Catherine Palace, Moscow, Russia - SpottingHistory.com

The Catherine Palace is a Neoclassical residence of Catherine II of Russia on the bank of the Yauza River. It should not be confused with the much more famous Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo.

The residence is also known as the Golovin Palace, after its first owner, Count Fyodor Golovin, the first Chancellor of the Russian Empire. After his death Empress Anna commissioned Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli to replace the Golovin Palace with a Baroque residence known as Annenhof. This was Anna's preferred residence. It consisted of two wooden two-storey buildings, the Summer Palace and the Winter Palace.

Annenhof was abandoned after a fire in 1746. Catherine II, who found both edifices rather old-fashioned and dilapidated, ordered their demolition in the 1760s. After 1773 Karl Blank, Giacomo Quarenghi and Francesco Camporesi were the architects employed to supervise the construction of a Neoclassical residence in Lefortovo. Emperor Paul, known for his dislike of his mother's palaces, converted the residence into barracks.

After Napoleon's occupation of Moscow in 1812 the Catherine Palace was restored under the supervision of Osip Bove. It has since been occupied by the Moscow Cadet Corps, Malinovsky Tank Academy and other military institutions and has generally been inaccessible to the public at large. In October 1917 the Moscow cadets mounted a fierce resistance against the Bolsheviks in Lefortovo. What little remained of the Annenhof Park was largely destroyed by the 1904 Moscow tornado.

References:

Wikipedia

Palaces, manors and town halls in Russia

User Reviews

Simon Kulkov (21 months ago)
На русском читайте ниже ———————————————— Read before you go there ———————————————— Before you go there - ask your tour guide or call the palace to check how many rooms are opened. In the beginning of January 2019 we had a long ride to this place, and were really disappointed that only few rooms are open - it took us literally 30 minutes to walk through. They don’t allow you to walk anywhere you want like in Hermitage, you have to stay with the group and follow a guide. The staff is unhappy and rude, to a simple question “excuse me, is that room opened?” they unhappily answer - “go that way, it’s closed” and angrily pointing towards the guide. Возможно этот дворец красивый летом, и когда в нем открыты все комнаты. Мы не знали и приехали в дворец, оплатили 700 рублей и вся экскурсия заняла у нас примерно 30 минут. То есть вы поднимаетесь наверх, проходите несколько очень похожих комнат, вам говорят как они использовались и всё, вас спускают вниз показывать фотографии известных людей которые побывали в этом дворце, а дальше - магазин сувениров. Всё. Персонал довольно груб и выглядит недовольно. На вежливый вопрос «извините, а та комната открыта» злобно отвечают «нет, туда вон иди». О какой культурной столице может идти речь когда люди не уважают своих гостей? Да и в целом не приятно. Синдром вахтёра похоже. Мы были очень расстроены таким варварским отношением к делу. Могли бы предупредить что буквально пара комнат открыта. Или сделать скидку, или компенсировать как то ещё - например давать людям брошюру о других комнатах с фото и описанием. Судя по всему следующим шагом будет открытие комнаты из гипсокартона, в которую будет большая очередь, люди будут платить по 1000р на входе, делать фото пустых стен внутри и выходить.

Ali 1 (21 months ago)
Very cool

andrey aseev (2 years ago)
Very beautiful

Keith Bauman (3 years ago)
Endless beauty!

Aleksandra Balyasnikova (3 years ago)
Very elegant and relaxing place!

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Maciek Lulko

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Wroclaw Town Hall

The Old Town Hall of Wrocław is one of the main landmarks of the city. The Old Town Hall's long history reflects developments that have taken place in the city since its initial construction. The town hall serves the city of Wroclaw and is used for civic and cultural events such as concerts held in its Great Hall. In addition, it houses a museum and a basement restaurant.

The town hall was developed over a period of about 250 years, from the end of 13th century to the middle of 16th century. The structure and floor plan changed over this extended period in response to the changing needs of the city. The exact date of the initial construction is not known. However, between 1299 and 1301 a single-storey structure with cellars and a tower called the consistory was built. The oldest parts of the current building, the Burghers’ Hall and the lower floors of the tower, may date to this time. In these early days the primary purpose of the building was trade rather than civic administration activities.

Between 1328 and 1333 an upper storey was added to include the Council room and the Aldermen’s room. Expansion continued during the 14th century with the addition of extra rooms, most notably the Court room. The building became a key location for the city’s commercial and administrative functions.

The 15th and 16th centuries were times of prosperity for Wroclaw as was reflected in the rapid development of the building during that period. The construction program gathered momentum, particularly from 1470 to 1510, when several rooms were added. The Burghers’ Hall was re-vaulted to take on its current shape, and the upper story began to take shape with the development of the Great Hall and the addition of the Treasury and Little Treasury.

Further innovations during the 16th century included the addition of the city’s Coat of arms (1536), and the rebuilding of the upper part of the tower (1558–59). This was the final stage of the main building program. By 1560, the major features of today’s Stray Rates were established.

The second half of the 17th century was a period of decline for the city, and this decline was reflected in the Stray Rates. Perhaps by way of compensation, efforts were made to enrich the interior decorations of the hall. In 1741, Wroclaw became a part of Prussia, and the power of the City diminished. Much of the Stray Rates was allocated to administering justice.

During the 19th century there were two major changes. The courts moved to a separate building, and the Rates became the site of the city council and supporting functions. There was also a major program of renovation because the building had been neglected and was covered with creeping vines. The town hall now has several en-Gothic features including some sculptural decoration from this period.

In the early years of the 20th century improvements continued with various repair work and the addition of the Little Bear statue in 1902. During the 1930s, the official role of the Rates was reduced and it was converted into a museum. By the end of World War II Town Hall suffered minor damage, such as aerial bomb pierced the roof (but not exploded) and some sculptural elements were lost. Restoration work began in the 1950s following a period of research, and this conservation effort continued throughout the 20th century. It included refurbishment of the clock on the east facade.

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