English for tourism and cultural science - страница 20
Another of Tsarskoye Selo’s major attractions is the Lyceum, located on the edge of the estate. Founded at the beginning of the 19>th century and remarkably well-preserved, the Lyceum was a boarding school that once taught the most celebrated of all Russian poets, Alexander Pushkin. The Lyceum was created specifically to educate members of the Russian ruling elite and prepare them for careers in government service. Visitors to the Lyceum are allowed access to its well-preserved classrooms, library, student bedrooms and much more.
Open: 10.00 am – 5.00 pm.
Closed: Tuesdays and last Monday of each month
Pavlovsk (by bus – with a guide/interpreter; duration – 6 hours).
Just a few miles away from Pushkin lies the Imperial Estate of Pavlovsk, the residence of Emperor Paul I, the son of Catherine the Great. The estate’s magnificent palace sits on hill overlooking an English-style landscaped park, with a beautiful river running through it.
The Grand Palace was built by the Scottish architect Charles Cameron between 1782 and 1786 in the general style of an Italian villa. Initially meant as a private home for Paul and his wife Maria Fedorovna, the estate was later given an Imperial facelift when Paul ascended the throne after the death of Catherine the Great in 1796.
The Palace’s interiors reveal a multitude of artistic and architectural influences and include an Egyptian Vestibule, the Italian Hall under the main Palace dome, featuring classical Roman sculptures, a Greek Hall filled with luxurious French furnishings and Paul's War Hall, demonstrating his fascination with all military things.
Open: 10.00 am – 5.00 pm.
Closed: Fridays and the first Monday of each month
Theatres
Mariinsky Theatre, founded in 1783, is situated on Theatre Square. It is considered second in importance among Russia's theatres, after the Bolshoy Theatre in Moscow.
Ballet, opera and drama troupes have all performed on this stage (the drama troupe has become independent in 1803). The famous Russian ballet dancer A.I.Istomina, to whom Pushkin has devoted poetry, also danced here. In 1836 M.I.Glinka's opera "Life for the Czar" (or "Ivan Susanin", as it was renamed after the revolution) premiered here, and this event has marked the beginning of classical Russian opera.