Museums of Russia: The Lower Country House of Nicholas II to be restored in Peterhof

The Conservation Council on Cultural Heritage of Saint-Petersburg approved plans of GMZ "Peterhof" to recreate the lower country house, which is now in a state of ruins. This palace of Nicholas II in Alexandria Park was damaged during the Great Patriotic War, and then exploded in the 1960s.

As told in the meeting the Director of GMZ "Peterhof" Elena Kalnitskaya, there are three ways to resolve the problems of Lower garden: the first - is a complete reconstruction of the historical monument in the form and materials, as was done after the war; second - conservation and museumification ruins. In the third variant it was suggested to preserve the original elements and supplement them with modern designs, which will repeat the previous volumes of the building.

Heads of GMZ "Peterhof" prefers the latter option, and is ready to perform it at the museum funds.

According to Kalnitskaya the project of partial reconstruction of the Lower house, the last of the Imperial Palace Russia will allow to imagine how was this place in the early XX century, and to establish in the reconstructed building of a cultural center, museum exhibit, concert halls and lecturers.

The lower house was built in Alexandria in the mid-1880s by architect Anthony Tomishko. It was intended to heir to the throne, the future Nicholas II. The county house was done in the style of an Italian villa, it was decorated with high tower with an observation deck. Ten years later, the same architect has increased and rebuilt the house, making the cottage in the summer palace of the emperor.

AT this county house Nicholas II signed the manifesto of the Russian entry into the First World War. It also adopted a number of historic decisions, among which was the approval of the Foreign Ministry's report, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Empire on the establishment of the St. Petersburg Telegraph Agency - TASS historical predecessor.