VirtuosoLife - January/February 2008 - (Page 55) present from Frederick William I of Prussia to Peter the Great in the eighteenth century, was pillaged by the Nazis and is presumed lost). Pavlovsk It took 27 years to restore after World War II destruction, but Pavlovsk is once again the finest of the eighteenthcentury palaces within an easy drive of the city, a neo-Palladian masterpiece created for Tsar Paul I between 1782 and 1786. The birch-filled park is a delight reminiscent of scenes from Doctor Zhivago. Petrodvorets In the summer, a hydrofoil whisks you to Peter the Great’s palace on the Neva, with its spectacular fountains, gilded statues, and trick waterspouts designed to drench unwary visitors. In the winter, you miss the aquatic extravaganza and have to get there by road or train, but you are spared the lines to enjoy the splendid state rooms. A short drive beyond Petrodvorets is Oranienbaum and its Chinese Palace, a gem of chinoiserie created in the 1760s. PhiliP Gould/ CoRBiS Sparkling evenings at the Mariinsky Theatre.
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