Park of the Tsaritsyno estate in Moscow photo

The park of the Tsaritsyno estate in the south of Moscow has an area of more than 100 hectares. The territory of Tsaritsyno Park is located in a hilly area rugged by ravines. The park has no straight paths, as in a regular park, and a significant part of the park is a dense forest.

The park of the Tsaritsyno estate became the first landscape park outside of St. Petersburg. Empress Catherine II decided to have an entertainment residence built near Moscow. At first, the architect Bazhenov was commissioned with the task, but then Catherine II dismissed him for relations with the masons, and the construction was continued by his follower, the architect Matvey Kazakov. 

All the most beautiful buildings of Tsaritsyno are concentrated above the ponds in the area of the Grand Palace. It is there that you can see beautiful bridges, as well as several pavilions and buildings, but if you go further into the park, which begins behind the Grand Palace, you will also find many other interesting things.

Going along the path past the Grand Palace, visitors see the Middle Palace. It is also known as the Opera House. This very beautiful Gothic pavilion was built by the architect Bazhenov (no other buildings of the architect remained in Tsaritsyno). It was intended for receptions of the empress and theatrical performances. The latter are still held there.

Further, the path goes by way of the Shaped (Grape) gate through a dense forest along the high bank of the Great Tsaritsyno Pond. The beautiful Milovid Pavilion commanding a beautiful view of the pond is in the far part of the park.

If you go further on, you can see the Ruin Tower. According to legend, a sketch of this tower was drawn by an artist in Italy, who was with Alexei Orlov when the latter was sent to bring Princess Tarakanova to Russia. Catherine II saw this sketch and gave an order to build the same pavilion in Tsaritsyno.

Further on, the land of the park becomes very rugged; grotesque bridges are built over the ravines. The pavilion “Temple of Ceres” is located in the place of the tent of Catherine II from where she watched the festival of haymaking arranged for her by Potemkin.