The Premier Site for Russian Culture
These two pavilions were built in the 1840s on islands in the Olga Pond. They were presents from Tsar Nicholas I to his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna (the “tsaritsa”) and daughter Olga.
The Tsaritsa Pavilion is designed in the style of a Pompeian villa. The interior decor includes Byzantine columns and an ancient mosaic floor from Pompeii. The flower garden, fountains, murals and collection of marble and bronze sculptures create an atmosphere of languor and luxury.
Built in the Italian architecture of the eighteenth century, the Olga Pavilion is reached across a long pontoon bridge. In the second half of the nineteenth century, Olga Island hosted grand illuminations and ballet performances in honour of empresses’ birthdays and the visits of important guests.