ВИДЕОЭКСКУРСИЯ. ЕКАТЕРИНИНСКИЙ ДВОРЕЦ. ВТОРАЯ ЧАСТЬ

Friends, on April 29th, we invite you to join a tour of the Catherine Palace. Together with guide Elena Bushina, we will explore the interiors designed by the architect Charles Cameron, including the Arabesque and Lyons Halls. The tour begins at 3:00 PM. In the first part of the Catherine Palace tour (   • ОНЛАЙН-ТРАНСЛЯЦИЯ. ЕКАТЕРИНИНСКИЙ ДВОРЕЦ  ), we visited the state rooms, walked through the Golden Enfilade, and learned the history of the world-famous Amber Room. These magnificent halls are primarily associated with Elizabeth Petrovna and Francesco Rastrelli. What we will discuss at our next meeting is a different era, style, and philosophy. It is connected with Catherine II and Charles Cameron. Cameron was hailed as a master of exceptional talent, one of the most talented architects of classical architecture in Great Britain and Russia, and a striking example of the interaction of Russian and European cultures in the second half of the 19th century. Among the architect's works at Tsarskoye Selo are the ensemble comprising the Cold Baths pavilion with the Agate Rooms, the Cameron Gallery, and the Ramp; the Chinese Village complex in Alexander Park; Catherine II's private and state apartments in the Zubovsky Wing; and Pavel Petrovich's apartments in the northern part of the Catherine Palace. We will discuss the Arabesque and Lyons Halls – interiors created by Charles Cameron on the site of the fourth and fifth antechambers. The Arabesque Hall became one of the most spectacular state rooms in Catherine II's palace. The main motifs here are graceful and intricate ornamental paintings – arabesques. The Lyons Hall received its name from the silk on its walls, which was produced in Lyons. The interior was part of the palace's grand suite, necessitating a particularly luxurious finish. A rare, refined effect was achieved by combining "golden" silk with blue lapis lazuli décor. The artisans used nearly one and a half tons of stone for the lapis lazuli trim, while "multicolored, foreign woods of 12 varieties" and mother-of-pearl were used in the door and parquet decoration. The tour includes the Green Dining Room, the State Blue Drawing Room, the Chinese Blue Drawing Room, the Choir Room, Maria Feodorovna's Bedchamber, the Sculpture Room, and the Painting Room. These interiors were among the private rooms of Pavel Petrovich (Emperor Paul I) and his wife, Maria Feodorovna. In these exquisite spaces, Cameron creatively embodied the legacy of antiquity and, using traditional finishes, achieved an extraordinary artistic effect. Each interior has its own artistic expression and unique color scheme.