Peterhof-Pavlovsk-Tsarskoye Selo-Gatchina-Oranienbaum

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Quoted from the "The majestic and beautiful image of St. Perersburg...is inseparable from the luxurious Imperial palace-and-park residencies surrounding the northern capital of Russia--Peterhof, Tsarskoye Selo, Oranienbaum and Gatchina. All these architedtural complexes taken together buildup an integral historical and artistic chronicle of RTussian life and culture. But each of them also bears an imprint of the activities and personal tastes, predilections and antipathies of those monarchs who gave preference to this particular place as his or her favourite country residence. ... the royal residences in the environs of St. Petersburg encompass the entire Imperial period in the history of Russia, from the inauguration of the Empire in 1721 to the end of the monarchy in 1917. The Imperial summer residences in the environs of St. Petersburg are unique assemblages of masterpieces of Baroque and Neo-Classical architecture illustrating these trends in all their variety and stylistic evolution. The regular and landscaped parks of these ensembles rival the best achievements in the art of landscape gardening." Lushly illustrated with color prints and descriptive text, this is beautiful tour of historical interest.