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Pavlovsk is the youngest of the grand Imperial estates around St. Petersburg. Named in honour of Tsar Pavel, this fine neo-classical palace and its extensive landscaped gardens are stamped with his taste and even more so with that of his wife, the German-born Maria Feodorovna. Although there was no love lost between Pavel and his mother, Catherine the Great, it was she who originally presented him with the 362 desyatinas - 607 hectares - of land around the Slavyanskaya River. Perhaps it was the impossibility of living with her son at Tsarskoe Selo, combined with the desire to keep him and his family reasonably close, that prompted her to do so, although the official reason was the birth of her grandson, the future Alexander I.
Although lacking the dazzling splendour of the estates at Tsarskoe Selo and Peterhof, Pavlovsk is well worth visiting both for the treasures in the elegant palace and for the charming, rambling park, which is one of the largest and finest English-style landscape gardens outside the UK.
Both the Park and the Palace at Pavlovsk were victims of wanton destruction during the Nazi occupation, and the extraordinary restoration project was not completed until the mid-1950s. Fortunately, there were extensive blueprints available for all aspects of the estate, so what you see now is almost entirely faithful to the original designs.
 |  | Pavlovsk Palace
The palace at Pavlovsk is imposing and elegant, built by some of the finest St. Petersburg architects of the late 18th century. ››› |
 | | Pavlovsk Park
This vast landscape garden has long been one of St. Petersburg's top suburban destinations for tourists and locals, with beautiful rolling woodland and numerous charming follies. ››› |
 | | Visiting Pavlovsk
Practical visitor information for travelers to Pavlovsk, including full details of transport options from St. Petersburg. ››› |
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