreds of intimate portraits, many of which were purchased by Catherine II for her country palaces. Small paintings are mounted on the wall of the Portrait Room and connected with decorative stucco patterns. Shallow in content, but elegant and pleasing to the eye, fashionable pictures depict female half-figures and “heads”.

The small enfilade of Catherine II’s private chambers ends with her Study. A desk made in France in the mid-18th century, as well as part of a set of mid-19th century furniture made in the form of Rinaldi furniture, make up the decoration of this room. A small personal library of Northern Semiramis, as French philosophers called the Russian Empress, was kept here for a long time. In 1792, the books were transported to St. Petersburg, to the Winter Palace.

The Chinese Palace is located in the southwestern part of the Upper Park. In front of the palace there is a clearing with flower beds, and centuries-old oak trees serve as the side scenes and background. In the 18th century, the park was designed in a regular French style, and a swimming pool of regular geometric shape was “inscribed” into its composition. By the middle of the 19th century, the character of the parklands had changed: the layout became free, and the Upper Park acquired a romantic appearance. The reservoir turned into a pond, and its banks took on softer contours.

The Chinese Palace opened as a museum in 1922. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, Soviet troops defended the “Oranienbaum patch”, which did not allow the German army to occupy Oranienbaum. The damage caused by the war did not distort the appearance of his monuments, and the skillful skill of the restorers only emphasized their highest artistic merits. In the summer of 1946, the Chinese Palace was the first among other historical and artistic objects of Oranienbaum to receive visitors. In 1983, the State Museum-Reserve was created, which included three ensembles - the Big (Menshikov) Palace with the Lower Garden, Peterstadt and the Own Dacha. In 1990, due to their uniqueness, these artistic objects were included by UNESCO in the list of World Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Today in Oranienbaum, in addition to the Chinese Palace, the Grand Palace, the Palace of Peter III, the Rolling Hill Pavilion, the “Stone Hall”, and Chinese cuisine are available to the public. Getting to know these monuments provides a unique opportunity to feel the atmosphere of bygone times and become familiar with the priceless artistic heritage, world and Russian. Significant restoration work is planned for the coming years, which will allow Oranienbaum to worthily celebrate its three hundredth anniversary.

Marble

Cupid and Psyche
XVIII century
Copy from an ancient original of the 2nd century BC.
Marble

Three Graces
Unknown sculptor. France
First half of the 19th century
Copy of a marble group by J. Pilon, made for the tombstone of King Henry II, XVI century
Bronze

And she
Unknown sculptor. Italy
XVIII century
Copy from the work of L. Lotto (Lorenzetto). 16th century
Marble