Alexander Palace
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The Alexander Palace is primarily remembered as the favourite residence of the last Russian emperor, Nicholas II, and his family. It is situated in the Alexander Park of Tsarskoye Selo, not far from St Petersburg.
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[edit] Palace under Alexander I
The Alexander Palace was constructed in the Imperial retreat of Tsarskoe Selo. It was commissioned by Catherine the Great for her favorite grandson and future emperor Alexander I of Russia.
The graceful Neoclassical edifice was originally planned by Giacomo Quarenghi for the capital, St. Petersburg so it was more ornate. When his design was implemented at Tsarskoe Selo, the ornamentation of the palace was downgraded. Many believe that this was due to tight funds in the Imperial Treasury. This did not bother Catherine as she saw it that it would give Alexander a chance to add his own detail when he came to power.
An interesting story about construction is that when the crew was excavating to start the foundation, they ran into an underground river which today runs below the simicurcular hall. Alexander used the palace as a summer residence through the remainder of his grandmother's and his father, Paul's, reign. When he became emperor, however, he chose to reside in the nearby Catherine Palace. So, he gave the palace to his brother for summer usage and from that time on, it was the summer residence of the heir to the throne.
Some of the largest changes to the palace occurred during the occupation of Nicholas I. He remodeled and modernized many of the rooms and added the famous Mountain Hall which had a large slide built in for his children with whom he spent much time.
[edit] Palace under Nicholas II
The palace is most famous though for the role it played in the reign of the last tsar, Nicholas II. He and his wife Alexandra always loved the palace and decided to make it their permanent residence after the Bloody Sunday which made Winter Palace odious to them. They remodeled the former two-story ballroom into the Maple Room[1] and the New Study[2] and added rooms for their children on the floor above. To the horror of the court, Alexandra, and her architect Meltzer, chose a then-modern style of decoration, Jugendstil, considered by the aristocracy to be "middle class" and less than "Imperial". One of these most famous rooms is Alexandra's Mauve Room [3].
The Imperial Family was under house arrest here before they were moved to Siberia. After their assassination, the palace was turned into a museum, then into a "resort" for government officials before it had to be evacuated because of the approaching Nazi German forces. During the Nazi occupation, it was used as a hospital and gestapo office, whereas its cellars housed a prison.
As the Nazi German forces were leaving Russia, many of the suburban palaces were set ablaze. Alexander palace was spared. The palace was used a depot for artworks coming back into the area but, it was later decided not to turn it back into a museum and it was given to the Navy. It also functioned as an orphanage, although the children housed there managed to destroy parts of the second floor where the rooms of the Tsar's five children were located. The palace is currently partially restored. Nicholas and Alexandra's private wing is open to the public and contains exhibitions in rooms including some original exhibits. It is worth a visit.
[edit] See also
- Chinese Village - a piece of Chinoiserie in the Alexander Palace Park
- Catherine Palace - another great palace in Tsarskoe Selo
- Gatchina - summer residence of Nicholas II's parents
