Tsaritsino

Today I visited the beautiful Tsaritsino estate and museum. It is named by Catherine the Great, who purchased the estate in 1775. At the time of purchase, the land was far from what you see in the photos now. Rather, its previous name is quite indicative of what the estate looked like- it was called Chyornhaya Gryaz, which means Black Mud. Still, most of the buildings that stand on the estate grounds are much past the time of Catherine, as the grounds were torn down, reconstructed, and left half-built. The paths and fountains are only about twenty years old.

The exhibit, which is on display inside the museum, is of paintings of Catherine the Great, borrowed from St. Petersburg. They did not allow photography unfortunately. You will just have to go there and see it for yourself!