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Location: Gatchina Map
Build: 1766- 1781 by Antonio Rinaldi
Tel. (81371) 215-09
Open:
11am- 6pm (cash desk till 5pm)
Closed: Mondays, first Tuesday of the
month
How to get here: Bus N18 from "Moscow" Subway station
Official site:
www.gatchinapalace.ru
Gatchina Palace (Гатчинский дворец) is a former royal residence of Russian Imperial
Family in Leningrad Oblast in Russia. It is one of the largest and
opulent palaces in the country. Gatchina Palace was constructed in
1766- 1781 by the orders of Empress Catherine II the Great for her
favorite Count Grigori (or Gregory) Grigoryevich Orlov. It layout
and overall design was drawn by a well known Italian architect
Antonio Rinaldi. He created a romantic masterpiece with a features
of a hunting lodge and a medieval castle with towers, secret
passages and underground tunnels.The man building of the Gatchina
Palace was connected to a Kitchen and a Stables quads via
semicircular open galleries.
The original owner of the
Gatchina Palace, Grigori Orlov, belonged to an old Russian
aristocratic family. He helped Empress Catherine to overthrow her
husband Emperor Peter III in a palace bloodless coup in 1762. Former
Emperor was killed shortly thereafter in a town of Ropsha by Orlov's
younger brother, Alexei. After Catherine ascended to the throne
Grigory Orlov became her lover for several years and de facto ruler
of the Russian Empire.
Gatchina Palace had an appearance of
a medieval castle and was surrounded by a beautiful park and a small
Lake Serebryannoe (Silver Lake). Despite its gloomy exterior the
inside of the castle is much more festive. Much of the interior that
characterized as a Russian classicism is a modern reconstruction of
previous beauty. Like many other castle and palaces in the Leningrad
Oblast it was badly damaged by the invading German army during World
War II. Nevertheless the residence is returned to its original
appearance and glory.
Once Grigory Orlov fell out of favor
with the empress, Gatchina Palace was gifted to Catherine's son and
future emperor Paul. He cleared the central plaza in front of the
Gatchina Palace for marches and army drills that Paul loved. He was
obsessed with order and rules and army was his passion,
unfortunately for his soldiers. Emperor Paul loved Prussian uniform
in color and appearance. He forced his soldiers to give up more
comfortable Russian uniforms for Western- type clothes to a great
dismay of troops and famous general Suvorov, who was unhappy with
stupid moves of the emperor. But the will of the emperor was the law
of the land. Suvorov was exiled from the palace and Gatchina units
were forced to change their uniforms. Soldiers spent hours marching
back and forth in a new Prussian styled cloths across this large
open space. The bridges that you pass as you enter the main plaza
were constructed in 1851. Original were made of wood and were
drawbridges. Every night they were raised and Gatchina Palace turned
into a castle. Emperor Paul remembered too well about fate of his
father Peter III and tried to avoid assassination by all means.
Eventually he was too killed in an another palace coup in Saint
Petersburg's Mikhailovskiy Palace.
As you look at the Main
Building of the Gatchina castle you can see that the right tower is
slightly different. It has a lighting rod and in the old days it had
an optical telegraph. Messages could be sent across great distances
from the palace with a lighting speed. Thus it gets its second name
of a Signal Tower. The left tower has a clock thus its get its name
Clock Tower.
1. Gatchina Palace, Krasnoarmeisky pr. 1. Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00. 500₽,
preferential 250₽. Built in 1766-1781 for the favorite of Catherine
II G. G. Orlov, architect Antonio Rinaldi. A large palace building
with castle motifs combined with classical decoration. On the south
side, there is a front façade surrounding the court-court d'honneur,
in front of which is a decorative wall with bastions. In front of
the palace there is a monument to Paul I (installed in 1851 by
Nicholas I in memory of his father, sculptor I. Vitali). Inside the
palace there are luxurious interiors, largely recreated after the
war, some of which have not been restored to this day (in
particular, the interiors of the Chesme Gallery, where exhibitions
are still held).
2 Palace Park. Mon–Sun 6:00–22:00. For free.
The oldest and main park in Gatchina. Landscape park with ponds of
complex shape and numerous architectural objects, adjacent to the
Grand Palace. It belongs to the end of the 18th century, mainly park
structures and layout were formed under Paul I. Pavilions with their
own entrances, as well as the Private Garden, are available for
visiting in the summer (general ticket - 200 rubles).
3 Priory
Palace (Priorat), Chkalova st. 22A. Wed–Sun 10:00–18:00. 250₽. The
palace is known as the only large earthen building in Russia. Built
in 1799 by the architect N.A. Lvov, it was originally intended for
the prior of the Order of Malta, Prince Conde, from where its name
comes from. A relatively small house with a fence on the shore of a
picturesque lake.
4 Priory Park.
5 Constable (Constable
Square). Square with a 32-meter stone obelisk. The obelisk was
erected in 1793 on the model of the obelisk in the French castle of
Chantilly in honor of the constable Anna de Montmorency, who Paul I
saw on a trip to Europe and ordered to rebuild in his residence. The
likely architect is the Italian Vincenzo Brenna. In 1881, the
original obelisk was almost completely destroyed by lightning, but
in 1886 it was restored to its original form. The area is surrounded
by stone parapets, forming a kind of bastions. Now there is a large
transport interchange on the square, which makes it difficult to see
the monument.
6 Round Riga, Kyiv street, 6A. Probably the oldest
surviving building in Gatchina - built in the 1760s-1770s, even
before Gatchina passed to the imperial family. The building made of
stone blocks has a cylindrical shape, crowned with battlements, due
to which it resembles a fortress tower. Around the main cylinder,
another wall of a similar style was erected, forming a circular
courtyard, with four "bastions" in which the buildings of the former
bread shops are located. The building is in poor condition, there is
no access to the central volume.
7 Venus Pavilion. 11:00–19:00
(only during the summer period). 80 rub. The pavilion was built in
1792-1793. at the request of Paul I, who saw a similar one in
Chantilly. Located at the tip of an artificial island called Love
Island. Available for visiting during the summer period, may be
closed in case of rain. The main thing in the interior is the
picturesque ceiling "Triumph of Venus" (1797, artist I. Ya.
Mettenleiter). Also in the interiors there are paintings in the
grisaille technique, marble fountains.
8 Sylvia Park. For free.
The regular part of the park, to the west of the palace and the main
Palace Park, behind a separate fence. Three alleys are
characteristic, diverging from the main Sylvius Gate, separating it
from the Palace Park (in addition to the gate, an old brick wall has
been preserved in this area). Near the gate is a Soviet monument to
the Red Army soldiers who were shot here during the war. Part of the
territory in the distance is occupied by the former Palace Farm.
Even further - a pond with the remains of a dam.
9 Private
garden. Mon–Sun 11:00–19:00 (summer time). 80 rub. A regular garden
adjoining the Great Gatchina Palace from the northeast. A work of
garden and park art of the late 18th century. In the central round
part - marble sculptures of the XVIII century: in the center - a
statue of Flora, it is surrounded by busts of six bacchantes and two
bacchantes, as well as two Roman emperors. Alleys lined with trimmed
bushes diverge from the center, there are also pergolas. A staircase
with sphinxes leads from the palace to the garden. The graves of the
royal family's favorite animals have been preserved in the garden.
The garden is open to visitors (paid) in the summer, entrance from
the southeast.
10 Terrace-wharf. An extended stone terrace on
the shore of the lake, which previously served as a pier. Built in
1792-1795. When viewed from the opposite side of the lake, it
visually complements the palace, as if becoming its foundation. The
main wall descends into the water, on both sides there are stone
stairs for descending to the water. Previously, it was decorated
with four female sculptures and 18 vases that were lost or damaged
during the war and have not been returned to their place until now,
only their bases remain. Two sculptures of lions have been
preserved. It is in an emergency condition, access is limited.
11 Pavlovsky Cathedral , Cathedral Street, 26. ☎ +7 (81371)
9-40-82. Mon–Sun 8:30–20:00. A large Russian-Byzantine style
cathedral with heavy domes. Built in 1846-1852. R. I. Kuzmin,
possibly with the participation of K. A. Ton, the founder of the
style. It is well seen in the perspective of Cathedral Street, in
the middle of which it stands. There are lower and upper temples.
Among the revered shrines is the icon of St. Panteleimon with a
particle of relics, as well as the relics of St. Mary of Gatchina.
In the fence of the cathedral there is a monument to juvenile
prisoners of concentration camps, as well as a monument to two White
Guard officers.
12 Intercession Cathedral, Krasnaya st. 1A. A
large white and blue cathedral of the pseudo-Russian style, built in
1905-1914. It remained unplastered for a long time, the final
decoration was completed only in 2011. There is a lower church
consecrated in honor of John of Kronstadt.
13 Cathedral street.
The only pedestrian street in Gatchina (the initial section is the
first three blocks). The street is divided into two parts by the
Intercession Cathedral, the area behind the cathedral is not
landscaped. The houses are in good condition, they are provided with
signs about their history (there is little such information in other
parts of the city), but there are few points of attraction on the
street. Most of the houses are occupied by shops, there are a few
cafes. There are no small architectural forms in the pedestrian
zone.
14 Nikolaevskaya Kirche (Evangelical Lutheran Church of St.
Nicholas) , October 25 Avenue, 39. ✉ ☎ (81371) 990-31. Small
neoclassical Lutheran church, 1827-1828 buildings that are in
operation. Refers to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria.
Services in Russian and Finnish. There is an organ, concerts are
held.
15 Church of the Mother of God of Carmel, Volodarsky
street, 28a. The ruins of a neo-gothic Catholic church, built in
1906-1911, destroyed during the war. From the once existing high
tower, only the lower tier has been preserved, and the rest of the
building is in poor condition, although you can approach it, a small
part is fenced for security reasons. Looking at it, it is hard to
believe, but it is active - a small part has been restored, services
are being held. This is the only Catholic church in Gatchina.
16 Ingerburg (Red Barracks) , October 25 Avenue, 44, 55. A complex
of red-brick two-story barracks built in 1876, as well as the
Ingerburg gates of 1830. Under Paul I, it was a whole isolated
fortress (hence the "urban" name, meaning "Izhora city").
Fortifications are practically not preserved. The barracks continue
to be occupied by the military, although part of the territory is
planned to be transferred to the city. Only pylons have been
preserved on the gate, which turned out to be in the middle of the
avenue, the metal shutters have been removed. There are no
pedestrian crossings across the road to the gate.
17 Hospital
town, Radishcheva street, Hospital lane, Kirgetova street. A good
example of an ensemble in the style of classicism (from the turn of
the 18th-19th centuries to the 1820s). The central place is occupied
by a two-story building of the hospital (now the city
administration) in the middle of the square, it is surrounded on all
sides by various two-story outbuildings, behind - a one-story
almshouse.
18 The building of the cloth factory, Dostoevsky
Street, 2. An unusual example of a very simple in decoration, but
spectacular industrial building of the late 18th century. The
central part has a horseshoe shape, the building itself stands at an
angle to all the streets of the quarter (it is possible that
fragments of ancient, still Swedish, fortifications were used for
construction). And the building itself with small windows looks like
a fragment of a small fortress. Now it is a youth palace and a hotel
and restaurant complex.
19 Orphan Institute, 25 October Avenue,
2. The classic building for the Orphan Institute was built in 1837,
architect D.I. Kvadri. Now it is a boarding school.
20 Yegerskaya Sloboda, Komsomoltsev-Podpolshchikov street. A complex
of wooden houses with carved decor for rangers, located on the northern
side of Komsomoltsev-Podpolshchikov Street. Built in 1857-1860. An
example of a typical housing of the middle of the XIX century. Most of
the houses - one-story, two apartments. Some are in poor condition, with
traces of fires.
21 Intercession Church, Krugovaya street, 7. ☎ +7
(81371) 5-55-09. Mon–Sun 10:00–17:00. An elegant pseudo-Russian style
church in the Yegerskaya Sloboda (Marienburg, if the settlement is
considered part of it). Built in 1885-1888.
22 St. Peter's Church
(Kolpanskaya Church), Central Street, 1. ☎ +7-921-937-24-80. Built in
1798-1800. in the village of Small Kolpany, now included in the city.
Lined with large stone. Combines elements of gothic and classicism.
Previously, it was crowned with a high pointed bell tower, the spire of
which was visible from the Grand Palace. Now operates, belongs to the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria. It is located on the territory of
the Avangard plant.
1 Museum-estate of P. E. Shcherbov, st. Chekhov, 4. ☎ +7 (81371)
2-08-64, +7 (81371) 2-10-88. Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00. The museum
building is an interesting monument of northern modernism, built in
1911. P. E. Shcherbov is a cartoonist of the early 20th century. In
the museum, in addition to the memorial section representing the
life and work of Shcherbov, there is a local history section -
"History of Gatchina in the late 19th - early 20th centuries."
2
Museum of the history of aircraft engine building and repair, st.
Grigorina, 7-a. ☎ +7 (81371) 2-54-58.
3 Museum of the City of
Gatchina, 18 October 25 Ave. ☎ +7 (81371) 2-14-66. Wed–Mon
10:00–18:00. 30 rub.
Gatchina is full of tunnels, secret passages and secret doors. Some claimed that it was intended for the Catherine the Great who visited her lover, but it is more likely an addition of Emperor Paul. He loved romantic medieval history and wanted his palace to look more like a castle. People who work here claim that many ghosts were seen roam empty halls and stairwells of the palace.
The predecessor of the city of Gatchina is the village
of Khotchino, which was first mentioned in the Novgorod scribe book of
1499, and then, as the village of Hotzino by in the Diaghilinsky
churchyard in the Swedish scribe books of the Izhora land of 1618-1623.
According to one version, this toponym came from the abbreviated
form "Khot" of one of the Old Russian personal names (Khotchen, Hotimir,
Khoten, Hotchena, Khotina), according to another - from the ancient
Finnish word "hatsha" - burn; land where the forest was burned for
arable land.
According to the "romantic" version, on the site of
Gatchina in ancient times there was a temple of the pagan goddess
Khochena, on behalf of which the name of the village of Khotchino
allegedly originated.
There are other versions of the origin of
the name Gatchina
From the words "gat" - a road laid through a swampy
place, and "decent" - important, solid.
From the German expression
"Hat Schöne" - has beauty. This version was invented by the poet V. G.
Ruban to please the Prussian tastes of Paul I
Approximately in
the middle of the 17th century, the voiceless phoneme "X" in the name of
the village was replaced by the voiced "G", and the village of
Khotchino, as well as the landowner's estate created near it, turned
into the village of Gotchino and the Gotchinskaya manor. By the end of
the 17th century, the name "Gotchino" was transformed into its modern
form, but the old form of the middle gender continued to be used until
the beginning of the 20th century. So, Catherine II redeems from the
heirs and gives Pavel Petrovich "the Gatchino manor with a house there."
"Sweet Gatchina" was very fond of Emperor Alexander III. On old
postcards with views of the city and topographic maps of the beginning
of the last century, Gatchino is often mentioned. A variant without the
letter "T" was also used. So, on the map of the St. Petersburg province
of J. F. Schmit of 1770, the village of Gachino is indicated at the
Gachinsky manor.
In 1923, the city was renamed Trotsk in honor of
the Soviet politician Lev Davidovich Trotsky, for his services in
repelling the Kerensky-Krasnov campaign in 1917 and during the defense
of Petrograd in 1919. The resolution of the Petrograd Gubispolkom "On
the renaming of the city of Gatchino and the Detskoselsky and Peterhof
districts" was published on November 1, 1922. In paragraph 1 of the
resolution it is written: "The city of Gatchino shall be renamed the
city of Comrade Trotsky - Trotsk and the combined counties of
Detskoselsky and Peterhof - Trotsky district." In 1929, Trotsky was
expelled from the USSR, and the city of Trotsk was renamed
Krasnogvardeysk.
In 1942, the German occupation authorities
renamed the city Lindemannstadt (German: Lindemannstadt) in honor of the
commander-in-chief of the 18th Army, Georg Lindemann. However, this
renaming was not taken into account by the state authorities of the
USSR.
On January 23, 1944, by decree of the Presidium of the
Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On the renaming of the cities of Slutsk and
Krasnogvardeysk and the districts of Slutsk and Krasnogvardeysky of the
Leningrad Region", the city was returned to its historical name -
Gatchina.
Gatchina before the revolution
The earliest archaeological
finds on the territory of Gatchina date back to the 13th
century, but the first known documentary evidence of the
existence of a settlement here appears in 1500, when the
Novgorod scribe book mentions “the village of Khotchino above
Lake Khotchin”, which was part of the Vodskaya Pyatina of
Novgorod land.
During the Time of Troubles during the
Russo-Swedish War of 1610-1617. the land on which the village of
Khotchino was located was captured by an army of mercenaries
under the command of the Swedish commanders 26-year-old Evert
Gorn and 28-year-old Jacob Delagardie. As the Swedish historian
Johan Widekind wrote about the events of that period of the war:
"... the soldiers rewarded themselves for everything, even the
wives and daughters of the peasants were at their complete
disposal."
The war ended with the signing of the
Stolbovsky peace, according to which Sweden returned Novgorod,
Porkhov, Staraya Russa, Ladoga, Gdov and the Sumersky volost
captured in this war to Russia. Russia, on the other hand, ceded
Ivangorod, Yam, Koporye, Oreshek, Korela, Prinevsky and Karelian
lands to Sweden - that is, the entire access to the Baltic Sea
and the Neva River, in addition, Russia had to pay Sweden 20
thousand rubles in a silver coin (which was then 980 kg pure
silver).
Since 1624, Khotchino was a part of the
Skvoritskaya manor and belonged to the famous Swedish noble
family Oksenstierna. A significant part of the Orthodox
population of the territory, which became the new Swedish
province of Ingermanland, fled to Russia, so the Swedish
administration began to resettle the Finnish-speaking tribes of
Evremeis and Savakots to the depopulated lands, granting them
various benefits. According to the results of the Northern War
of 1700-1721, Peter I was able to return these lands. At the
same time, under the terms of the Nystadt Peace Treaty, Russia
paid Sweden 2,000,000 Joachimstalers (Efimkov), which amounted
to 56,000 kilograms of pure silver, or half of the country's
annual budget.
In 1712-1714, the Gatchina manor with 23
villages assigned to it became the property of the sister of
Peter I, Natalia Alekseevna. After the death of the princess in
1716, the manor was assigned to the court hospital, and the life
physician of Peter I, R. K. Areskin, became its owner. From 1717
to 1732, the president of the medical office, I. L. Blumentrost,
owned the manor. In 1734, the empress granted the manor to the
chief-stallmaster, Prince A. B. Kurakin. In 1765, Catherine II
gave the Gatchina estate to her favorite, Count Grigory Orlov.
In the summer of 1766, construction began on the estate of the
Great Gatchina Palace designed by architect Antonio Rinaldi, the
creation of an English landscape park and the improvement of
hunting grounds.
After the death of G. G. Orlov in 1783,
the heir to the throne, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, became the
owner of Gatchina, and Vincenzo Brenna became the chief
architect. According to his projects, many park buildings were
created, and in 1795 the reconstruction of the Palace began. On
November 11 (22), 1796, Paul I granted Gatchina the status of a
city.
In 1792 Aleksey Andreevich Arakcheev was appointed commandant of
Gatchina and later became the head of all the ground forces of the
heir-prince. In 1798, according to the project of the architect Nikolai
Lvov, the Priory Palace was built to accommodate the Prior of the Order
of Malta, which became one of the symbols of Gatchina. On October 18
(29), 1799, the “Allied Defensive Treaty” was concluded in Gatchina - an
agreement between Russia and Sweden, repeating the terms of the
Drottningholm Treaty of October 8 (19), 1791, concluded by King Gustav
III, according to which Sweden and Russia were to join the coalition
against revolutionary France.
After the assassination of Paul I
in 1801, Gatchina passed into the possession of his widow, Empress Maria
Feodorovna. Then the Russian emperors - Nicholas I, Alexander II,
Alexander III - became the owners of the city as a personal estate. In
1853, a railway under construction to Warsaw passed through Gatchina.
In 1881, for the first time in the Russian Empire, electric outdoor
lighting appeared in Gatchina (first, the parade ground in front of the
imperial palace was lit to increase security).
In 1881, on Silver
Lake, the inventor Stepan Karlovich Dzhevetsky demonstrated his
submarine to the royal family. In 1890, demonstration tests of Mosin
rifles were held in Gatchina.
In Gatchina in 1899-1902, the first
electric transport in Russia was demonstrated and tested - a monorail,
an electric car and an electric bus.
In 1899, an experimental
monorail road with a length of 100 soots (213 m) was put into operation
in Gatchina according to the project of engineer I. V. Romanov.
At the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900, Gatchina was recognized as the
most comfortable of the small towns in Russia.
In 1910, the first
military airfield in Russia was built in Gatchina, the first
aeronautical school in Russia began its work; flights in Gatchina were
made by Pyotr Nesterov, Lidia Zvereva and other famous pilots.
On March 1, 1917, an uprising was raised in Gatchina in the Western
Aviation Battalion, as a result of which the palace administration was
abolished and the Gatchina District Committee of the Petrograd Soviet
was formed. On October 24 (November 6), 1917, power in the city passed
to the Military Revolutionary Committee. During the speech of Kerensky -
Krasnov (October 26 (November 8) - October 31 (November 13), 1917), the
city was captured for several days by troops advancing on revolutionary
Petrograd.
In 1919, Gatchina was taken by the Whites during
fierce battles between the White troops of General Yudenich and the Red
Army.
In memory of the liberation of Gatchina from the troops of
Yudenich and in honor of the People's Commissar for Military Affairs,
the actual commander-in-chief of the Red Army L. D. Trotsky, the city of
Gatchina was renamed in 1923 into the city of Trotsk.
The city of
Trotsk, in turn renamed Krasnogvardeysk in 1929, from 1926 to 1939 was
also the administrative center of the Kolpansky Finnish National Village
Council. The population of the village council was: Finns - 2973,
Russians - 643, other nat. minorities - 301 people. According to the
data of 1933, it included 20 settlements: the villages of Bolshoye
Kolpano, Maloe Kolpano, Bolshaya Zagavka, Malaya Zagavka, Bolshoye
Zamostye, Maloe Zamostye, Kargozi, Bolshiye Paritsy, Malye Paritsy,
German Colony, Pedlino, Salizi, Ryakkelevo, Himozy, Big Korpikovo, Small
Korpikovo, Novoe Korpikovo, as well as the villages of Ilyicha, River
First and Solodukhino, with a population of 3679 people. Finnish was the
official administrative language. The National Village Council was
liquidated in the spring of 1939.
On July 4, 1941, the construction of the Krasnogvardeiskaya fortified
position began. On July 23, 1941, the Krasnogvardeisky fortified area
and the military formation of the same name became part of the active
army. Defensive structures were built mainly by labor battalions from
among the civilian population of Leningrad and adjacent areas. The
fortified area was disbanded on September 17, 1941, but more than three
weeks of fierce fighting in the positions of the Krasnogvardeisky and
Slutsk-Kolpinsky fortified regions largely predetermined the failure of
the enemy’s attempts to break through to Leningrad from the south.
On August 20, 1941, at 2 pm, in the city of Krasnogvardeysk itself,
the cannonade of the unfolding battle with German tanks began to be
heard. It turned out that, according to the erroneous opinion of the
military leadership, the German tanks that had broken through were
already fighting on the outskirts of the city in the Kolpan area. And
the day before, in preparation for the evacuation of the city telephone
center, the cables of the switchboard were cut through negligence and
telephone communications in the city itself and communications with the
region, Leningrad and military units were completely interrupted.
Focusing on the available information, the head of the district
department of the NKVD decided to immediately evacuate Soviet and party
workers from the city and undermine the main industries in the city.
Almost all police personnel and fire engines were withdrawn, explosions
were carried out, after which fires broke out in the city. In a hurry,
weapons and ammunition were left unattended in the city. On the same
day, after the situation was clarified, an hour later, the city
leadership and the police returned to the burning city. An investigation
was conducted and, a week later, a trial was held. According to the
court verdict, the head of the NKVD department was sentenced to death,
and almost all other heads of Soviet and party bodies were sentenced to
long terms of imprisonment.
Krasnogvardeysk was occupied by
German troops on September 13, 1941. The palace and park ensemble has
undergone significant destruction. The city was renamed by the invaders
first to Gatchina, and then, in 1942, to Lindemanstadt.
On
January 23, 1944, at the "request of the Leningrad organizations",
Krasnogvardeysk was renamed Gatchina by a decree of the Presidium of the
Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Three days later, on January 26, 1944, after
heavy fighting, the city was liberated by Soviet troops. And January 27
was the day of the final lifting of the blockade of Leningrad and was
first celebrated with fireworks in Leningrad.
In the post-war period, the city was rebuilt from ruins. New
residential districts, industrial enterprises, and the Institute of
Nuclear Physics appeared in it. In 1985, the first restored halls of the
Gatchina Palace were opened to the public. In 1999, according to the
results of the All-Russian competition "The most comfortable city in
Russia", Gatchina took first place among cities with up to 100 thousand
inhabitants.
Until 2010, Gatchina had the status of a historical
settlement, but by order of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian
Federation dated July 29, 2010 No. 418/339, the city was deprived of
this status.
In 2015, Gatchina was awarded the honorary title
"City of Military Glory".
On March 24, 2021, the Legislative
Assembly of the Leningrad Region adopted a law amending the Charter of
the Leningrad Region, according to which Gatchina became the location of
the highest state authorities of the Leningrad Region. The law was
published and entered into force on April 5, 2021.
By plane
From St. Petersburg Pulkovo airport to Gatchina is about
40 minutes drive (32 km), but there is no direct public transport. The
fastest way to get there is by taxi. Cheaper options, with transfers -
By bus from Pulkovo to 2 (Moskovsko-Petrogradskaya) line
Moskovskaya, then by bus to Gatchina.
By bus from Pulkovo to the
railway platform "Airport", then by train to the station
Gatchina-Varshavskaya.
By train
For historical reasons, there
are two passenger stations in the city, where trains arrive in two
different directions from one Baltic station in St. Petersburg:
Baltic Station (Gatchina-Baltiyskaya) , Grigorina st. 12. This station
is best suited for visiting the Gatchina Palace, located 500m from the
entrance to the palace.
Warsaw Station (Gatchina-Varshavskaya) ,
Varshavskogo Vokzal Sq. 1. This station is closest to the Priory Palace
- 1km on foot.
The travel time of ordinary electric trains from
the Baltic Station in St. Petersburg to both Gatchina stations is
approximately the same - about 1 hour. On the line to
Gatchina-Varshavskaya train more often, every 30-40 minutes, and to
Gatchina-Baltiyskaya - about every hour. 3 times a day through
Gatchina-Varshavskaya there is a "Swallow"-express St. Petersburg-Pskov
(journey time to St. Petersburg 30 minutes, to Pskov - 2 hours).
Tatyanino, Chekhov st. 14A. The closest to the center of Gatchina (but
not to the palaces) is the platform of electric trains, on the Warsaw
direction. All trains stop except express trains.
By car
M10
E95
A120
R38
A122
By bus
From St. Petersburg to
Gatchina can be reached
from 2 (Moskovsko-Petrogradskaya)
Moskovskaya line by bus No. 431 (to Varshavskiy railway
station/Gatchina-Varshavskaya), minibuses No. K-100 (to Varshavskiy
railway station/Gatchina-Varshavskaya), No. K-18 (to Aerodrom
microdistrict) or K -18A (to Marienburg railway station);
from 1
(Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya) line Prospekt Veteranov by bus No. 631 (to
Varshavskiy railway station/Gatchina-Varshavskaya).
All routes pass
through the center of Gatchina and have stops within walking distance of
the Gatchina Palace Park.
Bus station, Warsaw Station Square. ☎
+7 (81371) 9-39-96. A small bus station near Gatchina-Varshavskaya, with
almost no passenger infrastructure - just a place to board buses
directly at the exit from the railway station. Routes from / to St.
Petersburg, Pavlovsk and numerous settlements in the Gatchina region.
Buses
All areas of the city are connected by bus routes. From the
Varshavsky railway station to the Palace Park can be reached by buses 7,
22, 27, 28, to the Priory Park - 529, 631, from the Vyezd and Aerodrome
microdistricts - on routes 3, 4, 8, 22, 107, from the Marienburg
microdistrict - 3, 7, 28.
Taxi
There are several private
transport companies in the city, and taxis are inexpensive.
"Gatchina" taxi Phone: +7(81371) 9-46-46
Taxi "Mirage" Phone:
+7(81371) 95-556
Taxi "Priorat" Phones: +7 (81371) 76-156
Taxi
"SeDan" Phones: +7 (81371) 20-999 8(909)59-20-999
SEC "Gatchinsky", Chekhova street, 23. Mon–Fri 08:00–22:00 Sat–Sun 09:00–22:00.
Cheap
House of Bread, Sobornaya st. 2. 08.00–20.00. Cafeteria with
tea, coffee, sandwiches and delicious local pastries.
Cafe
Hummingbird, Kirgetova, 8A. ☎ 8(813-71)334-46. 08.00–22.00. Cafe for the
economical and unpretentious. The choice of dishes is small, the
atmosphere in the cafe does not suggest staying there longer than
necessary.
Dodo pizza, Cathedral street, 20A. Mon–Sun 10:00–22:00.
The institution of a large network in the center, near the Pokrovsky
Cathedral. Visitors complain about long waiting times.
KFC, prospect
25 October, 42. Mon–Sun 09:00–22:00. A network establishment in a
historic building of a former factory. Pretty tight.
Average cost
Cafe Via Rossa, Krasnaya st. 7/5. ☎ +7-(81371)-43-125. 09.00–24.00
(bar), 12.00–24.00 (cafe). Stylish, modern cafe. Good selection of
coffee, desserts, cakes. With the exception of hotel cafes, this is the
only place in the city center where you can drink coffee in the morning.
Cafe Gambrinus, st. Red, 16a. ☎ +7-(81371)-90-707. 12.00–23.00. Cozy
cafe in the city center edit
Pizzeria "Pyramid", Sobornaya st. 3a. ☎
+7-(81371)-10-325. 10.00–22.00. Cafe with Italian cuisine.
Liteyka, 7th Army, 22 (not far from the Tatyanino railway square, next to the Gatchinsky shopping center). ☎ 8(81371)7-62-12. A nightclub set up in a former foundry.
Hotel, st. Krupskaya, 12. ☎ +7 (81371) 3-56-11, fax: +7 (81371)
3-57-00. Double room: 1250 rubles; luxury: 2500 rubles (2009).
Hotel,
pr. 25 October, 3. ☎ +7 (81371) 3-44-99, +7 (812) 944-84-77. Double
rooms: from 3000 rubles (2009).
Hotel, st. Chkalova, 77. ☎ +7 (81371)
9-94-58.
Hotel, st. Nesterova, 3. ☎ +7 (81371) 9-56-48.
Hotel, st.
Chkalova, 64 (on the way from the Gatchina-Varshavskaya station to the
center). ☎ +7-(81371)-94-570, +7-(921)-376-34-56. Double room: 2100–2300
rubles (2009). A small, freshly renovated hotel, located next to the
Priory Palace, 5-10 minutes walk to the city center. All rooms with
private facilities, free Wi-Fi (not everywhere). No breakfast, parking -
paid, 200 m from the hotel; You can't park your car near the hotel.
Guest house in Yegerskaya Sloboda, Polevaya st., 25. ☎ +7 (81371)
7-43-92.
Vyra. Station Master's House
Kobrino. Nanny Pushkin's house
Christmas. manor
Thais. Taitsy urban-type settlement, northeast of
Gatchina. The main attraction is the Demidovs' estate, 1774-1778. Is
under restoration. Around it is a vast manor park. A hiking trail with a
length of 2.8 km has recently been laid through the park. In the village
itself, the Art Nouveau Alekseevskaya Church, as well as several old
summer cottages, are also interesting.
Suida. Hannibal Manor. There
is a small museum dedicated to Pushkin's great-grandfather A.P.
Hannibal.
The city of Gatchina is located in the northwest of the European part
of Russia, in the southern taiga zone. Geographic coordinates: 59°34′00″
s. sh. 30°08′00″ in. d..
Borders:
in the north - with Verevsky
rural settlement,
in the east - with the Novosvetsky rural
settlement,
in the south - with the Bolshekolpansky rural settlement,
in the west - with the Pudostsky rural settlement.
The distance
to St. Petersburg is 42 km.
The boundaries of the city, which are
extremely indented, were approved by the regional law in 1997. At the
same time, the needs of the long-term development of the city were not
taken into account; the territories of some enterprises and residential
buildings, logically and functionally connected with the city, turned
out to be outside the boundaries.
The area of the city is 28.75
km², of which 22% is public and business, industrial and commercial
land, 20% is land of specially protected natural areas, 18% is public
land, 11% is residential land. From west to east, the city stretches for
6.5 km, from north to south - for 7 km.
Relief and geological
structure
The city is located to the east of the Izhora Upland.
Heights above sea level - about a hundred meters. The relief is gently
sloping flat with separate low hills.
Geological deposits of the
Ordovician period, covered with glacial deposits, predominate.
The climate is Atlantic-continental. Marine air masses cause
relatively mild winters with frequent thaws and moderately warm,
sometimes cool summers. Average January temperature: -7 °C, July: +17
°C. The annual precipitation is 650-700 mm; in winter, precipitation
falls mainly in the form of snow. West and south winds prevail. In
spring and summer, the phenomenon of white nights is observed.
The average annual air temperature is +4.5 °C.
The average wind speed
is 2.9 m/s.
The nearest weather stations are located in St.
Petersburg and the village of Belogorka in the south of the region.
Hydraulic system
The Izhora River (a tributary of the Neva) flows along the northern
border of the city, which is the common water intake of the city's
hydraulic system. Its tributaries flow through the Gatchina parks - the
Teplaya (Gatchinka) and Kolpanskaya (Pilchaya) rivers. Also in the city
there are lakes - White, Black, Silver, Filkino, Kolpanskoye, ponds
Karpin and Kovsh.
The supply of the hydraulic system is due to
one third by surface runoff and two thirds by springs from underground
water aquifers.
A small section of the Menagerie Park is called the Gatchina Miracle Glade. It is included in the complex scheme for the protection of nature in the Leningrad Region and is proposed for inclusion in the list of specially protected natural areas as a natural monument. Rare plant species grow on it: Valeriana dioecious (Valeriana dioica L.), Devella's sedge (Carex davalliana Sm.) (listed in the Red Book of Russia), Shadow sedge (Carex umbrosa Host) (listed in the Red Book of Russia), autumn colchicum ( Colchicum autumnale L.) (listed in the Red Book of Russia), blue Sesleria (Sesleria caerulea (L.) Ard.).
The level of atmospheric pollution is characterized by a twofold
excess of the background. The main sources of atmospheric air pollution
are industrial enterprises, energy complexes and vehicles.
The
quality of water in the central water supply system does not meet the
standard indicators for iron content. An intensive source of
environmental pollution is industrial and domestic waste. The city is
located in an area with a high concentration of radon.
There are
potentially radiation-hazardous objects on the city territory: the St.
Petersburg Institute of Nuclear Physics, which houses two nuclear
reactors, a radioactive waste storage facility, and research
laboratories. The scientific and experimental complex of the Radium
Institute is also located there.
Historically, the city was the personal property of the head of the
Romanov Imperial House, so Paul I and his son Nicholas I personally
actively participated in creating the layout of the central part of the
city. Geographically, the city now consists of three main planning
areas, which are separated by railway lines. In each of them, several
historically established microdistricts are unofficially distinguished.
In the central planning area, the main part of the territory is
occupied by parks - Palace, Priory, Sylvia, Menagerie and Orlova Grove.
To the east of them are residential microdistricts with a predominance
of multi-storey buildings - Center, Khokhlovo Pole, Vezd and Roschinsky.
Between the Palace Park and the Baltic line of the railway there is the
Krasnoarmeisky microdistrict.
In the southwestern part of the
city there is a large residential microdistrict Aerodrom. To the north
of it is Yegerskaya Sloboda, built up with low-rise private houses, and
Marienburg, in which the private sector is adjacent to high-rise
buildings. To the west of Marienburg is Industrial Zone 2, which houses
several large enterprises. To the south of the Aerodrome there are
microdistricts with a predominance of low-rise residential buildings -
Kyiv and Khimozy.
The main part of the eastern planning area is
occupied by Industrial Zone 1 and the Industrial Microdistrict. To the
south of them is Zagvozka - the territory of low-rise buildings.
In addition to the city, the municipality includes the village of
Bolshaya Zagvozka.
There are about 200 streets in Gatchina. The
main thoroughfare of the city is 25 October Avenue.
Gatchina is a large industrial center. Several large enterprises are
located in the city. Construction and services play a significant role
in the city's economy. Small business is actively developing, which
accounts for almost 40% of the total urban product.
In 2007, the
volume of shipped goods of own production, work and services performed
by the city's enterprises on their own amounted to 10.7 billion rubles,
which is 20% higher than in 2006. The average number of people employed
in the city's economy increased by almost 2% compared to last year, and
the average monthly wage increased by almost 30% and amounted to about
11,400 rubles.
Every year in September, Gatchina hosts a regional
industrial and trade exhibition-fair, in which more than a hundred
enterprises and entrepreneurs from the Leningrad Region, St. Petersburg
and other regions participate. It presents a wide range of industrial
and agricultural products, consumer goods, seminars for entrepreneurs.
Retail trade is carried out.
In 2006, Gatchina became the winner
of the 5th All-Russian competition "Golden Ruble" in the nomination "The
best city of the Russian Federation in terms of economic indicators of
development" in the category "medium city" in the North-Western Federal
District.
Industry
Industry is the basis of Gatchina's
economic potential and is multi-sectoral. The largest enterprises in the
city are:
JSC “Plant “KrIzo” (Red Inventor)” is an instrument-making
enterprise of the shipbuilding industry.
OJSC "Plant" Burevestnik ""
- production of pipeline fittings and other products.
OAO LSR.
Reinforced Concrete-SZ is the manufacture of reinforced concrete
products for residential, public and industrial buildings, for
engineering structures and utility networks.
JSC "218th Aviation
Repair Plant" - repair of aircraft engines.
ZAO Gatchina Plant
Avangard produces camping furniture, metal cornices and pyrotechnics.
CJSC Electronstandart — production of fire and gas safety systems,
molding of plastic products.
OAO Gatchina Pilot Plant of Paper-Making
Equipment - production of chipping and grinding equipment.
OOO
Galaktika is a dairy plant.
OAO Gatchina Khlebokombinat (part of
Petrokhleb holding).
Branch of the State Unitary Enterprise Central
Research Institute "Elektropribor" NPO "Azimut" - production of
navigation equipment, wind turbines, etc.
LLC "Gatchinsky Plant of
Powder Coatings"
CJSC "Gatchinsky feed mill".
JSC "Gatchinsky
distillery"
JSC "RosMat" is a plant for the production of plastic
skirting boards and accessories for them.
In recent years,
several new production facilities have been opened on the free areas of
large enterprises. Among them are LLC Experimental Plant of Building
Structures, LLC Orion-Spetssplav-Gatchina.
More than a third of
urban small businesses are employed in the sphere of material
production. Among them are the wine producer CJSC Bodegas
Valdepablo-Neva, the printing house LLC North-Western Printing Yard.
In 2008, new production facilities were put into operation:
LLC
"Galaktika" is a dairy plant built jointly with the Finnish concern
"Valio"
LLC "Veresk-1" - an enterprise for the production of
packaging from corrugated cardboard
LLC "Petito Investments" - a
plant for the production of packaging tape
BWF Envirotec LLC is a
German company producing filter materials.
Construction
A
large house-building plant operates in the city - ZAO Gatchinsky SSK and
OAO LSR. Reinforced Concrete-SZ is a manufacturer of reinforced concrete
products.
In 2008, seven residential buildings with 750
apartments with a total area of 39.9 thousand m² and eight individual
residential buildings with a total area of 1815.4 m² were put into
operation.
In the fall of 2008, the situation on the construction
market deteriorated: housing sales declined, staff reductions began.
In the future, an increase in the volume of housing construction is
predicted in connection with the start of construction of new land
plots. In the Vezd microdistrict, on an area of 15 hectares, it is
planned to build a new quarter for 5,500 residents, as well as two
kindergartens and a school. Further development of the Aerodrom
microdistrict is also being planned, where it is planned to build
residential buildings for 17-20 thousand people on an area of 58
hectares.
Currently, the following residential complexes have
been built or are under construction in Gatchina: Novaya Gatchina,
Silvia, Priorat, IQ Gatchina, and Amsterdam.
Consumer market
As of January 1, 2016, the city had 2013 shops, fairgrounds - 7, fairs -
17, shopping centers - 22, public catering establishments - 154, public
catering establishments of the open network - 124, consumer services
enterprises - 354.
The state of the consumer market is
characterized as stable with a high level of saturation for all product
groups and services provided. On the territory of the city of Gatchina,
there are 22 shopping and entertainment complexes, the number of trade
facilities in them is 844. The retail trade turnover per capita in
Gatchina is 22,182.9 rubles per month.
Financial services
The
banking sector in Gatchina is represented by branches of the
North-Western Bank of Sberbank of Russia, Let's Go!, Rosselkhozbank,
Binbank, Post Bank, Vostochny, St. Petersburg, VTB 24 banks , "Credit
Bank of Moscow".
Insurance services are provided by Sogaz,
Rosgosstrakh, Renaissance Insurance, RESO-Garantia, ROSNO and
ASK-Petersburg and others.