Catherine the Great's "Grand City"

In 1762, Catherine the Great engineered a coup d’ etat, with the help of the officers of the Royal Guard she assumed power. The Russian elite loved Catherine, unlike her husband, and thanks to her contacts with numerous figures of the French Enlightment she enjoyed good press in Europe. She moved in to the newly built Winter Palace and enjoyed an extremely luxurious lifestyle. Catherine started a royal art collection which later became the famous Hermitage, and with the number of exhibits growing several new buildings had to be constructed. Catherine ensured that the area surrounding the palace was surrounded by only the finest houses and only the most elegant architecture, and also commissioned the Hermitage Theatre.

During her reign, red granite embankments were built on the Neva and Fontanka rivers, and the Summer Gardens were enclosed with an intricate wrought iron fence.

Cultural life, science and education thrived under Catherine’s patronage. New educational establishments, academies, theatres and libraries all required new buildings, which reflected the ideals of the “enlightened monarchy”.

Several new additions were made to the royal palace at Pushkin, including a new wing and the Cameron Gallery, which served as Catherine the Great’s living quarters. The surrounding park was transformed with pavilions and architectural follies, indicating the lively social life her and her closest confidants enjoyed.

In 1782, St Petersburg got what is probably its most famous masterpiece, the Bronze Horseman (the statue of Peter the Great).

Catherine was responsible for the reform of the local administration with the position of mayor being established in 1766 and a municipal council being former in 1774. 12 years later the council was transformed into the city Duma.

By the time Catherine died in 1796, St Petersburg was a unique, majestic and beautiful city that people began to call the Northern Palmyra, in homage to the great city of antiquity renowned for its harmony in architecture.

In 1873, in a small garden just off Nevsky Prospect (between the Public Library and Alexandrinsky Theatre), a monument to Catherine the Great was constructed. Her tomb in the Peter and Paul Cathedral is visited by thousands every year.

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