Gatchina. Sights on your own, route, photo with description

Gatchina is a picturesque suburb of St. Petersburg, first mentioned in 1499 as Khotchino. Its lands belonged to the Swedes for a long time, and only after the end of the Northern War did the amazing natural area begin its transformation. A unique palace and park complex was erected, and the city center was built up (its historical part is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List).

The city is also famous for the fact that the first aeronautical school in Russia was opened here, on the basis of which demonstration “public flights” were held with the participation of the Nesterov brothers. Russian landscape painter F.A. Vasiliev was born here, A.I. Kuprin lived for about 10 years, and K.D. Ushinsky taught at the Gatchina Orphan University for 5 years.

The city is small, you can explore it in one day. There are many parks in Gatchina, so it is especially beautiful here in spring and summer.

State Museum-Reserve "Gatchina"

Address: Krasnoarmeysky Prospekt, 1 Telephone for booking excursions: 8 (81371) 93 492 Website: https://gatchinapalace.ru Opening hours: Priory and Gatchina palaces - from 11.00 to 19.00 (closed on Monday), sanitary day - first Tuesday of the month. Cost: • Comprehensive visit – 300 rubles. adults, 150 rub. students and people over 65 years old, family ticket (2 adults + children) – 700 rub. • Priory Palace – 120 rubles. adults, 60 rub. students and people over 65 years old, family ticket – 300 rubles. • Gatchina + Prioratsky – 450 rub. adults, 250 rub. students and people over 65 years of age. • Pavilion of Venus – 50 rub. adults, 20 rub. students and people over 65 years of age. • Birch house - 50 rub. adults, 20 rub. students and people over 65 years of age. On the third Thursday of every month, persons under 18 years of age visit the museum free of charge. Free with the St. Petersburg Guest Card.

It can be useful! The museum has a Children's Lounge, where children are looked after by experienced teachers while parents get acquainted with the exhibitions of the palaces.

Gatchina Imperial Palace

Address: Krasnoarmeysky prospect, 1

Construction of the palace in the style of an English hunting castle began in 1766, shortly after the palace coup of 1762. The palace was a kind of gift to Count Grigory Orlov, a favorite of Catherine II, who was one of its organizers. True, Orlov did not live in the palace for long, until 1783. Later, the palace became the residence of the Russian emperors Nicholas I, Alexander II, Paul I, Alexander III.

The palace was rebuilt more than once, and during the war many buildings were completely destroyed. Restoration work has not yet been completed, but every tourist has the opportunity to explore the luxurious state rooms.

The most interesting things in the palace:

• A spectacular marble dining room, the walls of which are richly decorated with plaster bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the ancient Greek myths of Dionysus.
• A “representative” ceremonial bedchamber with a huge bed for the monarch.
• The throne room of Empress Maria Feodorovna, which houses a collection of paintings by Western European painters.
• The elegant throne room of Paul I with luxurious decorative trim, a gilded throne chair and French tapestries.
• An underground passage with excellent acoustics. The echo in it repeats up to 4 syllables.
• Weapons gallery with about 1000 bladed weapons and firearms.

Priory Palace

Address: Chkalova street, 22A

The Priory Palace is the only surviving structure in Russia built using the earth-breaker technology. Its walls are made of the cheapest material - earth, which was compacted in "formwork machines" and strengthened every few centimeters with lime mortar. During a sightseeing tour of the palace, guides talk about the history and construction techniques of the Priory, the Order of Malta (the palace was its residence for about 10 years).

Venus Pavilion

Address: Palace Park, Island of Love

The Venus Pavilion was built at the very edge of the water on the Island of Love. Its walls are decorated with bright panels: griffins, cupids and other mythological characters are embroidered with gold threads on an amber background. The main decoration of the pavilion is the “Triumph of Venus” lampshade. It depicts Venus seated in a gilded chariot drawn by swans.

Pavilion “Birch House”

Address: Palace Park, nearest building - Khokhlova Street, 2A

The “Birch House” pavilion looks like a woodpile of birch firewood, but behind its facade lies gilded stucco molding and an abundance of mirrors. The stone portal “Mask” masks the unpresentable appearance of the pavilion. The funny house became a kind of gift from Maria Feodorovna to Grand Duke Paul. In the pavilion, the wife treated her husband and guests to fresh milk and fruits grown in the park’s greenhouses.

Where to go for a tourist in Gatchina: interesting places

Where can a traveler go for fun in a small town? You won't be bored. Although there are few entertainment and places for shopping in the city, there is always something for a tourist to see in Gatchina.

Park "Zverinets"

Created 250 years ago, the object was home to many animals: bears, wolves, fallow deer, deer, wild boars, birds. Thousands of linden trees decorated the park, and an artificial lake was crossed by bridges, connecting it with islands of greenery. Now these memorable places are visited by tourists with pleasure for walking and studying picturesque examples of landscape art of past centuries.

Location: st. Red Road, 1.

Opening hours: daily, 6.00-22.00.

You can get there by buses 8, 29 to the Internat stop.

Get directions

Shopping center "Megapolis"

The shopping and entertainment center is considered the best class “A” trading platform in the Leningrad region and the center of trade in Gatchina. The superstore area covers 10,000 square meters. m. In addition to clothing boutiques and hardware stores, there are jewelry stores, pharmacies, agencies, and places where you should go with your family: food courts, a cinema, and gaming entertainment for adults and children.

Address: 25 October Avenue, 42.

Opening hours: every day, 11.00-19.00.

Travel by bus 21 to the “Vezd” stop.

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Crafts stall

The only artisan shop in the Leningrad region. They do not sell Chinese counterfeits. Everything that is sold here is handmade by Russian craftsmen: from artists to blacksmiths. Tourists can buy gifts and souvenirs for their souls and friends. The range is impressive.

Address: Krasnoarmeysky prospect, 1.

Opening hours: every day, 11.00-18.00.

Travel by buses 3, 7, 518 to the Gatchina Palace stop.

Get directions

Restaurant "Ingerburgsky"

A rare restaurant that has its own brewery and zoo. The fish in the pond are calming and create a pleasant atmosphere. The menu consists of German dishes. Beer in bottles with branded labels can be taken with you. Guests of the establishment assure that it is excellent here.

Address: 7th Army Street, 22.

Opening hours: daily, 11.00-01.00.

Travel by bus 22 to the Sobornaya stop.

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Musical buffet SOUL

The symbiosis of culture and delicious farm food is a real oasis of pleasant relaxation. The barista will brew aromatic freshly roasted coffee, and the performance of musicians will awaken the soul. Jazz, soul, funk are listened to here only on vinyl!

Address: Pushkinskoe highway, 13 building 3.

Opening hours: daily, 09.00-23.00.

Travel by bus 27 to the Ingerburg Gate stop.

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Family entertaining

Large park for family active recreation. Area 700 sq. m contains a labyrinth, a jumping pit, a climbing wall, a tubing slide, trampolines, carousels, air hockey, air cannons and slides. There will be entertainment for both adults and children. Experienced animators work for free.

Address: Pushkinskoe highway, 15.

Opening hours: daily, 10.00-21:00.

Travel by bus 21 to the Cubus shopping center stop.

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Artist's shop

The store-gallery sells works by local artists. The colorful landscapes of Gatchina and portraits of famous historical figures are purchased by most tourists. Here you can buy art supplies and souvenirs at an affordable price.

Address: Chkalova street, 79.

Opening hours: every day, 10.00-19.00.

You can get there by bus 21 to the Musical School stop.

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City Museum

The museum has collected exhibits telling about the formation of the city from the pre-Petrine era to modern times. The halls contain the most interesting household items, clothing, mechanisms and equipment of those times. Museum guides conduct walking tours of the historical places of Gatchina.

Address: 25 October Avenue, 18.

Opening hours: daily, except Tuesdays, 10.00-18.00.

You can get there by buses 3, 4, 7, 8, 22 to the Spartak Stadium stop.

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Estate-Museum of P. Shcherbov

The old museum is located in the two-hundred-year-old estate of the artist Shcherbov himself, built by the famous architect Krichinsky in the spirit of northern modernism. The original building with its turret and portals is completely asymmetrical, which gives it great originality. The inside of the museum is even more interesting: a stone fireplace, antique furniture, an oak staircase. The walls are crowned with famous works by the original artist.

Address: Chekhov street, 4.

Opening hours: daily, 10.00-17:00.

Travel by bus 7 to the “Lieutenant Schmidt Street” stop.

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Aviation Engine Museum

The museum is located in a century-old mansion, which was previously owned by the lancers of the Guards Regiment. The exhibition halls spread over 800 square meters. m and display 15 complete copies of aircraft engines. An experienced guide will tell you about the history of aircraft engine construction.

Address: Grigorina street, 7A.

Opening hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 10.00-16.00.

Travel by bus 28, 518 to the Baltic Station stop.

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Museum "Nanny House of A. S. Pushkin"

A museum created specifically for the sake of a serf woman - nanny A.S. Pushkin. The ancient 300-year-old wooden house has retained the charm of a simple peasant hut. Everything in it remains as it was under Arina Rodionovna: a chopped cradle hanging on rings, a spinning wheel, icons, wooden kitchen utensils and an untouched Russian stove. A camping bag made of hard cloth is a museum relic, a personal item of the poet’s nanny.

Address: Kobrino street, 27.

Opening hours: all days except Tuesday, 10.00-16.00.

You can get there by buses 534, 151, stop “Kobrino”.

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Theater "Around the Corner"

The theater began as an amateur club 84 years ago. Now “Around the Corner” is a permanent participant in the cultural life of the region. The repertoire is based on world classical works. Children love to watch modern productions: “Pippi Longstocking”, “Aibolit”, etc.

Address: 25 October Avenue, 1.

Opening hours: daily, 13.00-19.45.

Take bus 21 to the Musical School stop.

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Exhibition “Art Collections of the Gatchina Palace”

The exhibition is housed in 12 spacious halls and is permanent. Valuable works by European masters of the 17th-18th centuries are presented: Giordano, Silvestre, Forte, Courtois Bourguignon. The main attraction of the collection is the painting “Expulsion from Paradise”, painted by Luca Giordano. In addition to paintings, the museum has a rich fund of furniture, dishes, unique books, and porcelain.

Address: Krasnoarmeysky prospect, 1.

Opening hours: daily, 10.00-18.00.

You can get there by bus 543 to the “Palace” stop.

Get directions

Gatchina Museum-Reserve

An unusual museum-reserve - a mixture of the styles of the Hermitage and Hamlet's castle. The palace, part of the ensemble, served as the residence of the royal family and has gone through more than one restoration. The territory includes a garden, a signal tower, buildings for hunting and recreation. These are places worth visiting. Concerts, festivals and costume balls are held in luxurious halls, the hosts of which are the impromptu Paul I and his wife Maria Feodorovna.

Address: Krasnoarmeysky prospect, 1.

Opening hours: daily, 10.00-18.00.

Travel by bus 543 to the “Palace” stop.

Get directions

Every year thousands of foreign and Russian tourists visit Gatchina. Many tourist places can be visited in 1-2 days. Summer and golden autumn are the right time to travel to the historical places of the old city.

Parks

Landscape Park Sylvia

From the Silvian Gate, which invites travelers to the park, alleys radiate in three rays. The middle one leads to the Farm Complex, the right one to the Poultry House (once they kept pheasants, today in ruins), the left one leads to the Black Gate (entrance to the park from Krasnoarmeysky Avenue)

The farm complex is just being revived, but from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends (summer only) you can see a small exhibition and look into the room where the animals are kept.

Ticket prices: adults - 20 rubles, students and people over 65 years old - 10 rubles.

Menagerie

The landscape park was used for imperial hunting. American deer, hares, wild goats, bison, and wild boars were kept here. It was badly damaged during the war and restoration work is currently underway in the park.

Palace Park

Boat excursions are held daily at 13.00, 14.30, 16.30, 17.40 except Mondays from June to October. The duration of the skating session is 1 hour 20 minutes. The cost of participation is 300 rubles.

Consists of the English Garden, Lower and Upper Botanical Gardens, Love Island, Lower and Upper Dutch Gardens, Flower Hill, forest and water labyrinths.

A walk through the Palace Park can be by boat (on White Lake) or on foot. During the water excursion, tourists get acquainted with numerous islands, admire the magnificent views of the Palace, the waterfall under the Karpin Bridge and throw a coin into the Jordan Well in the hope of returning to Gatchina again.

Where is Gatchina

A small and cozy city, mentioned in 1500 in Novgorod documents as the village of Khotchino, changed its state affiliation, owners and name more than once during its existence.

Modern Gatchina is located in the southwest of the Leningrad region, not far from St. Petersburg. They are separated by a distance of 42 km, but are connected by a well-established transport network. To the city with coordinates 59°34′ N. w. 30°08′ E. You can get there from the northern capital by electric train, bus or car.

By rail

An electric train departs hourly from the Baltiysky railway station (Baltiyskaya metro station) towards Gatchina. If its final destination is the Gatchina-Baltiyskaya station, then you should get off there. Travel time is 1 hour 10 minutes, fare is 102 rubles.

Then walk to the Gatchina Palace and Park, the vast territory of which is surrounded by a forged fence and has several entrances. The nearest one is 500 m along Cuirassier Boulevard.

The stop of any transit train heading to Luga, Slantsy and so on will be called “Tatyanino”. In this case, you will have to walk along Sobornaya Street to the nearest entrance 1.5 km.

Gatchina, the sights of which you can start exploring on your own from Prioratsky Park, has on its territory another station, next after Tatyanino, Gatchina-Varshavskaya. From it to the entrance gate - 200 m along Chkalova Street.

By bus or minibus

Transport departs from the station. m. "Moskovskaya" St. Petersburg. Bus N 431 runs to Gatchina at intervals of 45-50 minutes. and minibuses NN K-18 and K-18a with breaks of 20 minutes. Travel time - 50 minutes, ticket price - 70-80 rubles.

Minibus K-18a goes all the way to the Gatchina Palace; K-18 and the bus will be taken to Sobornaya Street, which you will need to walk along; bus stop on the street Leonova will give you the opportunity to start the tour from the Priory Ensemble.

By car

St. Petersburg and Gatchina are connected by the Kiev Highway. The distance from the ring road to the city is only 30 km. Free parking is available next to the palace complex.

Intercession Cathedral (Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Address: st. Krasnaya, 1. Phone: +7 (81371) 9-47-98 Website: https://pokrov-gatchina.ru Opening hours: services in the temple are held daily: at 9.00 and 16.30, there is an educational center and an Orthodox Youth Club.

The Gatchina merchant Kozma Karpov invested 90 thousand rubles in its construction in 1895. Fr. advised him to manage his money so wisely in his declining years. John of Kronstadt (priest and preacher, later elevated to sainthood). The missing 6 thousand rubles were donated by local residents and soon the red brick walls were crowned with blue domes.

The merchant also donated the icon of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, in whose honor the main chapel of the temple was consecrated. There are several chapels in the cathedral: in the name of Nicholas the Wonderworker, Alexander Nevsky, John of Kronstadt. All of them are richly decorated with icons.

Those who came to Gatchina a few years ago remember the bright red brickwork of the Intercession Cathedral. Today the temple is almost completely plastered, but it is still crowned with the same large blue domes.

Weather, best time to visit

The climate in the region is temperate continental, its formation is influenced by the air masses of the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea. Therefore, mild winters with thaws and warm, sometimes even cool summers are typical for Gatchina. The city is located in an area of ​​high humidity, with annual precipitation exceeding 700 mm.

Daytime air temperature (0C), amount of precipitation (mm) and sunny days:

The tourist season in Gatchina lasts all year round, but the most comfortable time to visit the city is from May to September.

Pavlovsk Cathedral

Address: st. Sobornaya, 26 Phone: +7 (813 71) 940-82 Website: https://www.soborgatchina.ru

The main parish church of the city became at the same time a memorial church to the founder of the city, Emperor Paul the First. It was built in 1852 and has survived to this day almost in the form intended by R.I. Kuzmin: a five-domed stone structure with two belfries.

Inside the cathedral are stored: an icon of the Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon (with a particle of relics), an icon of the Mother of God of Philermos with the image of the right hand of John the Baptist, as well as the relics of Mary of Gatchina.

Religious buildings

Today more than 90 thousand people live in Gatchina. In terms of national composition, the majority are Russian; in terms of religion, Orthodoxy predominates.

Church of the Most Holy Life-Giving Trinity

The house church of the Gatchina Palace was built under Count Orlov simultaneously with the main building (second half of the 18th century) and by the same architect (Antonio Rinaldi). After the death of the count, the palace belonged in turn to the ruling members of the royal family or the great princes, and the temple was used by them for its intended purpose: prayer services were held here, sacraments were performed, and shrines were kept.

The house church was rebuilt many times. The last time the court architect R.I. was involved in designing its interior was in the mid-19th century. Kuzmin, on the instructions of Nicholas I. He decorated the prayer hall in the style of the Italian Renaissance: windows with arched ends, columns, openwork grilles.

After the revolutionary events, the church was closed, remained in disrepair and was revived again in 1999. The uniqueness of the temple is that, having survived difficult times, it did not perish. Restorers managed to restore the original decor of the mid-19th century.

The oldest temple in the city is a functioning Orthodox Church (services are held on Saturdays) and a valuable architectural monument. It is located at: Krasnoarmeysky Prospekt, 1.

Cathedral of St. Paul the Apostle

The main city cathedral, built in the 19th century according to the design of the architect R.I. Kuzmin, is located at Sobornaya Street, 26. The city needed a cathedral.

The installation location on a hill was determined by the emperor himself; the temple was supposed to float above the city. Nicholas I erected the five-domed cathedral in memory of his father; experiencing remorse over the death of his parent, the tsar ordered the building to be decorated in severity and grandeur, without excessive luxury and gilding.

Pavlovsk Cathedral was closed only once for a short period of time, just before the war; the rest of the time it performed all religious rites and received believers even during the occupation.

True, its strategic position was used by both armies to adjust fire, conduct observations and install machine gun crews. After the war, the building was restored, and the city’s temple has continued its activities for more than 165 years.

Intercession Cathedral

The largest temple in the Leningrad region, consecrated in honor of the Mother of God, was built at the beginning of the 20th century. It is located at: st. Krasnaya, 1a and is a cultural monument.

A beautiful white stone building with blue domes can be seen from afar; it is stately and elegant. The interior is bright, filled with glare from the stained glass windows. The cathedral is open daily, services are held as scheduled, and visitors are allowed to take photos and videos.

Museum of the History of Aviation Engine Building and Repair

Address: st. Grigorina, 7a Phone: (8-81371) 2-54-58 Website: https://www.museum.ru/m3031 Opening hours: 11.00-16.00 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Pre-arrangement required Cost: free

The museum is located on the territory of the 218 aircraft repair plant (opposite the Gatchina Palace) and occupies an area of ​​800 square meters. meters.

The main exhibits of the museum are full-scale models of turbojet, aviation, turboprop, turboshaft engines, made according to the prototype of real ones, decommissioned by some design bureau. Next to the engines are small models of the aircraft on which they were once installed.

In addition to models, in the museum you can learn the history of aircraft, interesting facts about aircraft and engine designers, and the repair plant itself.

Museum – estate of P.E. Shcherbova

This estate is recognized as a work of architectural art, and is known not only in Russia, but throughout the world, because made in the style of northern modernism.

Inside the estate there are 10 living rooms and service premises. The entire building is divided into 2 parts. One of them houses a local history museum, where you can learn a lot about the history of Gatchina. The second part is dedicated to the artist P.E. Shcherbov. This is a cartoonist who, however, did not exhibit his work during his lifetime. In the museum-estate you can see Shcherbov's things and his office. By the way, the talented artist was often visited by his famous friends: Chaliapin, Kuprin, Andreev, Nesterov.

Museum "Nanny House of A. S. Pushkin"

Address: Leningrad region, Gatchina district, Kobrino village, 27 Telephone: (813-71) 58-510 Website: https://www.museum.ru/M270 Opening hours: from 10.00 to 16.00, except Monday, Tuesday Cost : Without excursion: adults – 50 rubles, schoolchildren – 30 rubles. With excursion: adults – 130 rubles, schoolchildren – 70 rubles. How to get there: from Warsaw railway station in Gatchina by bus No. 534, No. 151.

The only museum in the world created in memory of a serf woman is located in a wooden house with more than 200 years of history. During the restoration, only the roof and floor were replaced.

All museum exhibits, which give an idea of ​​what a peasant hut of the 18th century looked like, were donated by Kobrin residents and admirers of Pushkin. Here you can see a rolling pin and a ruble, spinning wheels, icons, and a hanging cradle. There is only one relic - a bag-bag made of homespun fabric, belonging to Pushkin's nanny. Opposite the museum there is a café called Nanny's.

Natural attractions

Gatchina is located in a picturesque place among forests, fields, rivers and lakes. The city streets are decorated with parks and squares. But the small city has two luxurious palace parks on its territory.

Gatchina Park

Simultaneously with the construction of the Gatchina Palace, an English landscape park with alleys, pavilions, ponds and bridges was laid out. The masters, using the entire arsenal available to them, managed to create a magnificent European oasis in the northern region, which is still considered one of the best in the suburbs of St. Petersburg.

It is surprising that the park was carefully preserved after the revolution in Russia, and during the occupation of Gatchina by the Nazis, and during the years of perestroika.

Now, as in the palace, a successive large-scale restoration of its territory is underway; a lot has already been done, but there is still a lot of work ahead.

During the walk, visitors will see:

• monument to Paul I on the parade ground in front of the palace;
• Jordan Porch;
• Own garden;
• Palace Gardens;
• Karpin Bridge over the pond of the same name;
• Chesme obelisk;
• farm
• Pavilion of Venus and much, much more.

Visiting the park is free. Opening hours from 6 to 22 hours.

Priory Park

During the reign of Paul I, construction of another palace park began. Work began with the improvement of the Black Lake, on the shore of which the Priory Palace was built.

The lake was cleared, deepened, and given greater relief. The earth was dumped from the bottom nearby, creating hills and artificial islands. The landscape park was so good that subsequent rulers supported its “flourishing state” in every possible way, prohibiting any construction on its territory. The entrance here was open to citizens. Today the park is not a museum; cottages have begun to be built on its territory.

Beautiful city streets

The urban development of Gatchina, worthy of attention, is located on 4 streets:

• Prospekt 25 October is the main thoroughfare of Gatchina. Here are the Constable Obelisk, the Admiralty Gate, mileposts, and the Church.
• St. Red. Wooden house No. 6, built in 1828, is worthy of attention. This is the oldest wooden house in Gatchina. For 150 years, people bearing the same surname, Olderogge, lived in it.
• St. Sobornaya is the oldest street in the city, now pedestrian. Its main attraction is the Pavlovsk Cathedral. The musician M.A. Balakirev lived in house No. 25 for many years.
• St. Chkalova walks along the border of Priory Park. Several stone and wooden houses built before the revolution have been preserved on it. Sights of the street are the real school building, erected in 1899-1900, and the palace administration building.

Video tour of Gatchina:

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Monuments and Monuments

Gatchina (you can see the sights on your own just by walking along the city streets) is decorated with both modern sculptures and works of famous masters of historical and artistic value.

Monument to Paul I

The work of the famous court sculptor I.P. Vitali is installed on the square in front of the Gatchina Palace. The founder of the city stands on a high granite pedestal, leaning on a cane and looking complacently into the distance.

To recreate the image of the emperor, the sculptor turned to a lifetime painting painted in 1796 by the court artist Shchukin. The order for the monument was made by Nicholas I in memory of his father. It was installed in Gatchina in 1851.

A second similar monument stands in Pavlovsk, where the emperor, standing on a granite pedestal, receives his guests arriving along Lipovaya Alley.

Monument to the defenders and liberators of Gatchina

The city, which was under occupation during the war, gratefully remembers the feat of the heroic defenders and liberators of Gatchina who laid down their lives here. The monument was opened in 1995 in Revolutionary Lane. The authors of the granite monument are V.V. and Yu.F. Shevchenko.

The image of a soldier in a helmet, with a weapon in his hands, is drawn from a block of stone. At its foot was laid a capsule with a message to descendants, which should be opened in 2045.

Monument to the Farman aircraft

The first Russian military airfield appeared in Gatchina in 1910. 100 years later, in the city, on Cuirassier Boulevard, next to the aircraft engine plant, a monument to the Farman aircraft, which was once based at the local airfield, was erected.

At the beginning of the 20th century, aviation was considered the sport of aristocrats; The airport, which appeared in an aristocratic suburb of the capital, owned 10 aircraft, workshops, a gas storage facility and a weather station. The first flight “St. Petersburg – Gatchina” was carried out on a Farman aircraft.

Gatchina Geysers and Bornitsa Quarries

Bornitsky quarries

Not far from the village of Novoye Khinkolovo you can admire truly Martian landscapes . This landscape is completely man-made, it was created as a result of limestone mining. In general, there are three quarries in this place, one is still active. There is information that stone from these places was used in the construction of the Kazan Cathedral. On weekends, a large number of not only beach lovers, but also hunters for incredibly beautiful and unusual shots gather here.

What to see in Gatchina? 16

Gatchina geysers

They are located near the village of Korpikovo in the forest . There are six geysers in total. There are many versions of the origin of these sources. They look like fountains gushing out of the ground, about 1.5 meters high. They are especially beautiful in winter, when at sub-zero temperatures ice “mushrooms” and domes grow around them.

As you can see, Gatchina is undeservedly ignored; everyone rushes to Peterhof, Tsarskoe Selo, Pavlovsk. It’s nice there, of course, but one day is unlikely to be enough to get to know all the interesting places in the city and its suburbs. There are parks, palaces, museums, cathedrals and churches and many other interesting things to see - so take time for Gatchina and you won’t regret it!

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