Pavlovsky Park, St. Petersburg

Before visiting the Peter and Paul Fortress, our tour first brought us to Pavlovsky Park. Having seen how beautifully landscaped gardens were often integrated with Tsarist palaces, this visit became our second encounter with another grand park estate in Russia - one that, once again, surrounds an exquisite imperial residence. Earlier in Moscow, we had been taken to Sparrow Hill to appreciate Russia’s natural greenery (Read here), but Pavlovsky Park offered a far more cultivated and regal experience.

Pavlovsky Park, located about 30 km south of St. Petersburg, is one of Russia’s most elegant imperial estates, enveloping the splendid Pavlovsk Palace. The park was established in the late 18th century for Tsar Paul I and his wife, Maria Feodorovna, on land granted by Catherine the Great. Its design beautifully blends the unspoiled charm of the Russian landscape with the refined aesthetics of European classical gardens.

Spanning roughly 600 hectares, Pavlovsky Park is a masterpiece of landscape architecture inspired by the English garden style. Its design celebrates harmony between art and nature - featuring rolling meadows, winding pathways, birch groves, tranquil ponds, and the gentle flow of the Slavyanka River. Scattered throughout the park are classical pavilions and decorative structures such as the Temple of Friendship and the Apollo Colonnade, each carefully positioned to frame scenic vistas and evoke a sense of serenity. The “White-Birch-Tree” area, with its open meadows and forested expanses, showcases Russia’s natural beauty with minimal architectural adornment.

Though heavily damaged during World War II, both the park and the palace were meticulously restored to their former glory. Today, Pavlovsky Park stands as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a living museum where art, history, and nature coexist. It remains a beloved retreat for visitors seeking the quiet grace and pastoral charm of imperial Russia’s countryside.

September marks the beginning of autumn in St. Petersburg. The few golden-brown leaves we saw scattered beneath the trees were just a prelude to the magnificent display of golden-yellow foliage that soon transforms the city’s parks and gardens. It must be an entirely different sensation to experience St. Petersburg at the height of autumn!

A typical autumn view of Parlovsky Park next to Slavyanka River.

Photo with courtesy from online search.

Similar to Peterhof, we also saw several nude statues within this park. This comes as no surprise, as the park was designed by an Italian architect who incorporated classical European garden concepts, where sculptures celebrating mythological and human forms are an essential element of artistic expression.

As we wandered through Pavlovsky Park, I noticed the lion sculptures were scarred with bullet holes. Our guide explained that during World War II, when German forces occupied this area between 1941 and 1944, both the park and the grand Pavlovsk Palace suffered tremendous damage. Many of the sculptures - including these cast-iron lions - were riddled with bullets and shrapnel, used by soldiers for target practice or shelter amid the fighting.

After the war, restorers worked tirelessly to revive the palace and its gardens. Yet, some sculptures were left partially unrestored, their wounds deliberately preserved as silent witnesses to the destruction and suffering of those years.