Znamenka

In 1835, Nicholas I purchased the estate next to Alexandria, which was called Znamenka, as a present for his wife, Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna. Harald Julius von Bosse reconstructed the palace in a Neo-Baroque style. The park was replanned by Joseph Busch, who had already made a name for himself at Oranienbaum. A series of new buildings were added, including the Stables, the Kitchen Block and the Orangery. The empress later presented Znamenka to her son, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder, who grew palm trees and other tropical plants in the Orangery.