How to get to Kadriorg from the old town. Park and Kadriorg Palace. Kadriorg – the beautiful Catherine Valley
Peter I independently (but not without the help of an architect summoned from Rome) planned and laid out the future park and palace building. The foundation of the new palace and park ensemble began on July 25, 1718 by order of Peter I. The project was drawn up by the Italian Niccolo Michetti. Construction work led by his assistant Gaetano Chiaveri. In 1720, at Michetti’s insistence, Mikhail Zemtsov was sent to Revel, who led the construction of the ensemble for four years according to Michetti’s designs and instructions. From the spring of 1721 until the completion of construction, all work was supervised by Zemtsov alone.
Already in the autumn of 1719, the side pavilions (outbuildings) were covered with tiles, and by the spring of 1721 the interior decoration was completed. Soon after this, Peter I and Catherine lived here for some time. The walls of the main building began to be erected in 1720, and the very next year it was roofed. The capitals of the facade are made of cut stone, consoles and other details of stone decorations were made by the Riga sculptor Heinrich von Bergen. In July 1724, during the last visit of Peter I to Revel, most of the interior of the main building was still in the scaffolding; the main work was largely completed by 1727.
According to legend, during the construction of the building, Peter I personally laid three bricks into its wall. Later, when the outer surface of the walls began to be covered with plaster, the builders left the “royal” bricks unplastered. These three bricks, in the corner pilaster of the northern wing of the palace, remain unplastered to this day.
Unfortunately, neither Peter the Great himself nor Catherine saw Kadriorg completed. Therefore, all of Peter’s ideas for creating a park (joke fountains, park sculptures and other things) were never brought to life. Nevertheless, all Russian emperors and empresses stayed in the palace during their visits to Tallinn.
In 1921–1929 and 1946–1991, the palace was the main building of the Estonian Art Museum. From 1929 to 1940, the palace housed the residence of the state elder (since 1938, president) of Estonia. Today the Presidential Palace is a separate building next to the palace, immediately behind the formal garden. Currently, Kadriorg Palace houses a branch of the Estonian Art Museum - the Kadriorg Art Museum, with the largest collection of foreign art in Estonia.
Initially it had an area of about 100 hectares. The park is planned to be restored in the style of the 18th century, including topiary trees. The palace garden has so far been restored in this style.
There is a modern building in the park, on the border. Very close, across the road, in the former royal kitchen, there is a collection of Western European art.
Here, under the slope of Lasnamägi, where the modern Lidija Koidula Street ends, around 1780 the architect Johann Moor built a one-story house with a tower. In this house, local merchant Christian Frese founded the first chintz manufactory in the city at the end of the 18th century. At the beginning of the 19th century, the engineering team of the Russian Navy, which was engaged in the construction of ports in the Baltic, settled in the house. In 1827, the tower was demolished and a second floor was added. On May 7, 1863, by decree of Emperor Alexander II, a boarding house for impoverished noblewomen was created in Reval, to whom this house was transferred. Currently this building is occupied by the Russian Museum of Estonia.
The ponds in the park were dug immediately when they were laid out, both to revitalize the landscape and to drain the soil. The oldest of them were the pond in the courtyard of the Marininsky shelter, the pond north of the present Kadri road, the Upper pond between the palace and Peter’s house and the Lower, or Swan, pond in the western part of the park. The upper pond, like the fountains and cascades that were then in the park, received water mainly from Lake Ülemiste. In the middle of the pond there was an island lined with flagstone. The lower pond received water from the springs that flowed at the foot of Lasnamägi. Spring water was drained through an underground drain into the pond. Subsequently, trees were planted on the island of the Lower Pond and a pavilion was built. Not far from the outbuildings of the palace, near Ronga Alley, another pond was dug.
In 1880, the third General Song Festival was held in Ekaterinental. In 1934 - the first Estonian Games, from which the tradition of dance festivals began.
Around the Kadriorg park there is a park of the same name. historic district with unique wooden houses and estates that belonged to politicians, as well as famous artists, writers and other creative people. Among them are two museums of outstanding Estonian writers
Address: Estonia, Tallinn
Start of construction: 1718
Completion of construction: 1727
Architect: Nicolo Michetti
Coordinates: 59°26"18.4"N 24°47"29.3"E
Short description
Just 10 minutes by car from Old Tallinn, and the tourist finds himself in the prestigious seaside district of Kadriorg.
Bird's eye view of the Kadriorg palace and park ensemble
Thanks to the fresh sea air and the beautiful park, Kadriorg has long been favorite place for walks among citizens and guests of the city. In the Kadriorg ensemble, wooden houses of the 19th century and luxurious villas peacefully coexist, but the main attraction of the area is rightfully recognized as the Kadriorg Palace (Ekaterinenthal).
The history of the palace dates back to the time of the Northern War (1700 - 1721), when Peter I conquered Estonian lands and ordered the construction of a mini-Versailles for his wife Catherine. On July 25, 1718, Peter I, together with the court architect Nicola Michetti, measured the site for the foundations and determined the composition of the new palace and gardens. Tradition says that the Russian Tsar himself laid the first stone in the foundation of the building.
At that time, Michetti was up to his neck in St. Petersburg affairs, completing the construction of the Monplaisir and Marly pavilions in Peterhof, the Hermitage and the palace in Strelna, so the royal architect sent his deputy, M. G. Zemtsov, to Revel. In 1721 - 1725, Zemtsov led the construction of Kadriorg, guided by the drawings and instructions of Michetti. By the time of Peter I's last visit to Tallinn (1724), the interiors of the palace had not yet been decorated; finishing work was completed only after the death of the king. Kadriorg was rarely used as a royal residence. While construction of the main building was underway, the royal couple lived for some time in the side pavilions. Later, all the All-Russian emperors who visited Tallinn stayed at the Kadriorg Palace. Initially, the palace was called Ekaterinenthal (German: Catherine Valley), but the townspeople changed the name to the Estonian style - Kadriorg (“Kadri Valley”).
Kadriorg State Hall - imperial luxury in Baroque style
Like Italian villas The Kadriorg ensemble consists of a palace built on a hill and two pavilions. The facade of the main building is decorated with a protruding projection with a central portal leading to the lobby. In the wall of the lobby there is a cenotaph depicting the Russian coat of arms and an anchor. In the middle of the slab there is a text engraved in Latin, the translation of which reads: “Peter I, by the grace of God, the Tsar of All Rus', ordered a house to be built on this site in Reval in July 1718.”
Also in the lobby, three replica sculptures attract attention: the Venus de Milo (work by G. Voss, 1859) and two lions by A. What, similar to those in the Cathedral of St. Peter's in Rome. The suite of palace rooms occupies two floors. The main pride of the palace is the Great or White Hall, richly decorated with stucco. The lower part of its walls is decorated with pilasters topped with openwork capitals with volutes and floral wreaths, and the upper part is rhythmically dissected by decorative blades.
The ceiling is decorated with picturesque lampshades framed with stucco decoration in the form of leaves, shells and flowers. The central ceiling painting “Diana and Actaeon” depicts the moment in the myth when Actaeon spied the bathing of Diana and her nymphs, provoking the wrath of the goddess. Big hall furnished with fireplaces, lavishly decorated with vases of flowers and busts, and above them, on the walls, against the background of stucco scrolls, there are cartouches crowned with crowns with the Latin letters “E” and “P” - the initials of Peter and Catherine.
Kadriorg park and the house of Peter I
Kadriorg Park has ponds, fountains with gazebos, fancy flower beds and a rose garden. There are alleys leading from the palace, and open-air concerts are held in the summer on an island in the middle of the Swan Pond.
In 2011, Japanese landscape architect Masone Sone created a Japanese garden in the park with rhododendrons, azaleas and irises. In the immediate vicinity of Kadriorg Palace are the residence of the President of Estonia, the house-museum of Peter I and the Kumu Art Museum, covering Estonian art from the 18th century to the present day. Peter's two-story house is furnished in the spirit of Peter's times; the tsar's personal belongings have been preserved - a table with a map of the Baltic Sea laid out on it, a model of the ship "Shlisselburg", two secretarial cabinets, etc. In 1714, Peter I bought this house and the adjacent lands from his widow landowner Drenteln for 3,500 thalers. While the Kadriorg Palace was being built, the All-Russian Emperor was content with a modest burgher dwelling.
Returning to his residence a few years later, Peter I expressed surprise that the people of Revel did not go to new park. The guard officer reported to the king that the commandant had forbidden the townspeople to walk around the royal estates. The very next day in Tallinn, the imperial will was announced to the beat of drums: all residents of the city were allowed to visit Kadriorg and enjoy its beauty.
Address: Tallinn, Narva maantee, 7C. How to get there: from Viru Square: by trams No. 1, No. 3; from the Viru keskus bus terminal: by buses No. 1A, 5, 8, 19, 29; No. 34A, 35, 38, 44, 51.
In artificial Kadriorg Park history lasting three centuries and almost as long the glory of one of the most beautiful European palace parks. It is equally loved by city residents and popular among tourists. A park spread over only seventy hectares. To create the park and palace ensemble, the Baroque style, popular at that time, was chosen. The park owes its name to Empress Catherine I, the wife of Peter the Great - literally translated it is “Valley of Catherine” (Ekaterinintal). But the German name did not take root in Revel. Gradually it changed to the more understandable and closer Kadriorg, a derivative of the Estonian version of the name Ekaterina - Kadri.
From the history of Tallinn
The Northern War, which lasted about 20 years, redrew the borders of many European states. Estonia went to the Russian Empire. Revel was commissioned on one autumn day. In the winter of the following year, Peter I and Tsarina Catherine arrived in the city. They did not remain indifferent to the charm of Lasnamägi and its surroundings. Peter especially liked the view from the high cliff - construction in the harbor and most of Revel from here, it’s clear at hand. 
On his next visit, the king wished to purchase part of the lands from their owner. The widow Drenteln parted with them for 3.5 thousand thalers. On the site that became the property of the treasury there was a landowner's mansion. Later it will be renovated, turning it into a small and rather modest royal residence. "Peter's House" has survived to this day. But even repairs and renovations could not give the former manor’s house the comfort, beauty and majesty of a palace worthy of royalty. Therefore, already in July 1718 Peter ordered the pawning new palace designed by the Italian architect Niccolo Minchetti. Construction management was first given to Gaetano Chiaveri, assistant to the creator of the project. After 2 years in Revel M. Zemtsov, who replaced the Italian, will arrive. Working first with Minchetti and then on his own, he would complete the construction. The work was carried out quickly - by the end of 1719 the wings of the future palace would be covered with tiles. The interior decoration will be completed in the spring of 17921. The royal spouses will stay there. The construction of the walls of the main building of the complex will take about a year. 
All stone façade decorations were commissioned from Heinrich von Bergen, a Riga sculptor. On his last visit, Peter was not able to see much - finishing work was still being carried out inside, and it was completed only by 1727. There is a legend that the king, who arrived at the start of construction, wanted to lay several bricks into one of the walls with his own hands. Later, the brickwork was plastered, but those same bricks were not covered. Today you can go to the northern wing of the palace and touch those three bricks. They can be seen at the bottom of the corner pilaster. In the post-revolutionary years, the royal palace was given to the Revel Council and deputies from workers and soldiers gathered there. Then it was transferred to the Estonian Art Museum for eight years.
In 1929, the residence was moved there again. First as a state elder, and after 1938 to 1940 as president. In 1946 palace complex goes back to the museum. Now the ancient building houses the famous Kardiorg Art Museum, its branch.
The best corners of the Kadriorg palace and park complex
With its layout, Kadriorg is close to the ancient villas of Italian aristocrats. In it, the main attention is drawn to the elevated area with the palace; there are two pavilions-outbuildings, to which paths lead. The entrance to the palace is from the facade, through a portal with a risalit placed forward, from where visitors enter a spacious lobby. On one of its walls there is a stone cenotaph, on which there is a sea anchor and the Russian coat of arms. The Latin inscription contains the name of Tsar Peter with the date when he ordered the construction of his house to begin. In another part of the vestibule there are statues of two lions (Antonio Cacova) and the Venus de Milo (copy, G. Vos). You can walk through the long suite of rooms in the palace, admiring the interiors. But the Great Hall with its intricate stucco work is considered the most luxurious. The pilasters with elegant capitals are decorated with wreaths of flowers and volutes framing them. 
The adjacent park looks no less elegant with its luxurious rose garden, intricately shaped flower beds, gazebos and fountains. One of the most beautiful corners in the park is Swan Pond. White and black swans really swim there, and in summer time a small island in the middle of the pond becomes a stage for concerts. The alleys fan out from the area in front of the palace - beautiful place for walks in any season. In addition to decorative sculptures, there are statues of famous sculptors and writers. Nowadays (2011), through the efforts of Masone Sone, a famous landscape architect, a real Japanese garden, the only one in the Baltics, was laid out. According to tradition, numerous bright azaleas, irises and clumps of rhododendrons were planted there. Plants have adapted perfectly to local climate and during the flowering period this part of the park is fabulously beautiful. 
In addition to the palace, you can see the exhibition in the small house-museum of Tsar Peter I. The small building has two floors furnished with furniture from the era of Peter the Great. Some of the items belonged to the king himself. In addition to the carved massive secretaries and cabinets, the royal table is perfectly preserved; on it lies a map of the Baltic, and a realistically made model of the Shlisselburg, one of the ships.
Peter I liked the new residence and the park surrounding it. During one of his visits, he will notice that the park is empty, there are no people walking along the alleys. Then he was informed about the ban for townspeople to visit the royal estates. To which Peter responded immediately by ordering a public announcement of permission for the residents of Revel to walk freely through the park, enjoying the wonderful views.
Additional Information
In the territory Cardiorga There is a branch of the art museum - the Mikkel Museum and the children's Miia-Milla-Manda. This amazing place, created taking into account children's thirst for knowledge and desire to touch and take into their hands everything that surrounds them. Children are always happy with the time spent here surrounded by unusual toys. The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 12:00 to 18:00.
There are several other museums - dedicated to A.H. Tammsaare, a classic of Estonian literature, and one of the most famous national writers of the past, Eduard Vilde. The Kumu Art Museum is located very close by. Its exhibitions cover a large period of time (XVIII - X-XII centuries) in the history and development of Estonian art.
Tour of the palace, museums and big park may get a little tiring. For relaxation, you can choose benches in the rose garden or near the Swan Pond. Or you can visit a cozy local cafe or restaurant, there are several of them, and then head along the alley leading to the sea.
It doesn't matter which month you choose to travel to. Tallinn, the beauty of this old park does not depend on the time of year. Each season has its own charm. In the evening, the park is beautifully illuminated and seems like one of the old fairy tales or paintings by a talented painter.
Kesklinn - the center of Tallinn outside the Old Town - let's delve into the world of Tallinn suburbs. As in Riga, they are extensive, even more diverse, and you can spend several days exploring them. Let's go from east to west - from the semi-resort Kadriorg and P And ritas to the industrial Copley. Well, let's start our walk where we stopped - at the Narva highway.
Kadriorg, or Ekaterinenthal, translated means Catherine's Valley, but in this case Catherine is not the Second, but the First - the wife of Peter the Great, her maiden name was a simple Latvian Marta Skavronskaya from. The Emperor first came to the newly conquered Revel in 1711, and unlike Riga, which was simply strategically irreplaceable, Peter fell in love with Revel. In 1714, he bought the small estate of Drenthal by the sea and began building a palace there, which, however, did not live to see completed. Not far from the palace in 1813, court councilor Georg Witte founded the Revel Waters resort with baths - and it was not about mineral water, but about treatment sea water, and the next 20-30 years, when Riga Jurmala was just emerging, one of the most popular sea resorts The Russian Empire, withered away in the mid-19th century, unable to withstand competition with the same Jurmala or Pernau. More details about its history, and I even saw the abandoned wooden Witte bathhouse (there is a photo at the link) while walking in this area, but I didn’t photograph it, which I regret - its days are generally numbered. However, small boarding houses appeared there later, such as “Villa Monrepos”, an extremely hot place in the 1920s, about which the Tallinn (not Revel!) Russian poet Igor Severyanin wrote:
The meat is full of meat, the meat is full of asparagus,
The meat was full of fish and filled with wine.
And having paid for the meat, in a half-meat carriage
Suddenly it rolled towards the meat in a hat with a large feather.
The meat caressed the meat and gave itself to the meat.
And he created meat according to earthly instructions.
The meat was sick, rotten and turned into mass
The foul putrefaction characteristic of meat.
But my main walk was on another day, or more precisely, after, and although I didn’t drink, we still walked until late last day, and the general euphoria, as I have noticed more than once, gives a good half of the alcoholic effect. This is probably why I was lethargic in the morning and looked around Kadriorg rather poorly, missing a few iconic places. The tram from the station took me to final stop- to the former Sloboda, which originated as a settlement for palace servants:
Including its center - the house of the estate manager, by the way, from the mid-19th century, although in appearance it was not the 1920s, but the 1910s. Nowadays there is a museum of the writer Eduard Wilde:
Although the Revel resort itself did not take root, it gave impetus to the development of Sloboda, which turned into an area of suburban dachas:
Unnoticeably passing into Kadriorg Park. Here is a cafe at the entrance - on the other side of Weizenberg Street (that is, behind the back relative to the frame) there is another almost identical house, occupied by a tourist information center:
The obligatory pond with a gazebo on the island, dug under Peter:
A children's playground and a nice wooden building with a boulder at the porch - here in 1936-38, by order of Päts (like any dictator, he was the best friend of all children) Children's park. Continuity is maintained - the children's Kursaal is now a children's museum.
If I had walked further along this alley, I would have come to several more interesting objects. First of all - “Peter’s house”, an outbuilding of the original estate, where Peter and Catherine came while the palace was being built. There is also the chintz manufactory of Christian Frese (1780, heavily rebuilt), now the Russian Museum of Estonia and on the hill the luxurious modern building of the KUMU Art Museum. Here is Peter’s house itself, photo from Wikipedia - here the emperor surpassed himself in asceticism, but that’s why he was great because he did not disdain to live in a house the size of a peasant hut:
I walked in the other direction, past the gardener’s house from the early 19th century:
And he went directly to the Catherine Palace (1718-27) - the most modest of the palaces of the Russian emperors and the most magnificent of the Estonian manors:
According to legend, three unplastered bricks in the wall were laid by Peter personally:
The best view of the palace is from the back side, near the French park:
"Neptune" is an obvious guest from Peterhof, having lost its gilding along the way.
Although I liked these crying lions better:
After Catherine, the palace was empty. Under Anna Ioannovna, park decorations, including the fonts, were taken to Peterhof, and a barracks was placed in the palace. But the estate remained in royal ownership, and was thoroughly restored and improved for the visits of monarchs - first Elizabeth Petrovna (under whom the name Ekaterinental appeared), then Catherine II, then Alexander I, and in general, Kadriorg finally came to life under Nicholas I, when it became a summer residence the Estonian governor, where, however, the St. Petersburg monarchs sometimes came. Here in 1866 the III Baltic Sea singing festival took place (not to be confused with the Estonian one, the Germans sang here, and the first festival took place back in 1857).
In general, since the first independence, except for 1929-46, Kadriorg has been the domain of an art museum: there is the palace itself, and KUMU, but for example, in the palace kitchen since 1994 there has been a private collection of Johannes Mikkel, donated to the museum.
And everything would have been fine, but in 1929 the Swedish king came to Tallinn. State Elder Päts decided that it was inappropriate to accommodate such a guest in a hotel, and ordered the restoration of the palace, which had to be completely reconstructed from the inside, since it had neither heating nor sewerage, which the Russian architect Vladovsky handled perfectly without disturbing the baroque appearance. The museum was practically thrown out onto the street, and never returned to the palace - Päts decided to keep the residence for himself, and in 1938 he built another palace above the terrace with fountains. Afterwards, the fascist Reichskommissar managed to live there, and in 1946 the museum returned to Kadriorg. Now a balance has been established - there is a museum in the Catherine Palace, a president in the Presidential Palace, and even a guard of honor stands at the gates:
And from the lower terrace of the Catherine Palace, a straight alley leads to the sea - in its perspective there is another symbol of Tallinn, a monument to the battleship "Rusalka":
Launched in 1866 in St. Petersburg, "Rusalka" did not participate in major wars, did not perform any special feats (although Admiral Makarov served on her), in 1892 she became a coast guard ship, and on September 7, 1893, on the way to Helsinki died in the same way as 101 years and 20 days later the ferry "Estonia" was sunk by this specifically Baltic storm, extremely treacherous - sudden, short and deadly strong. Here it turned out even worse (although, of course, with fewer casualties): none of the 177 sailors on board survived, and the battleship sank so completely that it was found only in 2003. In general, this is the Kursk disaster of the 19th century.
Well, the monument is the creation of Amandus Adamson, the main perpetuator of sunken ships in the Russian Empire (the monument in Sevastopol is also his creation), in my opinion, one of the most beautiful of its era. The inscription on the pedestal: “Russians do not forget their heroes and martyrs,” but I was more impressed by the list of all those who died on the fence pylons.
And behind the monument there is a long beach. On the left is the old city, on the right are lonely old houses under the Great Ledge and new buildings on it:
Next is the military memorial in Maarjamäe, dedicated to everyone who fought on the side of the Soviet regime in Estonia: let’s say, the obelisk is dedicated to the Ice Campaign (the ferrying of ships from Revel and Helsingfors to red Kronstadt). The popular name is “Pinocchio’s grave,” and under the Soviets, Russian veterans gathered here, and not at the “Estonian” Bronze Soldier (I told his story in the last part). The paradox is that the first Russian battle here was lost - the Blackheads (military merchants) somewhere here stopped the advance of one of Ivan the Terrible’s troops. I headed towards the memorial - it took about 15 minutes to get to it:
Although the beach on Wikimapia looks tempting, up close it is uncomfortable and littered, and in some places it is completely littered knee-deep with stinking algae. On the horizon is the St. Petersburg ferry:
The Olympic Yacht Club proudly stands on the spit of the Pirita River, and I didn’t go close to it. The Olympics are an amazing thing - in addition to its small part, sailing disciplines for 6 sets of medals, Tallinn received: a Gorhall, a yacht club, a TV tower (it’s also in this area), a 95-meter hotel, a major reconstruction of everything... Here you can’t help but think - Or maybe the Sochi billions were spent on the matter? Surprisingly, the Brazilians won the Tallinn regattas.
Then it was worth taking a walk upstream of the Pirita, where there are all sorts of old villas, elements of the fortress of Peter the Great, all sorts of parks on the Great Ledge and finally the Forest Cemetery, where personalities like Päts or Ots are buried... but I was too lazy. Behind the bridge over Pirita is a rare pre-war bus station in the world (1940), now a regular bus stop:
Already Soviet in time, but pre-war in architect (which often happens in the Baltics) former cinema:
Administration of the Pirita district (1980) and the highway leading through the pine trees on the seashore:
But the final destination of my walk was the most impressive (or even the only?) medieval monument outside the Old Town - Brigid's Monastery:
The turret and cemetery fence of the 17th century hide inside the grindy ruins of a dolomite temple, which feels like the largest in the Baltics. In reality, of course, it’s just a feeling - the length of the cathedral is 60 meters, width - 27, height of the portal - 35, but it looks incredibly gigantic.
The grandiose ruins of the cathedral (they are also in the title frame) and the foundations-basements of other monastery buildings - here without comment:
The most incomprehensible thing in one of the neighboring courtyards:
And the New Brigid Convent, founded in 2001 - all the materials are from Estonia, the bells are from Rome, and the first sisters are from Latin America...
In general, as already mentioned, in Piritu (by the way, the locals never decline such names, and this seems to be a common property of “Finno-Ugric Russian” - try to decline Sortavala or Pitkäranta in the presence of their residents!) it makes sense to make another visit sometime return: here is the Forest Cemetery, and the valley of the Pirita River, and the TV tower (excursion there - Gorhall, Rotterman quarter, Narva highway.
. Business center, Tõnismägi and train station.
Kadriorg and Pirita.
Veerenni and Juhkentali.
Kassisaba and Kristiine.
Kalamaia.
Seaplane harbour.
Northern Tallinn.
Nõmme.
on Jan's night.
The beautiful Baroque palace and Kadriorg park are located 2 km away. from the center of Tallinn - this is one of the best creations of the 18th century masters in the then Estonian province, created by order of Peter I during the Northern War.
Jean-Marc Nattier (1685–1766)
Benner, Jean Henri - Portrait of Peter I
In accordance with the design of the architect Nicollo Michetti, specially invited from Rome, the palace was built in the image and likeness of Italian villas, consisting of a main building and two extensions. The main hall is one of the best examples of Baroque architecture not only in Estonia, but throughout Northern Europe. In addition to Russian and Italian artists, craftsmen from Stockholm, Riga and Tallinn also took part in the work on the building. The two-story hall is richly decorated with stucco moldings and ceiling paintings. The vestibule and some other rooms in the main building have maintained their original appearance since the 18th century.
The name Kadriorg (Catherine Valley) is associated with the name of Empress Catherine II. Most of the rulers of the Russian Empire, starting with the daughter of Peter the Great, Elizabeth, regularly visited the imperial summer residence.
VIGILIUS ERICHSEN Catherine the Great.
Catherine II. 1770s. Sablukov Ivan Semenovich
Portrait of Catherine II in a traveling suit. Mikhail SHIBANOV
In 1714, for Peter I, a summer manor was purchased from the Drentelnov family for the construction of a park and palace. Initially, the park was intended for walks by townspeople (who, having heard about the tough temperament of the Tsar, were simply afraid to walk there), the palace was for the summer residence of the royal family, named after the wife of Peter I, Catherine I - Kadriorg (Catherine's Valley).
Kadriorg's birthday is considered to be July 22, 1718. Peter I arrived in Tallinn by ship on July 19, 1718, with him came the Roman architect Niccolo Michetti, who had been accepted into the Russian service a few months earlier, and his apprentice Gaetano Chiaveri, who later surpassed his teacher. Together they determined the location and composition of the “new palace”, as well as the plan for laying out the park and gardens.
The palace overlooked Old city, harbor and sea. The choice of location was, of course, not accidental, because Peter I had a special attraction to the sea. Unfortunately, the construction of the park and palace was not completed during the life of Peter I.
Subsequently, the Kadriorg Palace, as a royal residence, was used relatively rarely. During their visits to Tallinn, all Russian emperors stayed in the palace - from Peter I to the last of the Romanov dynasty - Nicholas II.
In 1919, the history of the palace as a museum began, where the Art Museum is currently located. The museum's collection consists of more than 900 Western European and Russian paintings, 3500 printed publications and about 3000 sculptures. The lobby and some other rooms in the main building have retained their original appearance.
