Catherine Palace - Tsarskoe Selo (Pushkin), Russia.
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 59° 42.953 E 030° 23.760
36V E 353536 N 6622645
The Catherine Palace was the summer residence of the Russian tsars. It is located in the town of Tsarskoe Selo (Pushkin), Russia.
Waymark Code: WMVJQJ
Location: Russia
Date Posted: 04/26/2017
Views: 8
In 1717, Catherine I of Russia constructed a summer palace outside St. Petersburg. In 1752, Empress Elizabeth ordered the court architect, Bartolomeo Rastrelli, to rebuild the palace in the highly ornate Rococo style on a scale to rival Versailles. The new structure, completed in 1756, was 325 meters long and almost 1 km in circumference. It is decorated with 100 kg of gold. Catherine the Great, did not approve of the lavishness and expense of the palace and suspended the further use of gold. The palace was not used by Russian royalty after Catherine the Great died in 1796. It was maintained as a monument to Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine the Great.
During the 900 day siege of Lenningrad (now again St. Petersburg) , during World War II, the palace was occupied by German forces. They destroyed much of the palace before retreating in 1945. Much of the palace was reconstructed in time for the celebration of the tercentenary of St. Petersburg in 2003.
Visit Instructions:
Please provide another photo of the location. You don't have to be in there shot, but you can. The photo requirement is to discourage any armchair visiting.