Gatchina Palace

Gatchina farmstead originally belonged to Peter the Great. He presented it to his sister Natalia. Two-story wooden house built for her on the shores of the White Lake was dismantled during construction of the Botanical Gardens (1793). Later used by imperial doctors and owned by Prince Kurakin. Bought by Catherine the Great and presented to Count Grigory Orlov (1765). Antonio Rinaldi built a palace in the form of a hunting lodge with turrets and an underground entrance. After the death of Count Grigory Orlov (1783), Catherine II bought the estate and presented it to her son Paul. Architect Vincenzo Brenna reconstructed the palace for Paul with contributions from Adrian Zakharov and Vasily Bazhenov. Andrei Voronikhin added numerous architectural and decorative elements, altering the interiors of the main wing. After Paul’s death, the palace was inherited by his widow, Maria Fyodorovna (1801). One of the residences of Tsar Nicholas I (1828–55). Owned by all subsequent Russian emperors – Alexander II, Alexander III and Nicholas II.