Pavlovsk
31F
Catherine the Great despised her son/future heir to the imperial thrown, Paul, so much so that while she was empress, she constructed a palace deep in the woods on the outskirts of St Petersburg where he and his wife were to live. The main estate is much more modest than grandeur that can be found at the Winter Palace, a clear demonstration of the tension that existed between Catherine and her son. When Paul ascended to the throne, he renovated Pavlovsk, transforming it from a place of exile to an imperial retreat. During WWII, the palace was nearly destroyed and its treasures looted by German soldiers. After extensive renovations, it has reopened as a publicly accessible museum.
The CIEE group met at the Pushkinskaya Metro stop and bought tickets at an incredible train station just around the corner. On the way out to Pavlovsk, the train passed through vast areas of frozen steppe dotted with weekend dachas. This environment stood in stark contrast to the densely populated streets of St Petersburg.
After an hour long ride on a train that looked like it was ripped from 1954 we arrived in Pavlovsk.. The palace at sits in the middle of an enormous park with winding paths and man-made canals. Regal pine trees tower over the path that leads from the train station to the center of the estate, with stands of birch providing the base of the forest. The scenery was gorgeous, but I spent half the time on my butt because the paths were completely iced over and covered with a thin layer of powdery snow.
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1 Comments:
Nice description. I'm a little disappointed after waiting for a week, but I forgive you. I take it to mean that you're having a fantastic time, which is far more important anyway.
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