State Museum-Reserve Tsaritsyno

Country estate Tsaritsyno got its modern name in 1775 when it was bought by the Empress Catherine the Great for construction of her country residence. From 1776 to 1785 construction of the palace in a pseudo-Gothic style was headed by V.I. Bazhenov. In 1786, ten years after commencement of works, Catherine II once coming to the new palace, decided not to enter it, so much she disliked it. Bazhenov was dismissed from construction and the order was given to the architect M.F. Kozakov. Construction of the Grand Palace continued till 1797, but it was not completed either. At the beginning of the XIXth century under the guidance of the architect I.V. Yegotov, pavilions, arbours, grottos and decorative bridges were constructed around the Palace in the park.

Almost 100 years later, in 1880s, the roof and inner floors of the Grand Palace were pulled down due to decay. The ideas that appeared during the two centuries and renovation projects of restoration and adapting the Grand Palace to, including, holiday center or champagne factory were never realised. In 1939 the territory of Tsaritsyno came into the composition of the industrial settlement Lenino, and in 1960 – to Moscow. Desolation lasted until recent times when it was decided to restore Tsaritsyno according to the original drawings of Bazhenov, getting rid of all later developments, however, having adapted it to the requirements of the present day. By the 860th anniversary of Moscow that was on September 1, 2007, the territory of the State Museum-Reserve Tsaritsyno had been improved and palaces and other structures had been restored as well.

Tsaritsyno is situated at the south of Moscow, just within a 5 minutes walk from the «Tsaritsyno» metro station (if you take the first carriage from the center). You can also get to the park having come to the «Orekhovo» metro station.

Musical fountain

In the center of the Lower Tsaritsyno pond there is an island Horseshoe (Podkova), named this way owing to its shape. In 2007 two arch bridges were thrown to the island, one of which connected the island with the main alley coming from the entrance, and the other one – with the main part of the Museum resort where palaces, majority of structures and park are situated. The same year a light-dynamic fountain, in which the water is «dancing» under the accompaniment of the Russian classical music, was built on the Horseshoe island. 83 pumps and 1532 sources of light are used to operate the musical fountain, whose sheets of water go as high as the 5 storied building.