Looking for something to do on Sunday morning, we remembered that one of our teachers had strongly recommended Tsaritsyno Park, so we headed out for a stroll. We entered the park through a side entrance and were greeted by a sea of trees (and few people).
Almeda’s true calling: navigation.
The woods part of the park was more deserted than we thought it would be for a nice, Sunday afternoon. It was cloudy, but there wasn’t a drop of rain.
Throughout the woods, we encountered small monuments and ruins. On this particular path, we found a small grotto with a statue inside.
We meandered through the woods in search of an elusive “большое дерево” (big tree) that was labeled on the park map, but we never managed to find it. Instead, we found a palace, which we supposed was an adequate substitute.
The entrance to the palace courtyard.
The palace was commissioned by Catherine the Great in 1775, and construction took place from 1776-1785. When Catherine visited the construction site soon before the palace’s completion, she disliked the building’s design so much that she ordered her new palace torn down and fired its architect. In 1786, construction began on a new design for the estate, but when Catherine died ten years later, her successor discontinued work on the new palace, and it stood unfinished for more than two hundred years. In the early 2000s, the palace was restored and finally completed, as a tourist attraction rather than a residence. You can read more about the history of the park here.
There’s a hidden surprise in this picture. Can you find it?
We decided not to go on a tour of the buildings because the weather was so pleasant. From the palace, we headed downhill to a large pond. On our way, we found a cluster of playgrounds–for adults as well as children.
Almeda doing strength training on the playground. Is this a playground for adults?
Sahree hanging out in the park.
After a childish climbing interlude, we continued along the shore of the pond to a manicured tulip garden.
Sahree pretending to be a tulip.
On our way out, we stopped by a fountain spouting from the middle of the pond. Above us, enormous kites flew through the sky. We had a great day, and we didn’t even get lost!
The park’s huge fountain with kites flying above.