Hall of Muses Chinese Palace. Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum

Tatyana Syasina

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The fate of one of the main masterpieces of Russian decorating art of the 18th century - the Bugle Cabinet is unusual. Located in the front suite of the Chinese Palace, it was conceived as the main audience hall of Catherine II in Oranienbaum. This amazing, one-of-a-kind interior is considered to be an unsurpassed example of the Rococo style in Russia, main feature which was the use of attributes of Chinese art.

The period of creation of the Bugle Cabinet is the time of passion for oriental exoticism. The fashion for everything “Chinese”, which came to Russia from Western Europe as early as the beginning of the 18th century, was reflected in the creation of not only individual rooms or offices in the chinoiserie style (translated from French as “Chinese”), but also entire architectural ensembles built in Oranienbaum to please and at the whim of Empress Catherine the Great.

The very idea of ​​\u200b\u200bbuilding a "house in the Upper Garden", as they called Chinese palace in the 18th century, arose from the future empress during her youth: “I then took it into my head to build a garden for myself in Oranienbaum, and since I knew that the Grand Duke would not give me a single piece of land for this, I asked the Golitsyn princes to sell or give me the space of one hundred sazhens of uncultivated and long-abandoned land that was with them very close to Oranienbaum<...>I began to make plans for how to build and plant, and since this was my first planting and building venture, it took quite a lot of planning.<...>

Catherine entrusted the implementation of her plan to the Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi (1709/1710-1794). A student of the outstanding architect Luigi Vanvitelli, after moving to St. Petersburg, he quickly won the favor of the future empress. The projects of the Italian, made in accordance with all the latest fashion trends, favorably differed by their undoubted elegance and even some refinement. Catherine, tired of the pomp and pomp of the Elizabethan court, wanted to become a trendsetter in European fashion and create something that would testify to her refined taste and intellect. Taking an active part in the implementation of the plan, she personally monitored all stages of work and even controlled the purchase of objects of applied art.

HER. MEYER. Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum. 1840s
Paper, watercolor

The 18th century, which gave us the idle and sensual style of Rococo, the aesthetics of which included the creation of a new refined and courtly culture, assigned a special role to the weaker sex. It was the ladies at that time who became the rulers of thoughts, ideas and court etiquette. The palace erected in Oranienbaum was an example of the taste preferences and hobbies of an amazing and ambiguous woman, who at the same time could combine a penchant for constant pleasures with exorbitant hard work, and the greatness of the monarchine with simplicity in everyday life. A lover of “building and planting”, Ekaterina will create many palaces and parks in her life, but it was here, in Oranienbaum, that her very first bold ideas and dreams came true. Undoubtedly, the idea of ​​​​creating an interior made almost entirely of glass also belonged to the Empress. Rooms with decorative glass beads and embroidery already existed in Europe, and Catherine herself in her childhood could see a similar one in the castle in Arnstadt. However, the scope and luxury of what was conceived in Oranienbaum could not be compared with what was previously performed.

With the help of the architect Antonio Rinaldi, the future empress managed to bring to life the project of not only the palace, but also a whole complex of buildings of various purposes, which later became known as “Own Dacha”. Thanks to the album of the architect that has come down to us and the axonometric plans of 1775, made by P.-A. de Saint-Hilaire, one can imagine the whole scale and grandeur of the created residence. In addition to the main building - the palace - on the territory of the Own Dacha, Rolling Hills with a pavilion were erected, greenhouses appeared, a park with many entertainment buildings.

Both parts of the garden - both the eastern one, with a complex radial layout, and the western one, with whimsical winding paths - amazed the imagination. Repeatedly intersecting alleys turned the space into a huge labyrinth, in which, however, it was impossible to get lost. The paths certainly led to small cozy cavalier and Chinese houses, intended for love dates. Openwork "Chinese" arbors - there were eighteen of them, in the drawing of P.-A. de Saint-Hilaire, they are called "summer Chinese studies" - they were disposed to having dinner outdoors. Near Katalnaya Gora, a water labyrinth was arranged with figured ponds with many islands connected by 17 bridges with five pavilions. To the north of them, for theatrical costumed celebrations in the spirit of the gallant 18th century, long carousel galleries were built, apparently intended for horse races, which imitated medieval knightly tournaments. ("Chinese" pavilions and galleries were dismantled in 1792.)

Buildings, elements and compositional techniques, made in the style of chinoiserie, helped to create the effect of escaping from real life in fairy world dreams and fantasies, turning the palace park into a magical land.

Much of what was created according to Catherine's plans was lost over time, but the main building of the residence - the Chinese Palace with its luxurious interior decoration - was saved by fate from destruction and oblivion.

Hidden in the depths of the park, the palace at first surprises with the simplicity and severity of its external appearance. Nothing even remotely resembling "Chinese" is caught in the exterior of the building. Deprived of splendor and monumentality on the outside, inside it amazes with elegance and sophistication of design. The architecture itself here acquires the softness of transitions of various complex structural forms. Corners and walls are smoothly rounded. Increasing in size, padugs decorated with artistic modeling play a significant role. Here, the baroque principle of enfilade arrangement of rooms is still preserved, but there is no longer the impression of the infinity of the gallery, so characteristic of the work of architects of the previous era. Each room has its own solution, and most importantly, in the interior decor of the Chinese Palace, we see a combination of various materials and various textures - this is lacquer, porcelain, glass beads, embroidery, smalt, walrus bone, wood carving, typesetting floors, picturesque ceiling lamps, thin low-relief molding various patterns, gilding and, of course, artificial marble (stucco).

Elements of imitation of oriental art - images of smoking oriental incense burners, gushing fountains, trellis, magic birds, Chinese hats, umbrellas and fans - are found in almost all the interiors of the palace, both in the painting of the pictorial decoration and in the design of the stucco compositions. The most striking oriental motifs are embodied in the interiors located in the western part of the palace, on the half of Catherine II. Thanks to the name of these rooms - Big and Small Chinese cabinets, Chinese bedchamber - by the end of the 18th century, the name “Chinese” appeared at the “newly built house” of the Empress.

Speaking about the influence of the East, it is impossible not to talk about the Bugle Cabinet of Catherine II, which has almost completely preserved its original decoration. Created in the era of the refined Rococo style, its interior reflects the very idea of ​​the “gallant age”, where a person does not know boredom and fatigue, where everything strives for carelessness, pleasure and unrestrained fun.

“Unlike anything”, “amazing”, “fabulous” - there are many epithets, but none of them can convey the magical feeling that comes when you visit the mysterious, enchanting office of Catherine. It is here that the very “sense of history” arises, when it seems that the Empress will now enter here and we will hear the voices and laughter of the courtiers accompanying her.

Rocaille ornamentation with an abundance of vegetative décor and the use of delicate pastel colors gives the cabinet decoration festivity, elegance, sophistication and lightness. Its decoration reflected the fascination of that time with “Chinese”. True, the task here was not so much to show the life of the East in its real incarnation, but, using objects and elements of oriental decor, to convey one's idea of ​​those distant countries that few people have visited. Imitation of the so-called "Chinese style" helped to achieve a fantasy, almost fabulous atmosphere in the perception of decorativeness.

The glass-beared room (later it became known as the “study”) got its name from the panels that adorn its three walls. There are twelve of them - ten large panels and two desuportes, two more were made to decorate the fireplace screen. The basis of these decorative paintings is an unbleached canvas (16 cells in one centimeter of fabric), on which glass beads are sewn - cylindrical tubes of milky glass of various lengths (from 2-3 to 15 mm) with a hair hole inside, and embroidery is also made with multi-colored fleecy silk - chenille (from the French "chenille"). The bugle itself has a pearl hue and is sewn to the base with a single thread of canvas, while the tubes are parallel to each other so that each subsequent protrudes slightly, and the viewer does not have the impression of strict vertical lines. Thanks to this technique, an additional flickering effect is achieved due to the play of reflected light.

Bugles are only a background that emphasizes and enhances the impression of the embroidery itself, made with amazing skill and grace: on a sparkling background framed by floral ornaments, there are bizarre decorative compositions depicting fabulous birds in a fantastic landscape. Decorative elements include the invariable attributes of the "Chinese": light umbrellas, bridges, pagodas, trellis and arbors entwined with flowers, and the birds themselves vaguely resemble the paintings of birds on vases brought from this distant country. On the panel there are many images of one of the most important mascots of China - bells. Hung in the garden or in the house, they attracted good luck, success and harmony, while emitting a subtle chime that delights the ear and is designed to bring a feeling of complete harmony. Twisted fleecy silk creates the impression of a three-dimensional pattern of not only the plumage of birds, but also the entire decorative ornament. The choice of the color palette of silk threads is also impeccable. In contrast to the cold shine of the glass beads, the embroidery is done in soft pastel colors, among which golden-beige is dominant.

Cardboard drawings for glass-beaded panels were made in 1762 by the “free master of painting” Serafino Barozzi, who worked in St. Petersburg for more than 10 years - from the late 1750s to 1771. The panels were embroidered for two years, from July 1762 to April 1764, by nine Russian gold embroiderers: Anna Andreeva, Avdotya Loginova, Avdotya Petrova, Tatyana and Lukerya Kusovs, Praskovya and Matryona Petrovs, Cleopatra Danilova, Marya Ivanova under the direction of the former actress of the French troupe Maria de Chel. (De Chelle is her stage name, her real surname is Foch.) Just one month after her accession to the throne, Catherine II issues a decree "on the return of the gold embroiderers who were at the court to look after and to correct their position to Madame de Chelle." In February 1763, Catherine II pays Maria de Chelle "for all the work done 4100 rubles", and in May 1764 imposes a resolution: "Give 1000 rubles for work and let go to the fatherland ...".

Bugle was made on the basis of the Russian scientist M.V. Lomonosov in the vicinity of Oranienbaum, the Ust-Ruditskaya mosaic factory, which at that time produced a variety of glass products, including beads and glass beads. To create the panel, more than 2,000,000 pearl-colored glass tubes with different shades were used: pink, yellowish, light green. Compared to the money paid for embroidery work, the price of glass beads looks negligible. By decree of Catherine II in 1765 M.V. Lomonosov was paid "18 rubles for glass beads made at his factory for decorating a summer house." (The only summer house under construction for the Empress at that time was the Chinese Palace.)

All panels, like paintings, are enclosed in carved gilded frames in the form of tree trunks, palm trees, entwined with acanthus leaves and flowers. The relief of the carving is very deep and complex, because some leaves extend from the trunk by 15-20 centimeters. The frames of five panels are topped with ten figures of dragons - the invariable attributes of the interior in the chinoiserie style. These fabulous creatures seem to guard the peace and prosperity of the magical garden depicted on the walls.

From the documents of 1763 it is known that the carver Ivan Selivanov was seconded from the Office of the Buildings to Oranienbaum. In the report of 1764-1765 on the Own Dacha, the titular adviser Andrey Snetkov noted “for carved work in two rooms, in which there will be French and Chinese wallpapers, and for the carved canapes and chairs made” to pay 3845 rubles. At the same time, for 250 rubles, under another contract, the “carving master” Knikhin worked.

Gilding work was carried out by apprentices from the team of Jacobo Martini: Gavriil Tubolkin, Nikolai Kholshchevnikov, Mikhail Krivonogov and others. Thanks to the use of two techniques for applying gilding to frames - glue gilding and gilding on polyment - the craftsmen achieved a new decorative effect for that time, where matte and shiny surfaces alternated. The surface of the floor and the lower part of the cabinet panels in the 18th century, made of ocher, blue and azure smalt, was made of glass. According to the idea of ​​Antonio Rinaldi, three smalt tables were created for this interior, the surface of which was typed in the Florentine mosaic technique and decorated with semi-precious Ural stones. These works were carried out by masters of the Peterhof Lapidary Factory under the direction of Jacobo Martini. The beauty and singularity of the interior, almost entirely made of glass, could not leave anyone indifferent.

The composition of the molding of the ceiling and the panel above the fireplace is in complete unity with the nature of the embroidery and carving patterns. Enchanting, made by Alberto Gianni in the technique of plaster molding, the finish becomes the perfect frame for the ceiling "Fortune and Envy" by Gaspare Diziani. In allegorical form, the author depicts the struggle of two opposite principles: the light, good - in the form of the goddess of fate Fortune and the dark, evil - in the form of the figure of Envy. Moreover, Envy is depicted defeated at the feet of Fortune. The choice of plot, apparently, is not accidental - this is an instruction to those who came here and were impressed by the brilliance and luxury of the decoration of these apartments. And there were a lot of guests here. True, it has always been a chosen circle. From the moment of the grand opening of the palace, which took place on July 27, 1768, Catherine II invited her closest people here and gave audiences to ambassadors. During their official visits, the palace was visited by the Prussian prince Heinrich and the Swedish king Gustav III. On July 27, 1774, the empress gave an audience to the Austrian ambassador, Prince Lobkowicz, in the Glass Cabinet. She was well aware of the exquisite luxury and artistic value of the interior of her "rare precious toy", and she was especially pleased to see the admiration of foreign guests.

After the death of Catherine II, great celebrations still took place in the Chinese Palace, accompanied by a display of the Bugle Cabinet. So, in 1818, a ball was held here in honor of the arrival in Oranienbaum of the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm III on the occasion of the birth of his grandson, the future Russian Emperor Alexander II. However, there were fewer and fewer guests - constantly changing owners rarely visited the palace.

In 1831, Oranienbaum, together with the Chinese Palace, was transferred to the sole possession of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich. With the advent of the new mistress, the wife of Grand Duke Elena Pavlovna, the second, no less significant stage in the life of the Bugle Cabinet began - it is undergoing one of its first restorations, as a result of which the azure panels that have become completely unusable and the famous “mosaic work” smalt floor . The Grand Duchess tried to carry out her transformations in the Chinese Palace with restraint and accuracy, so the original plan of the architect Antonio Rinaldi is preserved during the reconstruction. In the course of the work, master Gyuton creates a wooden parquet that completely repeats the pattern of the previous smalt floor. As for the panels themselves, the renovations also affected them. Apparently, due to the impossibility of completely cleaning the canvases from the impurities that have appeared and in an attempt to give brightness to the faded and burnt silk threads, the priceless embroidery is painted with bright colors. After such an “update”, the volume of the pattern disappears, and raspberry becomes the dominant color of the interior. It is this color that is used when dyeing embroidered flowers and decorative panel ornaments. A furniture set upholstered in raspberry fabric appears in the interior, curtains on the windows are sewn from the same color of matter, and, as a result, since 1862, along with the old name, a new one has come into use - “Raspberry Cabinet”. In 1897, the name changed again - now the office is referred to as the "Beaded Room".

After the death of Elena Pavlovna, the palace becomes the property first of her daughter, Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, then her granddaughter, Princess Elena Georgievna, married Saxe-Altenburg.

The original beauty of the cabinet could not leave indifferent the new government, which came as a result of complete chaos and horrors of revolutionary events, during which much was lost, spoiled or simply stolen. Oddly enough, salvation came from the Council of People's Commissars. On August 30, 1918, the palace was nationalized and all its property, including priceless glass beads, was taken into account. But the main thing happened later - on July 1, 1922, a museum was opened here, and it was from that moment that work began not only on systematizing, studying, but also on restoring the collections of the palace. During 1925 the State Hermitage workshops restored the plafond of the “Fortune and Envy” cabinet, which by that time had fallen into a deplorable state. The office came to life, the feeling of fear and uncertainty was replaced by a calm, measured life of the museum with its plans and routine work. For new visitors, mostly inexperienced, the usual curiosity that arises at the entrance to the halls of the palace invariably gave way to a feeling of admiration, when what they see, once striking, has forever occupied a strong place in the soul of a person. The Bugle Room continued to give people genuine aesthetic pleasure. It seemed like it would always be like this.

However, the Great Patriotic War suddenly cut short the museum's recently begun life. For another month the palace continued to work; conservation and evacuation of the exhibits, and first of all glass-bead panels, began on July 23, 1941. Priceless embroideries were wrapped in cloth and rolled onto eleven shafts, which were placed in two boxes. Apparently, the panel from the fireplace screen and two desudesports were rolled onto one shaft. For the first time since their creation, the panels left the palace, they were taken on a barge to St. Isaac's Cathedral in Leningrad, where they remained in this state throughout the blockade. Only once, on June 9, 1943, were the boxes disturbed by museum workers Balaeva, Tikhomirova and Maksimova to inspect their safety. Now it is difficult to imagine how three women, exhausted from hunger, could pull out the shafts, nevertheless they examined the panel and drew up an act in which they recorded a satisfactory condition and the absence of signs of dampness. Worse was the case with carved frames. They were also stored in St. Isaac's Cathedral in boxes numbered 14 and 15, but in 1946, when opened, a strong mold attack was found there.

The glass cabinet, like the entire museum, was in a very poor condition after a difficult blockade period and required restoration. Fortunately, during the war years this amazing palace the Rococo era was not destroyed and plundered, since the Germans were never able to enter Oranienbaum, but significant damage was done to the monument. Shelling from the air, bomb explosions, which caused losses and damage, dampness spread during the war years, had a detrimental effect on the safety of both the building itself and the interior decoration. The defender of the Oranienbaum bridgehead V. Gorbachev, who crossed the threshold of the Chinese Palace in 1943, wrote: “... in winter time Through the gaps in the shutters and broken glass, islands of snow drifted into the halls of the palace with drafts. Now they were melting on the floor, and the parquet, saturated with moisture, rose in many places with mounds. Water streamed down the walls. Snow melted on the roof and through numerous holes in the roof from a hail of anti-aircraft fragments falling from the sky when enemy air raids were repelled, it penetrated into the interiors of the palace with streams of water.

By June 27, 1946, only conservation and restoration work was carried out without preliminary research. Qualified cabinet makers headed by foreman I.I. Kartoshkin restored the type-setting floors in all rooms, including in the Bugle Study, however, due to the lack of the necessary types of wood, without adding new material in places of loss. Experienced carver I.N. Baldasev restored the carved frames of the Glass Bead Cabinet, broken in many places. The carved gilded baguette was assembled by picking up and gluing the fragments of the ornament that had fallen off and set it in place, but without replenishing the lost details. Again, only the head, two wings and three tails of the dragons were carved from linden, bronzed due to the lack of gold. A team of marble workers led by foreman I.I. Butler restored the fireplace and panels made of artificial marble. Painters (foreman A.V. Kryuchkov) and gilders (foreman A.N. Kabanov) did a difficult and great job of restoring the decoration of ceilings, ceilings and walls. Since it was not possible to conduct field surveys, the ceiling and panels above the window were simply painted in three colors - pink, pistachio and cream, the molding above the fireplace was whitewashed and the carvings in the lower part of the walls were repaired, and the ceiling was also restored. Since the glass bead panels themselves did not suffer significant damage, after drying they were placed in their original place.

The architect I.I. Varakin, who was also the author of a series of engravings dedicated to Oranienbaum in the first post-war years, and researcher L.I. Vasiliev.

Just a year after the end of the war, in the summer of 1946, museum visitors were able to see the Bugle Cabinet again. And although the work carried out was more of a conservation nature, against the backdrop of suburban palaces tormented during the war, this was already a great victory for restorers and employees over devastation, which meant a return to peaceful museum life.

In the post-war years, restoration work continued in the palace, but they did not affect the Bugle Cabinet. For more than 60 years, the interior has been waiting in the wings.

In 2009, thanks to the financial support of Gazprom, BASF and Wintershall Holding GmbH, for the first time in the history of the museum, full-scale research and conservation and restoration work began in the halls of the palace with an integrated approach, including primarily a change in the climatic state of the palace. The widespread dampness and mold in the interiors are the main problems that specialists and restorers of various fields again had to face. Now, after the installation of a conservation heating system, a positive temperature is maintained here in winter and, depending on the time of year, dehumidification and humidification devices are constantly working.

Thanks to the well-coordinated work of the employees of KGIOP, the State Museum-Reserve "Peterhof" and the State Hermitage, in the summer of 2009 a long-awaited event took place - the restoration of unique museum items. Back in the winter, at the beginning of 2008, the first panel was handed over to the Laboratory for Scientific Restoration of Fabrics of the State Hermitage in order to develop a methodology - a desuport of the eastern wall of the Bugle Cabinet. By July 2008, after a survey, a restoration methodology was being developed, and a year after the start of work, the first six panels (three from the east, two from the west, one from the south) were accepted by the commission. Thanks to a unique and labor-intensive restoration, which included not only cleaning and strengthening the threads, but also removing the later layers of the 19th century, the original color of the embroidered designs is restored, such as it was in the 18th century. In the winter of 2010, the employees of the Dedal LLC completed a set of works on the restoration of the gilded baguette of the Bugle Cabinet, during which the craftsmen managed to recreate the lower carved frame and two figures of dragons that had previously been lost on the western wall by the fireplace. During this time, the artists of Petrorestcom LLC carried out priority emergency conservation work on decorative artistic finishing, made clearings with the disclosure of the original colors on the walls and ceiling ceilings to determine the appropriate colors, and completed the restoration of the ceiling. On the stucco panel over the fireplace under whitewashing, made in 1946, the restorers succeeded in discovering and restoring the historical silver-pearl tint, due to which, when the light flickered, the light plaster molding in the form of flowers and birds began to play again, like luxurious embroidery against the background of glass beads.

In 2011, for the grand opening of the interiors of the first stage of the Chinese Palace, painstaking work was carried out on the installation of glass bead panels and frames on the preserved historical stretchers. But the interior cannot be perceived holistically and completely without objects of arts and crafts that complement it. Therefore, the last important event that put a long-awaited end to the restoration work was the return of the famous smalt tables of the 18th century, specially conceived by Antonio Rinaldi for the office. Only after this final “touch” did it become possible to see and understand the original author’s intention, the main task of which was to achieve amazing consistency and integrity in the perception of decorative elements of such an unusual interior even for its era.

1. E. Guslyarov. Catherine II in life. P. 82 // From the notes of Catherine II. 1755.
2. The glass room can be seen in the New Castle museum complex in Germany in the city of Arnstadt in Thuringia. The time of its creation falls presumably in the 1730s.
3. Gorbatenko S. Architecture of Oranienbaum. Western distance Peterhof road. SPb., 2014. S. 348.
4. There. S. 148.
5. Desudeportes (French) dessus- de- porte- above the door) - decorative compositions located above the door or window openings.
6. Archive of the State Museum Reserve "Peterhof". H-1459. P. 616 (3). Art. Researcher V.V. Eliseev. Reference to the restoration of the Bugle Cabinet of the Chinese Palace. 1965 L. 2. (Further: Archive of the State Museum Reserve "Peterhof".)
7. Klementiev V.G. Oranienbaum. Chinese palace. SPb., 2007. S. 55.
8. KGIOP (Committee for State Control, Use and Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments). P. 616-7. Inv. No. H-7282. Historical note. Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum. Comp. Klementiev V.G. 2005. P. 15. (Hereinafter: KGIOP.)
9. There.
10. There.
11. Voronov M. The work of Russian craftswomen. Pearl necklace of Leningrad // Leningrad worker. 1983. January 25
12. Archive of the State Museum Reserve "Peterhof". H-1459. P. 616 (3). L. 4.
13. There.
14. There.
15. There.
16. Pieces of smalt were superimposed on a wooden base and glued close to each other, then they were smoothed and polished, the seams were closed completely imperceptibly.
17. Two of the three tables are decorated with semi-precious Ural stones (agate, onyx): a console table and a table with images of books.
18. Benois A.N. Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum // Art Treasures of Russia. 1901. No. 10. S. 204.
19. KGIOP. P. 616-7. Inv. No. H-7282. Historical note. Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum. Comp. Klementiev V.G. 2005. P.53.
20. There.
21. Klementiev V.G. Oranienbaum. Chinese palace. SPb., 2007. S. 11.
22. Archive of the State Museum Reserve "Peterhof". L. 8.
23. KGIOP. P. 616-7. Inv. No. H-7282. Historical note. Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum. Comp. Klementiev V.G. 2005. S. 66.
24. Archive of the State Museum Reserve "Peterhof". L. 9.
25. Archive of the State Museum Reserve "Peterhof". L. 9. Act of June 9, 1943. In his reference, V.V. Eliseeva indicates the names (without initials) of the museum employees who opened the boxes.
26. KGIOP. P. 616-7. P-1190. Current correspondence 1946-1956 Act of December 20, 1946. On the technical condition of the building of the Chinese Palace and the establishment of the scope of repair and restoration work for 1947. P. 2.
27. Archive of the State Museum Reserve "Peterhof". L. 8.
28. There. L. 6.
29. KGIOP. P. 616-7. P-1190. Current correspondence 1946-1956 Newspaper "Forward" of the city of Oranienbaum dated July 7, 1946. Article by Z. Elzengr (senior researcher) "The Chinese Palace Museum opens today." L. 146.
30. Archive of the State Museum Reserve "Peterhof". L. 8.
31. Archive of the Institute "Lenproektrestavratsiya". Chinese palace. Journal of works 1946, L. 6.
32. Mudrov Yu.V., Lebedinskaya M.P. Oranienbaum. Forties...". SPb., 2005. S. 20.

The fortress of St. Peter, built in the eastern part of the estate in 1757, was transformed into the Peterstadt fortress two years later. In plan, the fortress was a fourteen-pointed star with four bastions, surrounded by earthen ramparts and ditches filled with water. The two-hectare fortress was complemented by a complex system of additional fortifications. The pond located next to the northern front was called the Pleasure Sea. Naval battles were played out here with the participation of warships: the twelve-gun ship Oranienbaum, the frigate St. Andrew, the galleys St. Catherine and Elizabeth.
On the territory of the fortress there were an arsenal, barracks for artillery, dragoon regiments and cuirassier trumpeters, houses for officers and regiment commanders, a guardhouse, sheds for horses and carriages, a storehouse.
In Russia, the tradition of amusing battles and the construction of fortresses for the military amusements of the heirs to the throne appeared under Peter I. The Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments created by him played the role of amusing troops, and later became the main parts of the guard.
Peter Fedorovich invited the regiments of the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein, where he was from, to participate in military games.
From the notes of Catherine II it becomes clear that she had a negative attitude towards the invitation of the Holsteiners:

... the number of Holstein troops and adventurers who occupied officer positions there increased from year to year.

The soldiers of the Ingrian Regiment said: "Here we are the lackeys of these accursed Germans." Palace lackeys said: "We are forced to serve this peasant." When I saw and learned what was happening, I was determined to stay as far away from this dangerous childish game as possible.

The number of the Holstein garrison reached 1500 people. The construction of the Peterstadt fortress was led by the Holstein master Ferster and lieutenant engineer Savely Sokolov. The fortress occupied two hectares.
On the territory of the fortress was the palace of Peter III, intended for his rest after military occupations.

For the first time in Russian architecture, a palace building appeared on the territory of a fortification, which served not military, but entertainment purposes.

The first floor of the palace was service. Several ceremonial rooms have been preserved on the second floor. The palace was built by the architect Antonio Rinaldi.

The armor depicts a monkey. It is known that Pyotr Fedorovich had Elizaveta Vorontsova a monkey, it is possible that this is her:

As expected, the fortress should have a secret staircase:

In this modest house, Peter III lived until his arrest. Here, on June 28, 1762, he signed his abdication, was arrested and taken to Ropsha, where he soon died of hemorrhoidal colic.

Over time, the wooden buildings of the fortress fell into disrepair and were dismantled at the end of the 18th century. To date, only the remains of earthen ramparts, a small palace and the main entrance gate have survived:

Fort layout:

Here is how Catherine II recalled her life in Oranienbaum in her notes:

In general, I and all of us were disgusted with the boring life that we led in Oranienbaum, where there were five or six of us women who remained alone eye to eye from morning to evening, while the men, for their part, reluctantly practiced the art of war. .

Here is the way of life I then led in Oranienbaum. I got up at three in the morning, dressed myself from head to toe in a man's dress; the old huntsman that I had was already waiting for me with guns; on the seashore he had a fishing boat quite ready. We crossed the garden on foot, with a gun on our shoulder, and we sat down - he, I, the frog dog and the fisherman who - carried us - into this shuttle, and I went to shoot ducks in the reeds that border the sea on both sides of the Oranienbaum canal, which two miles out to sea. We often skirted this canal and consequently found ourselves sometimes in rather stormy weather on the high seas on this canoe. The Grand Duke arrived an hour or two after us, because he always had to carry breakfast with him and still didn’t know what it was. If he met us, we went together; if not, then each of us traveled and hunted separately. At ten o'clock, and sometimes later, I returned and dressed for dinner; after dinner I rested, and in the evening either the Grand Duke had music, or we rode.

For my rooms in this palace, I bought everything with my own money, in order to avoid any disputes and difficulties, for His Imperial Highness, although he was very much spent on all his whims, spared money for everything that concerned me, and in general was not at all generous; but since what I did for my rooms on my own money served to decorate the house, he was very pleased with this.

I then took it into my head to build a garden for myself in Oranienbaum, and since I knew that the Grand Duke would not give me a single piece of land for this, I asked the Golitsyn princes to sell or give me a space of a hundred fathoms of uncultivated and long abandoned land, which was with them very close to Oranienbaum; since this piece of land belonged to eight or ten members of their family, they willingly ceded it to me, without, however, receiving any income from it. I began to make plans for how to build and plant, and as this was my first venture in terms of planting and building, it took on quite a large size.

The best thing in Oranienbaum is the Own Dacha, which was built by Rinaldi in 1762-1774 for Catherine II. Own dacha became the third palace and park ensemble (after the Menshikov Palace and lower park; Peterstadt fortress and Petrovsky park around it).
Having ascended the throne, Catherine II ordered 10 thousand rubles to be allocated for the construction of her own dacha and allowed A. Rinaldi to invite first-class Russian and Western European masters. With their participation, according to the drawings and drawings of A. Rinaldi, the Chinese Palace (1762-1768), unsurpassed in the beauty of the interiors, was built.

The name "Chinese Palace" was mentioned for the first time in 1774 in the Chamber Fourier magazine. Prior to this, the palace was called the "Dutch house" (just like the Monplaisir palace in Peterhof), "the house in the Upper Garden", "the little house". The name "Chinese" arose because a number of interiors of the palace (Large and Small Chinese Cabinets) are decorated in the spirit of Chinese art or using authentic works of art from China and Japan.

Last year, the restored Bugle Study from the Chinese Palace was exhibited in the Hermitage http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_Ru/04/2010/hm4_1_263.html .
From the Hermitage website:

The most famous chamber of the Chinese Palace is the Bugle Study, which has retained the original decoration of the 1760s. The walls of the room are decorated with glass beads. These are canvases on which glass beads are embroidered. Bugle was made at a mosaic factory founded in the vicinity of Oranienbaum (in Ust-Ruditsa) by the Russian scientist M.V. Lomonosov. Against the background of glass beads, complex compositions with images of fantastic birds are embroidered with chenille (fleshy silk) in a no less fantastic landscape.
Initially, the floor in the Bugle Study was made of multi-colored smalts, also made at the Ust-Ruditsky factory, but by the middle of the 19th century it fell into disrepair and the smalts were replaced with typesetting parquet while maintaining the same pattern.
The Chinese Palace is the only monument of the Rococo style in Russia. Most of the interiors of the palace have preserved the original decoration of the middle of the 18th century. Of particular value to it are the unique pieces of decorative and applied art of China and Japan of the late 17th - mid-18th centuries, the preserved and extant typeset parquets of the second third of the 18th century (made according to the sketches of Antonio Rinaldi).

Above the pond, near the southern facade of the palace, there are marble and bronze statues of characters from ancient mythology - copies from ancient originals.

Pergola in the background:

We did not get to the Chinese Palace, as there is no heating there, so it is closed for the winter. As a consolation, we were informed that now in the palace, in addition to the Bugle Cabinet, only two halls are open. The rest are under restoration. In Soviet times, the palace was completely open. Although it was quite shabby, but it was possible to see everything.

Magnificent St. Petersburg is famous all over the world for its historical, cultural and architectural monuments. And not all of them are located in the city. The stunning surroundings of the Northern capital are no less interesting among tourists. One of these suburbs is located 40 km from the city. This is Lomonosov. Before it was called Oranienbaum. Here is an interesting museum-reserve, which stores architectural masterpieces of the XVIII century. An excursion to Oranienbaum with a visit to the Chinese Palace will make a great impression on you.

Story

Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, his closest assistant, was the first to pay attention to these picturesque lands on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, who decided to build his country residence here.

This is how the famous Grand Palace appeared, which with its luxury and splendor overshadowed the palace of Peter I himself, which at the same time was being built in Peterhof. Nearby was the picturesque Lower Garden.

In 1727, Prince Menshikov was sent into exile. All his property, including the palace in Oranienbaum, was transferred to the state treasury. In 1743, the great Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna presented the estate to her son, who later became the Russian Emperor Peter III.

The new owner built the Peterstadt ensemble, which included a powerful fortress and a palace. When Catherine II came to power, a new stage of construction began in Oranienbaum. The Empress created her summer residence here and built a beautiful palace "Own Dacha".

Menshikov Palace

As we have already mentioned, the Grand Palace in Oranienbaum was built by the first owner - Prince Menshikov (1710-1727). In terms of size and luxurious decor, it had no equal in St. Petersburg and its suburbs. The palace is called the Great Palace for a reason. The monumentality of this building is given by its location on a hill. This creates the impression that the palace seems to be floating above the shore. Terraces descend from the façade. One-story wings adjoin the main building on both sides, ending with two pavilions - East and Church. They are adjoined by the Kitchen and Freylinsky wings. Peter III changed the palace interiors. The Eastern Pavilion, due to the fact that more than two hundred items of Chinese and Japanese porcelain appeared in its interior, began to be called Japanese.

Chinese Palace (Oranienbaum)

This magnificent building was erected in 1762-1768. The author of the project and the construction manager was a well-known architect in those days. This name is associated with the most important period in the creation architectural ensemble in Oranienbaum. An Italian by birth, he came to Russia at the invitation of K. G. Razumovsky. Here he lived for many years, finding a second home on Russian soil.

Without exaggeration, we can say that the Chinese Palace, along with other priceless monuments of those times, belongs to the recognized masterpieces of Russian architecture. This is a unique building that deserves a detailed study. The name given to Chinese conditionally. The external appearance of the building has nothing to do with the architecture of China. Only in some rooms were used decorative Chinese motifs, interpreted quite freely. The palace had a huge collection of Chinese art and Japanese porcelain. Part of this collection has survived to this day.

architectural features

The Chinese Palace (Oranienbaum) is a relatively small, slightly elongated building, which is a bit like a park summer pavilion. It is surrounded by a low panel of stone slabs and a decorative cast iron grate. Two small parterre gardens are laid out in front of the facade. They organically fit into the overall composition of the building and, according to the architect, became an integral part of it.

The same role is played by the huge centuries-old oaks, which were specially planted when the building was laid: they seem to connect it with a large park. The middle part of the building is slightly overestimated, it is its compositional center. The facades are decorated with pilasters. Glazed doors and windows are decorated with stucco frames.

Palace Changes

The Chinese palace was originally one-story. Only in the overestimated part of it (from the southern facade) at the top there were one or two rooms that did not have decorative finishes.

The second floor above the ledges (risalits) of the southern facade was made by A. I. Stackenschneider in the late 40s of the XIX century. Somewhat later, he also added an extension with one room to the eastern part of the building - the Large anti-chamber, which adjoined the Hall of Muses.

In 1853, L. Bonstedt made the same extension to the western wing of the building, and also reconstructed the center of the southern facade. Here he created a glazed gallery.

The interior of the palace

The Chinese Palace (Lomonosov) was created in such a way that its appearance, combination of volumes, ratios and proportions of individual parts determine the location of the interior. All of them had a different purpose.

The plan of the palace is symmetrical and compositionally balanced. It is characterized by an enfilade system - interconnected interiors are on the same axis. The center of symmetry is the Great Hall. It has a height of 8.5 meters. Usually such ceremonial halls, which are sometimes called Italian, play an important role as an organizing link in the planning of the palace.

On two sides of the hall there are Lilac and Blue drawing rooms, as well as offices (Small Chinese and Glass Beads). The enfilade is completed by the Hall of Muses and the Great Chinese Cabinet.

Architectural style

The Chinese Palace (Lomonosov) was built when Russian architecture was in transition. Decorative techniques, actively used in the 50s of the 18th century, ceased to satisfy artistic requirements, and the emerging classicism was not yet fully formed in architecture.

In the appearance of the facades of the palace, the features of this transitional period appear very clearly. The decorativeness and excessive splendor characteristic of the previous buildings gave way here to the simplicity and conciseness of the artistic decoration. This is more characteristic of developing classicism.

The Chinese palace was built and decorated by talented craftsmen of that time - sculptors, mosaicists, marble makers, parquet makers, gilders, wood carvers and others.

Parquet

Photos of the Chinese Palace can often be seen in glossy publications not only in Russia but also abroad. Its luxurious decoration is of interest to many generations of researchers of Russian art.

I would like to tell you about the museum's unique parquet floors. 772 square meters of parquet are assembled from many domestic and foreign tree species. Among them are pink, red, lemon and ebony, amaranth, rosewood and boxwood, oak and Persian walnut and many others. In some rooms, there are up to fifteen species.

Wooden planks were glued in the form of different patterns on separate shields. Then small patterns were burned or cut out. Each room had its own special parquet pattern, which was tied to the rest of the interior. Parquets are very valuable. In their design and manner of execution, they have no equal in our country.

Painting

The Chinese palace is organically decorated with the most valuable examples of decorative painting. Numerous paintings, plafonds occupy an important place in its interiors. Their importance is difficult to overestimate. The collection of plafonds stored here is distinguished by high craftsmanship. There is no such collection in any of the surviving Russian palaces.

For the decoration of halls and rooms, first-class works of applied and visual arts. Most of the plafonds that were painted on canvas were made in Venice by a group of famous painters of the Academy of Arts.

Palace after the revolution

After 1917, the Chinese Palace became a museum. Everyone could visit it. Scientifically based restoration became possible, as well as competent storage of its artistic values. In the period from 1925 to 1933, serious work was carried out to restore decorative painting.

Bugle Cabinet of the Chinese Palace

This room is rightfully considered the most famous rest of the palace. The glass-beared office has preserved the original decoration of the 60s of the 18th century. Its walls are decorated with priceless panels. These are canvases on which exquisite embroidery with glass beads is made.

This material was produced at a mosaic factory in the vicinity of Oranienbaum, which was founded by the great scientist M. V. Lomonosov. Against the background of glass beads, fleecy silk (chenille) is embroidered with compositions depicting fantastic birds against the backdrop of a picturesque landscape. For a long time, researchers believed that the panels were made in France. However, now there is evidence that they were made by nine Russian women embroiderers. The panels are framed with gilded carvings. They imitate tree trunks entwined with flowers, leaves and bunches of grapes.

The gilded frames are 3 meters 63 centimeters long and about one and a half meters wide. Some frames are complemented by dragon figurines. The game of gilding is very expressive due to the depth of the relief, which reaches 18 centimeters.

lower garden

This is an outstanding example of garden and park art. It is part of the complex Grand Palace. In the center of the garden parterres with numerous and rather rare flowers were laid out. They are surrounded by rows of maples, lindens and firs. In addition, fruit trees were planted here - cherries, apple trees, etc. The garden is decorated with fountains and sculptures.

Upper park

This park is conditionally divided into two parts. In its eastern part, there is the Petershtadt complex, and in the western part, the Own Dacha complex. The current appearance of the Upper Park was created at the beginning of the 19th century. Bridges that organically fit into its landscape, as well as architectural structures, give it a special attraction.

When can you visit the palace?

This information is necessary for everyone who is going to visit the Chinese Palace. Opening hours: from 10.30 to 19.00. On Monday, museum staff rest.

room Front served as a vestibule originally; here in the center of the southern part of the palace, and today the entrance to the building is located. After the extension in 1853 to this room of a covered glazed gallery, it began to be used as a dining room. The walls of the Front in the XVIII century were decorated with paintings by the Italian painter and decorator Stefano Torelli, a student of the famous Neapolitan artist Francesco Solimena. Torelli arrived in Russia in 1758, having left the service at the Saxon royal court. In 1764, the painter worked on the design Winter Palace, and in 1765 he began work in Oranienbaum, and after a short time the interiors of the Chinese Palace were decorated with his talented works. In the 1850s Torelli's wall paintings in the Front Room were replaced with architectural landscapes by an unknown artist of the 19th century. "Diana and Actaeon" and "Landscape with Ruins". A picturesque ceiling by S. Torelli "Apollo and the Arts" has been preserved in the Anterior. One of the walls of the Anterior has preserved ornamental paintings of remarkable beauty in design by another Italian master, Serafino Barozzi, who, like Torelli, worked directly in the Chinese Palace. The decoration of the interior is complemented by the stucco decoration of the ceiling and the ceiling: shells, leaves of acanthus and other plants, flower garlands. The anteroom is adorned with 18th-century parquet, made up of several types of wood - walnut, amaranth, birch, sandalwood, apple, rosewood and mahogany; his design, created by Rinaldi, seems to be reflected in the stucco decoration of the ceiling, which completes the interior design. The fireplace, made of artificial marble, was created in the 18th century. "plasterer" Italian Alberto Giani, who worked hard on the manufacture of the original marble floors.

Big hall, the central premises of the palace, in the documents of the 18th century is also referred to as the Reception, Round, Oval or simply the Hall. Decorated in the spirit of solemn elation, it was intended for official receptions and meals. Most visits to Catherine II's own dacha ended with dinner in the large hall. Unlike other premises of the palace, the interior of the Great Hall bears the features of a new style - classicism - and anticipates subsequent interiors created by Rinaldi in St. Petersburg, Tsarskoye Selo, Gatchina. The appearance of this ceremonial hall is strict and majestic, its decor is exquisitely noble and laconic. The walls and three-quarter Corinthian columns are decorated with artificial marble of different shades. The large hall is covered with a low dome cut through with round windows - lucarnes, which serve as a source of natural light. Through the large doors, glazed to the floor, a picturesque view of the parterre garden and the meadow, turning into the park, opens up. Above the doors are white marble bas-reliefs depicting Peter the Great and his daughter Elizaveta Petrovna. They were made by Marie-Anne Collot, a famous French sculptor, student and assistant of E.-M. Falcone. On the ceiling is a plafond by S. Torelli "Day that drives out the night." The painting was painted for the Marble Palace in St. Petersburg, where it remained until it was transferred to the Chinese Palace in the 1960s. Previously, this place was the ceiling of the famous Venetian artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo "Rest of Mars" - a true masterpiece of decorative and monumental painting. In July 1941, the ceiling was dismantled and taken to Peterhof, where it disappeared during the war years. In November 2014, Wintershall entered into a sponsorship agreement with the Peterhof State Museum Reserve for the restoration of part of the premises of the second stage of the Chinese Palace, which will allow the restoration of the Great Hall to be completed and will allow organizing the excursion process in a new way, avoiding a U-turn and oncoming movement of groups.

Interior blue living room one of the most rich in architectural and stucco decoration. Due to high humidity and capillary suction, the lower part of the walls was completely destructured and many losses were observed. When dismantling the frames of the paintings "Nymph and Triton emerging from the reeds" and "The Rape of Europa", a complete destruction of the plaster corner ornamented compositions was discovered. The wooden elements of the frame were dismantled with the appropriate markings, the models were removed from the corner compositions, after which they were also dismantled. The sculptor-restorer Kholod A.Kh. (honorary restorer of St. Petersburg) restored all the stucco decoration and recreated the lost elements. The Great Anticamera was attached to the eastern facade of the palace in 1850. The construction of the new premises was carried out according to the project of the architect A.I. Shtakenshneider, and is associated with the renovation of the Chinese Palace, carried out by its new owner, the wife of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich - Elena Pavlovna. After the reconstruction of the palace, the entrance was moved here, and the room was called the Front Room. The interior has preserved the original decoration, made in the grisaille technique (decorative painting imitating a bas-relief, performed in various shades of the same color).

Hall of Muses, which has retained its original finish, is one of the best interiors of the 18th century. Large windows-doors make it look like a park pavilion. Initially, the hall was called the Picturesque Gallery and was intended for musical concerts, and received its current name in the 19th century. Painting plays a leading role in the decoration of the interior. The painting of the walls and ceiling was done in tempera technique in 1768 by the Italian artist Stefano Torelli (1712-1784). In the piers between the windows there are large-figure compositions depicting nine muses - patrons of the arts. The padugs depict groups of cupids with attributes of ancient gods, alternating with ornamental molding. The ceiling is decorated with a picturesque ceiling by Stefano Torelli "The Triumph of Venus". The type-setting parquet was made according to the drawing by A. Rinaldi in 1772 by a group of Russian carpenters led by I. Petersen. Several types of wood are used in the parquet set, including mahogany, walnut, rosewood, rosewood, birch, maple. The work on the installation of anti-capillary waterproofing and the reconstruction of the undergrounds was carried out by GEOIZOL LLC. In the premises of the Hall of Muses and the Blue Living Room, a technical underground 80 cm high was made, where all engineering networks were laid. Works on laying and commissioning of engineering networks were carried out by Stroyservis LLC.

On November 20, 2014, in the Ballroom of the Grand Peterhof Palace, a trilateral cooperation agreement was signed between the State Museum-Reserve Peterhof, Wintershall Holding GmbH (Germany) and Petersburg Restoration Company LLC. The agreement provides for priority emergency and selective work in three halls of the Chinese Palace - the Boudoir, the Study of Paul I and the Damask Bedchamber. As well as the restoration of the interior of the Great Hall of the Chinese Palace, portraits of Peter and Elizabeth Petrovna, as well as the restoration of the Gallery. A large-scale restoration of the palace began in 2009, after the entry palace and park ensemble Oranienbaum as part of the State Museum Reserve "Peterhof". The first stage was completed in 2011 at the expense of Gazprom's charitable funds, when four halls were presented - the Big Anticamera, the Hall of Muses, the Blue Drawing Room and the Bugle Cabinet. In July 2014, the opening of two more halls of the Chinese Palace - the Pink Drawing Room and the Dressing Room - completed the first stage of the second phase of the restoration. The second stage will include works in the Front, Great Hall, Gallery, the third - in the Damask bedchamber, the Boudoir, Pavel's office and the premises of the second floor. It is planned to open these halls in 2016. In 2017, the last stage of restoration will begin, within the framework of which eight halls will be restored: the Lilac Drawing Room, the Small and Large Chinese Cabinets, the Small Anti-Chamber, the Chinese Bedchamber, the Dressing Room, the Portrait Room and Catherine's Study. Wintershall is Germany's largest oil and gas company with over 2,000 employees from over 40 countries. 25 years of close partnership unite Wintershall with the world's largest natural gas producer, the Russian company Gazprom. The company's management believes that the promotion of culture is not a luxury, but a form of expression of social activity. Therefore, in whatever corners of the world Wintershall operates, everywhere the main asset is not only oil and gas, but also ties between people, between nations.

The Chinese Palace, the pearl of the Oranienbaum palace and park ensemble, which is part of the Peterhof State Museum-Reserve, is the only architectural monument in the Rococo style that has survived in Russia. He celebrates his 250th birthday, and a long-term restoration became a gift to the hero of the day. This year, after restoration, three halls were opened: a damask bedchamber, a boudoir and Pavel's office.

The Chinese Palace was erected by 1768 by order of Empress Catherine II and was a building for a short rest. The gardener Lamberti was invited to plan the park, and the recently arrived in St. Petersburg Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi, the founder of the rococo style and early classicism in Russia, was involved in the design of the palace.

For the first time, interest in China arose in Rus' at the end of the 15th century, when merchants began to bring Far Eastern fabrics to Moscow. And by the middle of the 18th century, all more or less prosperous St. Petersburg houses were furnished with Chinese things. The royal court set the tone for this fashion for "chinoiserie", the Chinese style. The Chinese Palace got its name from the decoration of some of the rooms. There was a large collection of Chinese arts and crafts and Japanese porcelain.

Fragment of the southern facade. Sculpture "Cupid and Psyche" - a copy of an antique original from the Capitoline Museum in Rome.
The facades of the palace are decorated with pilasters and semi-columns with Ionic capitals and garlands. From the south facade there are two lovely gardens with marble sculptures and flowering flower beds. The palace is planned with the letter “P” and has three enfilades: the Front, sixty-five meters long, and two residential, short, located perpendicular to it.
For two centuries, in connection with the change of owners, the palace underwent a number of reconstructions, the second floor was built on. Until the 1917 revolution, Oranienbaum was the property of the Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

The halls are decorated with picturesque panels, inlaid parquets, gilded carvings, embroideries and furniture inlaid with natural colored stones. Interiors with unique decorative decoration of the 18th century have been preserved. It is known that from 1765 to 1768 the French merchants Francois Rembert and Billio supplied furniture and bronze “in the latest taste” to the palace for its furnishings. Famous artists Stefano Torelli, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, brothers Serafino and Giuseppe Barozzi, sculptor Marie-Anne Collot, mosaic master Giacomo Martigny and Russian masters of the Peterhof Lapidary Factory were engaged in interior decoration.

Glass cabinet. Mirror in a carved gilded frame
The main attractions of the palace are the Bugle Cabinet and unique parquets. The walls of the office are decorated with 12 panels - these are canvases, on which embroidery is made with glass beads and multi-colored fleecy silk - chenille. The unique parquet floors of the palace are made of mahogany and ebony, amaranth, boxwood, Persian walnut, and maple. “A true miracle, full of miracles of the eighteenth century,” wrote Igor Grabar about the Chinese Palace.

Bugle cabinet
The glass cabinet in the 18th century was called Mosaic Peace. It had a floor made of smalt glass, made according to the recipe of M.V. Lomonosov at the neighboring Ust-Ruditskaya factory. Due to dampness, it was not preserved and in the middle of the 19th century it was replaced by a type-setting wooden parquet with a repetition of the pattern of the mosaic floor. The walls of the office are divided by carved gilded frames in the form of trunks with leaves and flowers into separate panels with glass beads. There are twelve of them - ten on the walls and two desuportes. Depending on the lighting, the panels shimmer with lilac, pink, blue and silver hues. Fantastic scenes with landscapes and birds are embroidered on top of the glass-beaded background with special silk threads - chenille - a unique work of Russian gold embroiderers under the guidance of the Frenchwoman Maria de Chelle.

Hall of Muses
The picturesque decor is by Stefano Torelli. Venus and the Graces are depicted on the plafond, and Apollo with cupids and nine muses, personifying the arts, are depicted on the walls and the ceiling.

Damask bedchamber
“We managed to return a lot of authentic items to the palace and reveal for viewing the painting hidden under layers of paint,” Tatyana Syasina, curator of the Chinese Palace, shows the Damask Bedchamber. “Although many of the items we acquired again.” Inscriptions of the XVIII century have not been preserved, they appeared only in the XX century. But there are descriptions of things that the last owners of Oranienbaum, the Mecklenburg-Strelitzkys, bought.

The damask of the 19th century has been preserved - according to its model, the upholstery of the bedchamber was recreated. A mirror, a fireplace screen, and other authentic items have returned here. Friends of the museum donated porcelain vases produced by the Meissen manufactory - similar to them stood here 250 years ago. The plafond by Maggiotto was erected in its original place. Authentic 18th-century paintings are revealed on the wall panels under the windows.

Wardrobe