The town of Pavlovsk which is famous for its palace and park ensemble is located 26 kilometers to the south of Saint Petersburg. It was founded in 1777, at the time when empress Catherine II granted her son, Grand Prince Pavel Petrovich, court hunting grounds situated on the bank of the Slavyanka river. Two small buildings were constructed there and the estate with adjoining small villages received the name of the Pavlovskoe Village. Prominent architects, such as Cameron, Brenna, Quarenghi, Voronikhin, Rossi and Gonzago as well as hundreds of Russian craftsmen worked for decades to create the ensemble of parks and palaces of Pavlovsk.

  In 1780 the construction of the palace and park ensemble began under the supervision of Ch.Cameron. He outlined the general layout of the park and upon his projects the central building of the palace, several pavilions and small bridges were erected. 

The architectural center of the Pavlovsk ensemble is the Grand Pavlovsk Palace designed in the spirit of the Russian Classicism by Ch.Cameron. The main building of the palace is connected with galleries and auxiliary wings decorated with a colonnade and busts of the great Russian people. The palace is topped with a flat dome resting on 64 small columns of the Tuscan order. The palace's outline is austere and graceful at the same time.   In the 1790s V.Brenna enlarged the palace and continued the park's design. The palace and park complex was finished in the early XIX century by the architects A.Voronikhin, C.Rossi and T.de Thomon.

  Around the palace there is an enormous park covering an area of 600 ha. It consists of seven sections each defined by the exquisite uniqueness of layout. The splendid palace section with its strict geometrical planning of lanes, parterres and position of statues imperceptibly melts into the scenic view of the Slavyanka river valley. The arrangement of the Old Silvia is based on the ancient Greek legends. The endless succession of scenes represents immeasurable grandeur of the Russian nature, which goes well with the refined buildings of the Russian Classicism and magnificent sculptures.

  The park was built step by step. In 1779 the construction of the park was headed by Ch.Cameron. He outlined the limits of the park, defined the appearance of the Grand Palace, the Slavyanka river valley and arranged the One's Own Garden and the Open-air Cage section. Near the palace the architect located structures of park architecture prompted by the ancient motifs. Among them there are the colonnade of Apollo, the Temple of Friendship, the Elegant Enclosure, the Pavilion of the Three Graces. In the 90s of the XVIII century the construction of the park was supervised by V.Brenna. He created the Parade Grand Circles, the Romantic Silvias, the Ruin Cascade, the Pille tower and the Amphitheater. A.Voronikhin successfully finished the formation of the panoramic view of the Slavyanka river valley started by Cameron. He also developed the projects for the construction of the Viscontiev stone bridge embellished with vases. One of the remarkable architectural sights of Pavlovsk is the Temple of Friendship the flat dome of which rests on 60 columns.

  Bridges of different shapes can be seen in the park of Pavlovsk : embellished with exquisite wrought-iron railings and decorative vases and sculptures. The small bridges are added almost to all pavilions in the Slavyanka river valley contributing to the ensemble's elegance.

  The sections adjoining to the park are decorated with marble and bronze statues of the ancient gods.

  Every place in the Pavlovsk park is combined with some scenic view often reflecting a particular frame of mind. Serene grandeur of the nature stresses the graceful beauty of architectural ensembles.