Tsaritsyno museum, Museum reserve in south Moscow, Russia
Tsaritsyno is a museum complex in southern Moscow that combines palaces, landscaped gardens, and water features. The site extends over several kilometers with walking paths through forests, along ponds, and between historical buildings from the 18th century.
Catherine the Great purchased the estate in 1775 and commissioned Vasily Bazhenov to build a summer residence, later redesigned by his successor Matvey Kazakov. Construction ended unfinished in 1796 and the building remained without roofs and interiors for over two centuries.
Visitors today see the original connection between European Gothic forms and Russian decorative elements in the red brick walls and white stone ornaments. The grounds show English landscape gardening with winding paths that lead to pavilions and across small bridges.
The museum opens from Tuesday to Sunday, with extended hours on Saturday until 8 p.m. The paths in the park are easy to walk and offer several entrances around the grounds.
The empress completely rejected Bazhenov's original building and had it demolished before commissioning Kazakov with a new design. Today's fountains were built only after 2000 and are among the most modern water displays in Russia.
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