Gatchina Palace

Image of Gatchina Palace

10 largest cities of Russia
Moscow
St. Petersburg
Novosibirsk
Yekaterinburg
Nizhny Novgorod
Kazan
Chelyabinsk
Omsk
Samara
Rostov-on-Don

 

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

 

Transportation

 

Description of Gatchina Palace

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.

 

Travel Destinations in Gatchina

Palaces and parks

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.

 

Center

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.

 

Other areas

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.

 

Museums

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.

 

Underground passages in Gatchina

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.

Name

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 Palace History

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.

 

After the revolution

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.

 

During the Great Patriotic War

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.

 

After the war

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.

 


Transportation

Getting here

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.

 

Around the city

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

 

Shopping

SEC "Gatchinsky", Chekhova street, 23. Mon–Fri 08:00–22:00 Sat–Sun 09:00–22:00.

 

Restaurants

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.

 

Night life

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.

 

Hotels

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.

 

Neighborhood

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.

 

Physical and geographical characteristics

Geographical position

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.

 

Climate and soils

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.

 

Gatchina "Miracle Glade"

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.).

 

Ecology

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.

 

City layout

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.

 

Economy

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.