Milkmaid fountain, Tsarskoe Selo

The Milkmaid fountain features a young woman dressed in summer clothes, seated on a stone and watching water pour from a broken jug at her feet. The sculpture stands as a 1990 replica within the landscaped section of Catherine Park, while the original bronze work is preserved in the site's museum collection.

Royal engineer Agustín de Betancourt and sculptor Pavel Sokolov created the monument between 1816 and 1828 as part of Emperor Alexander I's landscaping project. The fountain survived World War II through underground storage and was later restored as part of the park's artistic collection.

The sculpture depicts a character from Jean de La Fontaine's fable "The Milkmaid" and brings French literature into a Russian garden setting from the early 1800s. It tells a story about country life and ordinary people, reflecting how such themes shaped ideas about nature during that era.

The fountain is located in the park's eastern landscape area and is easily reached on foot after passing the main entrances. The grounds can be uneven, so wear comfortable shoes and plan time for a leisurely walk through the park's woodland paths.

The monument is the only sculpture specifically designed for Catherine Park, making it distinct from other decorative works on the grounds. Its survival through wartime destruction, while many other artworks were lost, makes it a remarkable survivor of the estate.