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A guide to the history and architecture of Petersburg and its imperial suburbs.
The Alexander Palace in Pushkin is one of the most harmonious monuments of Russian classicism and the last imperial home of the Romanov dynasty. Unlike the ceremonial Catherine Palace, it was created as a space for calm family life, comfort and personal wellbeing.
The history of the “New Palace”
The Alexander Palace was founded in 1792 by the will of Catherine II as a wedding gift to her beloved grandson — the future Emperor Alexander I. The building was designed by the architect Giacomo Quarenghi, who created an example of strict and balanced classicism with the famous double colonnade.
Despite its ceremonial architecture, the palace went down in history as the most personal and homely imperial palace. Nicholas II was born here, here he spent the last 13 years of his reign, and it was from here that in 1917 the imperial family set off into exile.
The Alexander Palace inside: revived modern
After a large-scale restoration completed in 2021, 13 private interiors of the Romanov family, restored from archival drawings and photographs, are open to visitors.
The Lilac Study — the favorite room of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, whose walls were covered with lilac-colored silk.
The Moorish Bathroom — a technical marvel of its time with a pool holding about 7,000 buckets of water.
The Maple and Rosewood Drawing Rooms - masterpieces of Art Nouveau style, where every detail of the interior was thought out to the smallest detail.
The Formal Study of Nicholas II - the place where the most important decisions of the Russian Empire were made.
Interesting facts
A technological paradise. The palace was considered the most modern building of its time: it had an elevator, a telephone, electricity and even a cinematographic apparatus.
The secret tunnel. In 1897 an underground passage was built connecting the palace with the Kitchen Wing, so that the servants could move unnoticed by the imperial family.
The myth of the metro. There is still a legend about the "first Russian metro", supposedly connecting the palaces of Tsarskoye Selo underground.
Hundreds of icons. In the bedroom of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna there were about 700 icons covering the walls of the alcove.
Surroundings and location
The Alexander Palace is located in Alexander Park - one of the most peaceful and picturesque parks of Tsarskoye Selo. Just a few minutes' walk away are the Catherine Palace, the Feodorovsky Cathedral, the Dragon Bridge and the Babolovsky Palace with its giant granite bath.
Tours
A visit to the Alexander Palace is a rare opportunity to see not the formal, but the personal side of the life of Russia's last imperial family.
Excursions to Pushkin allow you to better understand the atmosphere of palace life, stroll through historical parks and touch the authentic history of Tsarskoye Selo.
Excursion to Pushkin from Saint Petersburg
Visit Tsarskoye Selo →
