Gatchina Palace

About museum

Gatchina Palace was built in 1781 to a design by the Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi for Count Grigory Orlov. Empress Catherine II, however, bought the Gatchina estate from his heirs and granted it to her son, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich. During the reign of Paul I the palace was rebuilt in the fashion of the day: the state rooms were finished and gardens, park pavilions, gates and bridges were added. Under Nicholas I a second reconstruction of Gatchina Palace began, giving it the appearance that has been preserved to the present day. Alexander III chose Gatchina Palace as his main country residence, and after the 1917 Revolution the palace became a museum. Restoration of the palace began in 1976, and today more than 50 rooms with recreated interiors and exhibitions can be seen. For the imperial family Gatchina Palace was a beloved, familiar and warm place.