The White Tower (an ensemble of the Alexander Park).

Categories / Tsarskoe Selo and town of Pushkin. The digital chronological reference book/Monuments of history and culture
The pavilion White Tower of 38-metre-high, the highest construction in Tsarskoye Selo, was built by the architect A. Menelaws on the place of the Menagerie lusthouse in 1821-1827. The ensemble was designed as a Middle-Age knight castle-fortress. It includes some constructions: the Gate-Ruin with guardhouses, decorative Ruin Bridge, East bulwark of the Menagerie. The White Tower is placed on the bastion ground. The tower walls were plastered and painted in white color so it got the name white tower. The tower-castle is placed inside of spacious bastion ground, earlier it was surrounded with flowerbeds. The five-storeyed building of square section was divided in three tiers run up with ledges decorated with forged grilles. Sculpture lions are placed in the corners of the terrace which is the foot of the tower. Eight statues of Middle-Aged and Old-Russian knights, made of cast iron, were placed in niches in tower walls. An interior winding stairs led to the roof of the upper tier surrounded with the parapet. Here there was an inspection ground from which could be admired with views of parks, Tsarskoye Selo and its environs, even Saint Petersburg was seen. Photographs of Tsarskoye Selo for postcards, which were widely distributed in the early 20th century, were shot from this ground. The White Tower was almost completely destroyed during the war and restored according to the design of the architect A.A. Kedrinsky. The restoration was doing during almost twenty years and has not been finished yet.
The Ruin-Gate with guardhouses built in the Gothic style forms the entrance into the White Tower. The Ruin-Gate looks like ruins of fortress constructions, it is monumental and imitates castle entrance with the falling herse. A moulding with the heraldic coat of arms was placed over the arch. An earth bank was located in front of the gate in side as if it protects the entrance to the White Tower from the Farm road. According to the star-form of the layout the bank looks like a kronverk, an auxiliary defence construction in front of a fortress. A ditch joined with a small pond surrounded the bank. Sons of Emperor Nicholas Pavlovich were visual taught fortification on building the earth fortification. Later a high mast with rope-ladders was set inside of the “star”; a trampoline was spread around the mast. In summer when the park was opened for public, many children gathered here. Semenova Galina Victorovna
Kedrinsky Alexander Alexandrovich
Menelas Adam Adamovich
Nicholas I, Emperor
Dvortsovaya Street/Pushkin, town Александровский парк