The Small Farm of Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna (an ensemble of the Catherine Park)

Categories / Tsarskoe Selo and town of Pushkin. The digital chronological reference book/Monuments of history and culture
Emperor Alexander II ordered to build different entertaining constructions for his children near his apartments in the Catherine Palace. The most famous construction was the Small Farm of Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna. The Small Farm is often mistakenly connected with the Alexander Park, but in reality it was situated in the Private Garden of the Catherine Park not far from the Concert Hall. The miniature ensemble included two loghouses, a cow-shed, poultry-yard and ice –house. This pastoral park complex, a tiny copy of a real cattle – yard, was built by I. Monighetti in 1861 for Alexander II’s older daughter. Facades, interiors, furniture and utensils were made in Russian style with using folk ornamental motifs in the decoration. A toy railway , with tunnels and bridges, led to a port on the Upper Pond shore, was constructed near the Small Farm in the open air later. Then a bowling-alley and sport ground were built for Alexander’s children. The Small Farm pavilion was destroyed during the German occupation in 1941-1944. Semenova Galina Victorovna
Alexander II, Emperor
Monighetti Ippolito Antonovich
Monighetti Ippolito Antonovich
Ekaterininsky Park/Pushkin, town
Catherine Palace (Town of Pushkin)