PRIVATE Sightseeing Tours in St. Petersburg and Moscow

 Duration: 5 hours

 Discover a superb palace and park ensemble, dating from the late 18th to the 19th century, Pavlovsk -  a summer residence of the Russian emperor Paul I and his family. Its architects were among the greatest of the period: Cameron, Brenna, Quarenghi, Voronikhin and Rossi. The landscape park, one of the largest in Europe, covers an area of 600 hectares.

The formation of the Pavlovsk Palace collections was closely connected with the journey by its owners through Europe in 1781-82. They visited workshops of well-known artists, ordering and acquiring paintings, furniture, bronze articles, silk fabrics, china sets, etc. They also brought back to Russia a large number of antique sculptures from Italy, and gifts from European royal courts. Many of these treasures are on view, together with an excellent collection of portraits by Russian artists, and a number of Pavlovsk landscaps paintings and drawings.

After the murder of Paul in 1801, Pavlovsk became the primary residence of his widow. After her death in 1828 the palace passed to their son, Grand Duke Mikhail Petrovich. Mikhail was childless and bequeathed Pavlovsk to his nephew Konstantin Nickolaevich, who in turn left to his son, the famous poet Konstanin Konstantinovich. During this period the main building of the palace was recognised by the Romanov family as a unique artistic and historic legacy and it was preserved as a virtual museum.

Very few changes were made to the decoration and it continued to have the look and feel of the early 19th century.

After the revolution the palace passed through difficult times involving many threats to its very survival.
During WWII the palace was badly damaged and looted. It was restored after the war and is now open as a museum.

Inclusions

• Hotel pick-up and drop-off
• Transportation
• Assistance of an English-speaking guide (German, French, Italian, Spanish upon request)
• Entrance fees
• Pavlovsk Restaurant Lunch

Departure Details

• Departure Dates: WED,FR,SUN
• Departure time and location: 10:00 am; your hotel
• Return time and location: approximately 03 pm; your hotel