The city of Pushkin (formerly Tsarskoye Selo, until 1918) is a city in the Pushkin district of the federal city of St. Petersburg.
Until 1918, Tsarskoye Selo was an imperial country ceremonial residence, which housed palaces with beautiful adjacent parks.
And today, the city of Pushkin already keeps within its borders the restored palace and park ensemble of the 18th and 19th centuries.
The most picturesque and visited parks, not only in the city of Pushkin, but also in the whole of St. Petersburg, are the Catherine and Alexander parks with the palaces of the same name.
Catherine Park
Catherine Park is a large park that is the dominant feature of the Tsarskoye Selo complex, as well as one of the most picturesque and visited parks in St. Petersburg.
The name" Catherine " park was named after the Catherine Palace located in the park, named in honor of Catherine I.
The compositional center of the park's ensemble is the Great Tsarskoye Selo (Catherine) Palace, which is a magnificent example of Russian Baroque with luxurious interior decorations in the spirit of the Elizabethan and Catherine eras with unique works of fine and applied art.
In the palace (for a fee) you can visit the restored palace halls, as well as (for a fee) - the church of the Catherine Palace (Resurrection of Christ) and the memorial museum-lyceum, located in the palace wings. Learn more about the Catherine Palace…
The Catherine Palace is adjacent to the Catherine Park of the same name, which has an area of more than 100 hectares.
The park consists of two parts: a regular Old Garden and a landscape English park.
On the territory of the Catherine Park there are: pavilions, some of which now contain museums, sculptures, monuments and bridges erected in various architectural styles, as well as piers, ponds, flower beds, alleys and walking paths with places for recreation.
Entrance to the park is paid. Learn more about the Catherine Park…
Alexander Park
The Alexander Park, which has an area of about 200 hectares, is adjacent to the Catherine Park and the palace. and consisting of a New garden (a regular part of the park with a geometrically correct layout) and a Landscape Park.
The main dominant feature of the park is the Alexander Palace, which is one of the best creations of classical architecture.
The palace was built by order of Empress Catherine II as a gift for the wedding of her grandson, Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich (the future Emperor Alexander I) with Grand Duchess Elizabeth Alekseevna.
Within the walls of the palace there are: A corner living room, a hall with a slide, a Library, a State office of Nicholas II, a Moorish lavatory, a study, a Reception Room of Nicholas II, Bedrooms, a Lilac study of Alexandra Feodorovna, a Rosewood reception room of Alexandra Feodorovna, a Maple living room, etc.
In addition to the palace, there are: pavilions located on the territory of the Alexander Park, one of which now houses museum (Arsenal), the White Tower complex, monuments and bridges erected in various architectural styles, as well as ponds, low hills, natural forest areas, alleys and walking paths with places to relax.
The entrance to the Alexander Park, with the exception of the entrance to the palace and the Arsenal pavilion-Museum, is free (free). Learn more about the Alexander Park and the Alexander Palace…
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For more information about the objects of the Tsarskoye Selo Museum-Reserve, opening hours, ticket prices, places and conditions for purchasing them and visiting the objects of the museum-reserve, we recommend checking on the website of the State Museum-Reserve "Tsarskoye Selo": tzar.ru. Learn more about the Tsarskoye Selo Museum-Reserve…
Other parks in Pushkin
There are other, less well-known and visited parks in Pushkin.
Babolovsky Park
Babolovsky Park is located between the southern part of the city of Pushkin and Alexandrovskaya.
Today Babolovsky Park is a public park with natural vegetation.
The main attraction of the park is the Babolovsky Palace - a bath pavilion of ten rooms, built in 1785 in the "Gothic taste" for Grigory Potemkin.
The palace is best known for its monumental granite bath - the "Tsar Bath", created by Samson Sukhanov in the 1820s.
The Babolovsky Palace was destroyed at the end of the Great Patriotic War, and is currently in a ruined state (restoration work is underway, the approximate completion date is October 2028).
Coordinates of the Babolovsky Palace: 59°42'31.0"N 30°20'39.0"E (59.708611, 30.344167).
The entrance to the park is free (free of charge).
Babolovsky Park is also part of the State Museum-Reserve "Tsarskoye Selo".
Separate (Lower) park
The park is also known as Kolonistsky, because it is located near the Kolonistsky Pond.
The background of the park is connected with the creation of a Colonist pond, which was dug in 1824-1825 by the Scottish architect Adam Adamovich Menelas to drain the area.
The park near the pond was laid out in 1830-1840.
The name "Separate" park was given because it is located separately (separately, independently) from other Tsarskoye Selo parks that are adjacent to each other (Catherine, Alexander and Babolovsky parks).
There are no attractions in the park. There are walking paths through the park. In summer, picnics are arranged in the park, people walk and swim in the pond, and on snowy winter days they go skiing.
The lower park begins on the left side of Sofia Boulevard and extends to Pavlovsk.
Farm Park
The so-called Farm Park, which is a meadow with a forest belt, was originally laid out near the Alexander Park around the Imperial Farm and was intended for walking cattle. A pond was built for watering cattle, which now has the name Bucket.
The park is located near the Farm road and the Feodorovsky town.
On the territory of the park there are:
- the complex of the Imperial Farm, which was erected by A. A. Menelas in 1818-1828 and consisted of a pavilion of the highest presence, a dairy, a cowshed, sheds for merinos, a caretaker's house and other buildings on the meadows of the park adjacent to the complex of the Imperial Farm, where cattle were grazed.
At present, the best preserved buildings of the Imperial Farm are the Cowshed building and the Caretaker's House, built of red brick.
Now the Equestrian Complex of the museum-reserve is located on part of the territory of the former Imperial Farm;
- The military chamber, which is a monument of architecture of the neo-Russian style and consists of a complex of buildings, in the center of which there is a courtyard.
The military history museum "Russia in the Great War", dedicated to the participation of the Russian Empire in the First World War, is located within the walls of the military chamber.
Entrance to the museum is paid. Read more about the Military Chamber and the Museum with photos…
- The Feodorovsky Sovereign's Cathedral, erected by 1912 on the shore of the Bucket Pond by decree of Emperor Nicholas II.
Buffer Park
Buffer Park is the city's and the youngest of Pushkin's parks.
The park was created in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
It consists of green meadows with trees and five ponds; a grove of the 300th anniversary of Tsarskoye Selo and the remains of the "Imperial Way" bridge, which was once located on the territory of the future park.
The buffer park is located at the entrance to Pushkin, from the side of the Petersburg highway.
Green areas near the Lower Ponds
Near the two Lower Cascade Ponds, which are adjacent to the Catherine Park and are part of the five Lower Ponds (three of which are located on the territory of the Catherine Park), there are small green areas with walking paths.
The ponds were formed in the early 18th century thanks to dams built on a small stream. In the middle of the 18th century, the ponds received a regular shape, and in 1775-1778, under the leadership of engineer I. K. Gerard and architect V. I. Neelov, work was carried out to strengthen and deepen the ponds, the banks of which were given natural outlines. Bridges between ponds are bridges-dams.
The two Lower ponds stretch from Sadovaya Street (Pavlovskaya Dam). The ponds are called Jordan and Kupalny. The ponds are separated by a bridge-dam across Sovetsky Lane (Sovetskaya / Pashkovskaya Dam).
There are several significant sights of the city on the banks of the ponds: Pushkin House of Culture (Concert Hall), Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Resurrection of Christ with a museum and Wedding Palace (formerly Reserve Palace / Kochubeya).
Central square and garden
In addition to parks, two squares located in the historical center of the city are particularly popular in Pushkin:
- Cathedral Square with the Catherine Cathedral;
- Lyceum garden with a monument to A.S. Pushkin and a small Znamenskaya church.
Pavlovsky Park and the Pavlovsky Palace
Nearby in Pushkin is the city of Pavlovsk, which attracts with a large landscape Pavlovsky Park with the Pavlovsky Palace, which is a monument of Russian classicism of the late 18th - early 19th centuries with collections of Russian, Western European and antique art.
The area of the park is about 600 hectares. The park is a unique monument of landscape art of the late 18th-early 19th centuries and together with the Pavlovsky Palace forms a single artistic palace and park ensemble. Its history begins with the foundation of Pavlovsk in 1777 on the place where there were originally forest lands, where royal hunts were arranged.
In addition to the palace, there areponds and bridges, cascades, pavilions, monuments and other attractions in the park.
Entrance to the park and the palace is paid.
The park and the palace are part of the Pavlovsk State Museum-Reserve. Website: pavlovskmuseum.
Practical information
You can find out about all the ways to get to Pushkin from St. Petersburg (the airport and the city center) here →
You can visit Pushkin (Tsarskoe Selo) with one of the excursions
The 5-star Pevcheskaya Tower Hotel offers restaurants, a bar, a rooftop observation deck, free Wi-Fi and parking.
Breakfast is included in the room rate. Link to the hotel
The 5-star luxury spa hotel "Tsar Palace Luxury Hotel & SPA" is located in a historic building.
At the hotel: spa center with swimming pool, hammam, salt sauna, snow fountain, steam baths and gym; free Wi-Fi, 24-hour front desk, 2 restaurants, lobby bar, private parking and meeting and conference rooms.
The rooms are equipped with climate control, a minibar, a safe and a private bathroom.
A buffet breakfast is included in the room rate. Link to the hotel
3-star hotel Ekaterina, located on the territory of the Catherine Palace and Park Ensemble.
At the hotel: 24-hour front desk, cafe, free Wi-Fi and parking.
The rooms are equipped with: air conditioning, TV, work desk and free toiletries.
Breakfast is included in the room rate. Link to the hotel
All accommodation facilities in St. Petersburg, including in the city center, in Pushkin and in Pavlovsk, can be viewed and booked here
