The arch, thrown over the Sadovaya, joins the Lyceum with the church wing of the great palace; here, during the Swedish dominion, stood a wooden one-storied house, found by the okolnitchy Apraksine in 1702 in a very decrepit state. According to Iakovkine's history of Tsarskoe Selo, this house stood near the north gate, which leads to the Palace square. Next to it was a small wooden building with two rooms. Both these houses, a little restored, served, as a temporal residence to Catherine Alexeevna.
In 1718 the Empress Catherine I ordered to build a stone palace exactly in the middle of the garden, which occupied the square from the palace to the recess near the Upper Bath-house. That palace was built by the architect Braunstein. It had 2 stories, was 15 sagene in length, 9 in width, and contained 16 rooms in both stories. The principal staircase of to-day and the rooms next to it are on that spot.  for the architect Giuseppe Trezzini to superintend the groundworks."
In 1745 Trezzini was replaced by Tchevakinsky, who in 1748 also superseded Kvassoff; the result of the work of these architects was a palace building, consisting of two small stone wings, of two stories with 3 and 6 rooms each, in one line with the "middle house". Those wings, as well as the church and the portrait hall, were joined together by vaulted one-storied passages with clear wooden galleries. Those galleries were three times as narrow as the stone ground-floor and on the open part of the vaults between them was laid out the "upper orchard". The state court was surrounded by the low buildings of "the circumference". The construction was already completed in the style of Louis XV, when suddenly, by the order of H. I. M. in 1752, quite a new plan of building, according to Rastrelli's sketch, was begun.
The rebuilding, under Rastrelli's direction was executed by the same Tchevakinsky, with the aid of several Italian helpers and the Russian student of architecture, Neioloff. The galleries, between the church and the chambers in the right wing, remained also in Rastrelli's project. To the left side of the middle house was added a large hall, also sometimes called gallery, and the whole left wing in the second story was transformed into five antechambers. The upper orchard and the light gilded wooden galleries existed until 1773, when they were rebuilt by Neioloff into state rooms.
The reconstruction during the reign of the Empress Elizabeth, amounted to an enormous sum; the Empress Catherine says in her diary of 1748: "The palace was then being built, but it was the work of Penelope: what was done to-day, was destroyed to-morrow. That house has been pulled down six times to the foundation, then built up again ere it was brought to its present state. The sum of a million six hundred thousand rubles, was spent on the construction. Accounts exist to prove it; but besides this sum the Empress spent much money out of her own pocket on it, without ever counting.
As Rastrelli was always obliged to reckon with the already raised parts of the building, the entire fore-front of the palace is somewhat disproportioned. But, what the palace looked like, when its building was finished by Rastrelli, one can best judge by the copies from the pictures and prints of the middle of the XVIII century. The contemporaries were literally blinded by the magnificence of the adornment, marvels about the palace were related, saying even, that its roof was made of gold.
The story is told, that when the Empress Elizabeth arrived with the whole of her court and the foreign ministers to inspect the finished palace, everyone, struck by its splendour, hastened to express his enthusiasm; the French ambassador alone did not say a word; the Empress remarking his silence, desired to know the reason of his indifference ; he answered, that he did not see the most important thing, ,,a casket for this jewel".
Indeed, the gilding, both of the inside and of the outside of the palace, had been lavishly used by the architect. Everything, that is now painted in deep olive colour: cornices, pillars, caryatids, were then gilt, and on the roof of white tinned iron, stood a gilt wooden balustrade also decorated with gilded wooden figures and vases.
The words of the flatterer were however prophetic: the blinding luxury and brilliancy of the facade did not prove lasting; notwithstanding, that in the space of 14 years, 6 poods, 17 pounds, and 2 drams of pure gold were employed, the Empress Elizabeth, considering the palace not sufficiently decorated, and seeing the insolidity of the wooden and modeled ornaments of the fore-front, ordered them to be replaced by bronze gilt ones. The work was to have been begun in the spring of the year 1762, but as the Empress died at Christmas 1761, the scheme was not carried out.
After some hesitation the Empress Catherine II refused to place bronze decorations and ordered to calculate the cost of the gilding. The sum for the redecorations proved to be so enormous, that an order was given to remove entirely all the worn out ornaments and to paint the modeled gilt parts. The contractors offered 20 000 ducats for the right of cleaning off the remains of the gilding, but Catherine proudly answered, that "she did not sell her old things", and ordered everything to be painted in ochre. Not everyone who had seen the palace in its almost untouched magnificence, was in ecstasy over it. William Coxe, who traveled in Russia in 1778, notes, that the palace is disproportionately long and of a heavy architecture. The abundance of gilding (evidently inside the palace) he considers very tasteless.
Other contemporaries found it beautiful, but not artistic; it is said in the journal of the countess Golovine: "The palace in Tsarskoye Selo is spacious and very beautiful, although it is built in the gothic style. The Empress Catherine added for herself a separate building in a more artistic style".
Without judging Rastrelli's taste, one can only affirm, that in its present state the fore-front of the palace is far from being the master piece, which the imagination of the celebrated architect of the sumptuous time of Elizabeth, created. The two collateral buildings were superstructed during the reign of the Empress Catherine II ; both the palace and the dependences were deprived of their decorations on the roofs : the front steps were removed; entrances were added; the shapes of the church domes were altered; the white roof is no more; nor is there any more gilding; the luxurious flower-gardens, which occupied the part of the square between the dependences, and descended in terraces to the charming Hermitage, have disappeared. All the proportions were changed, but in spite of that, and the extreme length of the fore-front, the palace in sunshine produces a fascinating impression.
The entrance to the palace square is from the side of the Dvortzovaya Street, through one of the three gates, made by the Master lock-smith Kordoni from a drawing of the chief-architect, Count Rastrelli.
On the square, during the residence of the Imperial Court in Tsarskoye Selo, take place reviews of the troops. There is a paragraph in the chamber-fourriers' journal, that also during the reign of Catherine the Great, the troops on solemn days came on the square before the rooms of Her Majesty and "made congratulation by music and drumming".
The court of the Great Palace is surrounded on one side by the palace fore-front with two wings and the curve of the "circumference", (the expression of the time), and by one storied buildings — dependences on the right and on the left. They were built at the same time as the palace, and are occupied to-day by the officials, who arrive in Tsarskoye Selo with the Imperial Court. In the time of Catherine the Great in the dependence near the middle gate, rooms were arranged for the disposition of the embassies, arriving at Tsarskoye, and for newly married couples; because often in the Church of the Great palace weddings in the Empress' suite took place. After a triumphal dinner the newly married couple was escorted to those rooms, land on the following day they presented themselves to the Empress to thank her for her presence at the wedding and for the solemn dinner or ball, which was given in their honor to close the day.
During the first 20 years of the XIX century the palace court was on summer evenings the meeting place of the best society of Tsarskoye Selo, who gathered to listen to the military band, executing the retreat to the palace guard-house.
The whole palace has 140 sagenes in length. Opposite the centre of the fore-front, between the dependences is the middle gate; beyond which, directly behind the white gate, begins the principal avenue of the Alexandrovsky park. In the distance is visible the red building of the Arsenal.
For the visitation of the palace it is necessary to ring at the first covered entrance of the principal fore-front, to which there is an ascent of several steps.
A wainscot leads straight from the gate to the entrance. It runs along the church wing, now also occupied by persons of the suite nearest to the Emperor. In the time of Elizabeth that wing was one-storied. In 1773 Catherine ordered both wings to be raised, symmetrically up to the height of the principal fore-front. In the 3-rd story of this wing, during winter, the Emperor Alexander I used to have his quiet week's end. Here too in the winters of 1822 and 1825 lived his spouse, occupying three rooms with windows, facing the "Lyceum" and the palace court, near the church gallery. She loved to be here near the adored Emperor. She was seriously ill and often attended the divine service, without leaving her room, by opening the door into the gallery. The Empress Elizabeth Alexeevna preferred those three little rooms to her summer apartments, although she complained of the view being less picturesque. Besides she was obliged to have the blinds down, in order to avoid the inquisitive looks of the "Lyceum" youths.
Having presented at the church entrance the tickets of permission to examine the palace, the visitors ascend a white marble staircase, built in 1843 by the architect Stassoff on the spot of the old round flagstone staircase and called the Church-staircase, because it is situated next to the hall, leading to the church. The church hall was built simultaneously with the staircase, by the same architect, in the place of the ground-floor apartments of the Grand Duke Paul Petrovitch. It has 9 big windows, facing the palace square. The walls are white with light gilt moldings in the style of Louis XVI, lit by crystal lustres131, with church candles. The hall, serving also as vestry to the church, has a religious tendency in the ornamentation. The exceedingly light white marble staircase is decorated in the style of Louis XV, with panels of Hubert Robert.
The inspection of the palace begins with the so called "First" apartments.
A door from the staircase leads into a small "Steward's" room.

"The Steward's room"
Two windows, reaching down to the floor, face the grand palace square; the walls are rosy, tinted with dark grooved wooden pilasters; the style of the ornamentation belongs to the end of the XVIII century; the furniture is Dutch mahogany, in the style of the beginning of the XVIII century, covered with white brocade. The painted ceiling "The encounter of Hercules" is one of the thirteen painted ceilings, chosen and restored in the Hermitage by Bruni and the architect Stakenscheinder, and placed in the palace by the imperial order of 1856. On the walls are the pictures of Hubert Robert: two ,,perspectives, "The ruins" and "The gallery in the Louvre".
 The clock is bronze gilt of the work of the XVIII century — by Imbert Senior. (Imbert l'aine.)
To the right of that room are situated the chambers, called "The apartments of the Empress Elizabeth Alexeevna".
The "Drawing room of the Empress Elizabeth Alexeevna" is next to the steward's room.

"The Drawing room of the Empress Elizabeth Alexeevna"
Three windows face the palace square; the walls are covered with white gros-de-Naples with blue flowers, the general style of the room is the unsustained style of Louis XVI : the furniture is gilt, covered with the same gros-de-Naples of the middle of the XVIII century. In the corners are two big vases of Sevre porcelain, a gift of Napoleon III, to the Emperor Alexander II. Between the windows stand mirrors in gilt frames with similar shelves in the style of Louis XVI ; on the marble chimneys are vases of Berlin china. The painted ceiling "The Greeks, bringing gifts", is the work of Mashkoff. On the walls are portraits of: the Tsesarevitch Paul Petrovitch, a copy from Rosselin, of His spouse Maria Feodorovna, a copy from Vige Lebrun, of the Empress Catherine I, style Nattier; of the Emperor Peter the Great in Tonauer's style ; of the Empress Catherine II by Rokotoff, and of the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna by Eriksen; the clock by an unknown master is the work of the beginning of the XIX century.
The next room with windows to the floor, facing the square, is the "Chinese light-blue study".

"The Chinese light-blue study".
The walls are hung with ancient Chinese silk stuff, with water-colour pictures, representing hunting scenes ; the decorations are in the style of Louis XVI ; the furniture is gilt in the style of the middle of the XIX century, covered with plain gros de Naples; on the shelf of the mirror stands a clock of dark-red marble and gilt bronze, the work of the beginning of the XVIII century; on the chimney and on the tables Chinese and Japanese china of the XV—XVII centuries. The painted ceiling "The nymphs with the dolphin", is French of the XVIII century, placed there in 1857; on the wall is a portrait of the Empress Elizabeth Alexeevna, a copy from M-me Vige Lebrun.
"The following room is the antichamber to the choir gallery."

"The antichamber to the choir gallery."
Two windows, reaching to the floor, face the big court, the walls are covered with woven silk stuff in Chinese style, worked out after an ancient pattern by Sapojnikoff in Moscow; the furniture is gilt, of the middle of the XVIII century, covered with the same material; on the shelf .of a mirror stands a clock of gilt bronze, representing a bacchanalian scene, the work of Le Roy in Paris (Le Roy a Paris), at the end of the XVIII century; on the walls are the pictures: "Catherine II in the studio of Falconet", a work by Charlemagne. "The apotheosis of Catherine the Great", by Bacciarelli Marcello, and two views of the Kremlin at Moscow, by F. Alexeeff.
From that room the door leads into the choir gallery.

"The Church of the Great palace"
The church of the Great palace was founded on the 8th of August 1745; the following inscription was found on a plank after the fire on the 12th of May 1820.
"In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, this church was founded in honour and memory of the Resurrection of Christ, during the reign of the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, autocratie monarch of Russia; and in the presence of her Heir, the grand-son of Peter the Great, the Grand Duke Peter Alexeevitch and of his spouse, the Grand Duchess Catherine Alexeevna ; during the prelacy of the Most Reverend Theodosius, the Archbishop of St. Petersburg and Shlisselburg, and the Archimandrite of Troitzky Alexandrovsky, year 1745, August 8th."
Kvassoff and then Rastrelli, made the drawing of the church, having indicated the dimensions of all the images, and painted the inconostasis and the sculptured gilt canopy over the altar. The painters: Grot, Weber, Papaphil and Fanzel, the carpenter Souchoi, the engraver Dunker, and the gilder Leprince worked at the ornamentation of the church under the close inspection of the architect Tchevakinsky. The painted ceiling is done by Valeriani, because Grot died, before having finished his work. In 1750 the Empress Elizabeth invited the painters Caravaca, Tarsi and Vishniakoff, to work at the decoration of the church. In 1753 Tchevakinsky, who replaced Kvassoff, was ordered to appoint the painters "who were more skilful to paint images on the front wall of the iconostasis; the second rate artists were to paint the upper walls".
In 1749 the Empress chose the colour of the painting (it remains till the present day) and ordered the ornaments, carving, and other decorations to be gilded.
The church was consecrated on the 30th of July 1756. Here was celebrated on the 5th of September 1761 a solemn mass on the last "name's day" of the Empress Elizabeth, The sermon was pronounced by a member of the Synod — the archimandrite Gedeon. Hero too, after the mass on the 10th of February 1762, the birth-day of the Emperor Peter III, the Court listened in his presence to the sermon of the Most eminent Benjamin.
On the 1-st of November 1768 a Te Deum was sung, in thanks giving for the recovery of the Empress Catherine II from her indisposition, caused by vaccination. In this church was christened on the 6th of July 1796 the Grand Duke, afterwards the Emperor Nicholas Pavlovitch.
On the 12th of May 1820 the church was completely burnt, most of the icons perished. The Emperor Alexander I had the ornamentations, and the icons, and the painted ceiling replaced after the old patterns "from memory". The best preserved among the images were those of Christ and the Resurrection — on the right side of the holy gate. The painted ceiling was finished by the Professor Shebuyeff in 1823. The Emperor Alexander I was extremely pleased with the restoration of the church and bestowed on the artist the title of "painter to his Majesty". At the same time the professor Tupiloff painted 2 rows of icons, representing 4 parables. The Professor Andrew Ivanoff painted three icons in the altar, and the professor Yegoroff restored 16 icons, saved during the fire; the painted ceilings of the gallery were begun by the court-painter Otto Ignatius and was finished after his death by Gustav Hippius. The professor Antonelli painted a ceiling above the altar and restored 98 icons, saved during the fire ; the painted ceilings were collected and restored by the mechanician Franz Thibaut. Shebuyeff's painted ceiling, being damaged, was taken to the Hermitage in 1883, it was restored and put back again. The ceiling by Antonelli had been painted on plaster, and, having suffered during the fire in 1863, was copied on linen by the academician Belloni and put in the place of the damaged one.
Notwithstanding the damage, caused by the fires of 1820—1863, the church is preserved almost in its original state, designed and planned by Rastrelli. Its extraordinary luxury in ornamentation appears as one of the best patterns of the epoch of Elizabeth. For nearly two centuries the solemn divine services took place in this church during the residence of the Court in Tsarskoye.
The last years of her reign, the Empress Catherine II

The Great Palace - 2