Pavlovsk is the sweetest town, the former residence of the emperor Paul I, but usually  it is more related, to his spouse, the empress Maria Fyodorovna. It was founded (easy to remember in 1777) to honor the  birth of Alexander Pavlovich, future Alexander I).  It was Catherine the Great’s gift to her son because the empress was madly happy that, at last, she would have a grandson and future successor to the throne. At this residence everything breathes with spirit of personal belongings. It is not just  “a chair and a table of the 19th century in Gambs style”. Whatever one looks at is either a gift from Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to Pavel Petrovich (future Paul I) or a thing made of ivory , it’s always about empress Maria Fyodorovna’s hands.

The empress worked on the lathe (turning machine), made amazing pieces of art of ivory and amber. There’s a desk which was made for fortieth anniversary of the emperor Paul, its ivory legs were created and polished by the empress Maria. Also cameos (carved portraits) of Paul, a base for a small Vesta statue (The Roman goddess of fertility) and initials of names of spouses’ children  – it all is down to Maria Fyodorovna and her skillful hands! A fine amber bowl with a Lion coming out of it, a symbol of the regal power, was a birthday gift for Catherine the Great, Maria was her daughter in law. Generally, each thing is worthy a story! What a park is there! Did you you know that Maria Fyodorovna adored flowers! Linden trees which remember her still grow in the garden!

 By tradition flowers and plants of those types which once decorated the garden when zealous and practical Maria Fyodorovna, mother of 10 children (two of whom became emperors), used to live there – still grow in the garden and make us admire them.