Rossi Pavilion
The Rossi Pavilion (
The site now occupied by the pavilion was previously the location of one of the city's early imperial palaces, the Golden Mansion of
Location and design
The pavilion sits in the northern end of the Mikhailovsky Garden, on the southern bank of the
The site of the pavilion had previously been occupied by the Golden Mansion of Empress Catherine, the wife of Peter the Great. The garden had been granted by Peter to Catherine in 1712 for her residence, which was a relatively small wooden construction, receiving its name from its golden spire, with some rooms decorated with gilded leather. It was demolished on the orders of Catherine the Great in 1768.[5][6]
Construction and history
The pavilion formed part of the general reconstruction of the garden and its surrounding areas, begun in 1817 under the orders of Emperor Alexander I. The centrepiece was to be a new palace complex for his younger brother, Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich. The palace was designed by Rossi, while the plans for the garden were drawn up by Rossi and Adam Menelaws, and approved by the emperor in April 1822.[5][7] The garden plans followed the style and techniques of English landscape gardens, which had become internationally popular in the eighteenth century.[7] The existing ponds were reshaped into more natural meandering outlines and picturesque groups of trees supplemented the plantings along the pathways. The pavilion and its pier, designed by Rossi and completed in 1825, formed part of this ensemble, and was intended "for romantic meetings on summer evenings over a cup of tea or playing cards".[5][7] Rossi himself designed the railings for the pier, which were cast by the Aleksandrovsky Iron Foundry .[5] A surviving description of the two rooms of the pavilion records that in one "the ceiling is painted with lemon-coloured figures and arabesques. The arches above the door, windows and mirrors are painted stucco work ... The walls are painted yellow ... The furniture is mahogany ... the upholstery of blue calico with yellow flowers." In the other, the walls are green, "the ceiling is painted with green figures and arabesques, the mahogany furniture is covered with green chintz with yellow flowers."[5]
The pavilion was included in restoration work, carried out between 2002 and 2004, which restored the gardens to Rossi's original designs. During this time a bust of Rossi, a copy of a work by Nikolai Pimenov, was installed in the pavilion.[4][5] On 10 July 2001 the pavilion was designated "an object of historical and cultural heritage of federal significance."[8]
References
- ^ Boglachev, S. V. "Михайловский сад". encspb.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- ^ a b "Павильон Росси". visit-petersburg.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 31 July 2019.
- ^ "Павильон Росси в Михайловском саду". citywalls.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 31 July 2019.
- ^ a b "Павильон Росси". ipetersburg.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 31 July 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "Михайловский сад". walkspb.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- ^ "Michael Garden". saint-petersburg.com. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
- ^ a b c "Михайловский сад". Gardens of the Russian Museum (in Russian). Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. Retrieved 31 July 2019.