The most perfect pavilion of the Catherine Park was built in 1782-1788 by G. Quarenghi
as “a hall for music with two studies and opened temple devoted to Ceres”. During constructing the attempt took place to change the pavilion name to the Temple to Friendship, but this attempt was suppressed by the Empress herself, who wrote as regards this, “I hate the word Temple on the Kitchen”. Subjects of facades’ bas-reliefs: a lyre in a tympanum of the pediment, the myth about Orpheus, the Goddess Ceres with Apollo playing music before her, as well as nymphs with attributes of arts show that the pavilion was intended for holding concerts in the circle of elite on the background of pastoral landscapes of English-style park.
Austere facades with Tuscan order porticos, a rotunda, frieze with bucranium show the perfection of antique forms. Sculptors M.I. Kozlovsky and K. Albani, painters- decorators D. Valensini, F.D. Danilov and G. Scotti, “artificial marble master” L. Shefler, “carving and gilding master” F. Bryullo took part in building the pavilion.
Fancy multicoloured decoration of interiors of the pavilion is original. Artificial marble of walls, fresco plafonds and pictures, using the antique encaustic technique, sculpture bas-reliefs and medallions, ornamental design compositions and mythological plots (Juno in a chariot, Cronos, signs of the zodiac) point the architect’s keenness on antiquity. The original antique mable floor with black and white mosaic “The Abduction of Europe” in the central Musical hall is dated to 1-3 centures AD and was brought from Rome in 1784. Two tiny rooms are located at the rotunda sides. One of them (the Sculpture study) was decotared with four sculpture bas-reliefs: allegories of painting, sculpture, architecture and sciences. The another one (the Painting study room) was decorated with pictures painted in encaustic technique.
The pavilion interiors were restored to the 300-years anniversary of Tsarskoye Selo. It is opened for visiting in summer.
Persons
Brullo Fedor Pavlovich Kozlovsky Mikhail Ivanovich Quarenghi Giacomo Shefler, L. Valesini, G.
