ROMANOV FAMILY: ALEXANDER PALACE AND PARK
The Alexander Palace, still being restored at the time of this writing, is one of the original imperial structures that survived World War II and the Nazi occupation of the Town of Pushkin. Commissioned by Empress Catherine the Great in 1792, it was given by her as a wedding gift to her favorite grandson, the future Tsar Alexander I. The last Russian imperial family chose this unassuming, relatively small palace as their permanent residence in the early 20th century. It was here where they were placed under house arrest when the Russian revolution broke out in 1917 and Nicholas II was forced to abdicate.
From the rear side of the East wing of Alexander Palace the former imperial kitchen building can be seen. Underground tunnels that ran from the kitchens in the main palace were built after the imperial family took residence, which were used to transport food from the kitchens into the palace. After the revolution, these tunnels were used by the Russian military as storage space.
The park surrounding the palace grounds still looks much as it did prior to the revolution. Above its canals float little bridges, from which the locals can still do some fishing.
Below are two videos recorded by me, separated by 11 years.
Copyright Helen Azar 2005
Copyright Helen Azar 2016
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