"Александровский дворец и его Детская половина"

     Экскурсия учащейся 9а класса школы №403 Парджини Анны « Александровский дворец и его Детская половина»

                           Children’s Rooms of Alexander Palace

 The Alexander Palace was  constructed in 1792-1796 by the architect Dzhakomo Kvarengi..

 Catherin 2 ordered to build the New (later Alexander Palace)  for her grandson, Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich, the future Emperor Alexander1 as  a wedding gift . Since the late 1810s, the Alexander Palace was owned by Alexander,s brother, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich (later Emperor Nicholas 1), who liked to stay there  with his family during the summer months and whose grandchildren and great grandchildren resided here later. According to their contemporaries, Alexander Palace was a beloved home for Russian Imperial families.  

       Starting from Paul 1, Russian Imperial families had many children: Paul and Maria Fiodorovna had ten, Nicholas1 and Alexandra Fiodorovna seven, Alexander 2 and Maria Alexandrovna eight, Alexander 3 and Maria Fiodorovna six, while the family of the last Russian Emperor had 5 children.

     Catherin 2 relied on ideas of 18th century Enlightenment philosophers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the principles of upbringing, education and recreation for imperial children.  Several generations of the imperial children learned different handicrafts, did garden work.  According to their contemporaries, the atmosphere in the families of Russian emperors was open-hearted and simple, where love and respect for parents ruled.  Thoroughly selected tutors and teachers brought them up as the future emperors. They had to learn court etiquette from early childhood and follow the strict traditions of the imperial court. Everything was of state importance: birth, christenings, birthdays, church and state events, in which children took part. The rooms of the palace, where imperial children lived, were called The Children,s Rooms or The Children,s Half.

    Let’s  turn to the history of The Childrens’ Rooms. The first attempt to close  Children’s Rooms was prevented by the society in 1931. But unfortunately in 1932 the Children’s Rooms were closed. Due to theenergy  of V.I.Yakovlev, a curater  of the Palace, the photofixing of Children’s Rooms interiors was made. Thouroughly, the archive was not kept but  we have the water- colours, executed by the arts of the Academy of Arts Y. Neprintsev and A.Kravchenko. Toys were transferred to the museum of Sergiev Posad, textbooks –to the Lenin library. Years have gone…at last  79 years later, toys, books, kid,s weapon met…..were gathered together in the Children’s Rooms of Alexander Palace . The exhibition was organized by the museum of Tsarskoe Selo, the Art and pedagogical toy Museum of Sergiev Posad, the Obraztsov Puppet Theatre and Ostankino Museum-Estate which joined efforts and as the result - it started in June, 2,2011.  The exhibition “In the Children,s Rooms of the Alexander Palace” tells us about the life of imperial children at Tsarskoe Selo summer residence in the 19th to the early 20th centures. The exhibition consists of several sections.

 The first  is «the Alexander Palace is  Romanov's family nest» which represents portraits of members of a family of Nikcolas I, children’s uniforms, clothes, toys, furniture.

 The section «Nicolas 2 and his  family» is devoted to the children of the last Russian emperor and their life in Tsarskoje Selo residence.  Portraits of imperial family members, dresses,  tsesarevitch,s uniforms. are offered to the  public,s attention. Yan Kapelyush,  a well-known theatre artist,a designer of an exhibition could create a sense of imperial,s children invisible presence. 

  The next exposition acquaints public to  one of the most remarkable interiors of the Children's Rooms – Playing Room, engraved  on unique water colours  of artists A.N.Jar-Kravchenko and J.M.Neprintsev in 1930th, before closing of a museum,s exposition on the second floor of the Alexander Palace.12 water-colours  is a unique document, which not only shows details of the interior but also the atmosphier of the epoch.

This Playing Room was initially created for Nicolas 2.s daughters, and after their growing became a place for  games of Tsesarevich Alexey – it was his small world reflected his tastes and interests . Here we can see original toys of of Nicolas 2,s children from  the Children's Rooms, and in 1930th transferred to  the  collections of the Toy Museum of Sergiev Posad , among the rarities: The Tsesarevich.s Puppet Theatre, a bedspread, gifted by French government for the birth of Knyazna Anastasiya Nickolaevna, the famous vigvum and others.

T he special attention of the exhibition is paid to the  life of imperial children,  their education and recreation . It is possible to see books, notes, educational accessories, photos,  sledge, a harness, to read a timetable, different letters, notes and enjoy other unique original things belonged to the imperial children.

 The exhibition doesn,t touch the tragical destiny of the last Russian Emperor.s children. The organizers of the exhibition tried to fill the Palace.s halls with positive, joyful sensations of a happy childhood. They managed to collect the splinters of the children,s paradise, created by several generations of Romanovs for their beloved children: more than 200 exibits: picturesque and graphic portraits, clothes, books, the children,s weapon and furniture.

 There is a hall where young visitors could draw and express their impressions and feelings, which is now full of wonderful pictures. Besides,a friendly staff of the museum will suggest to you to see a mute documentary film devoted to the last emperor of Russia and his beloved family. I think this exhibition is the first step on the way of Children,s Rooms of Alexander Palace Returning.  I stongly reccomend you to visit this briiliant exhibition and enjoy it. Thank you for your attention!

                    Children’s Rooms of Alexander Palace

 The Alexander Palace was  constructed in 1792-1796 by the architect Dzhakomo Kvarengi..

 Catherin 2 ordered to build the New (later Alexander Palace)  for her grandson, Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich, the future Emperor Alexander1 as  a wedding gift . Since the late 1810s, the Alexander Palace was owned by Alexander,s brother, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich (later Emperor Nicholas 1), who liked to stay there  with his family during the summer months and whose grandchildren and great grandchildren resided here later. According to their contemporaries, Alexander Palace was a beloved home for Russian Imperial families.  

       Starting from Paul 1, Russian Imperial families had many children: Paul and Maria Fiodorovna had ten, Nicholas1 and Alexandra Fiodorovna seven, Alexander 2 and Maria Alexandrovna eight, Alexander 3 and Maria Fiodorovna six, while the family of the last Russian Emperor had 5 children.

     Catherin 2 relied on ideas of 18th century Enlightenment philosophers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the principles of upbringing, education and recreation for imperial children.  Several generations of the imperial children learned different handicrafts, did garden work.  According to their contemporaries, the atmosphere in the families of Russian emperors was open-hearted and simple, where love and respect for parents ruled.  Thoroughly selected tutors and teachers brought them up as the future emperors. They had to learn court etiquette from early childhood and follow the strict traditions of the imperial court. Everything was of state importance: birth, christenings, birthdays, church and state events, in which children took part. The rooms of the palace, where imperial children lived, were called The Children,s Rooms or The Children,s Half.

    Let’s  turn to the history of The Childrens’ Rooms. The first attempt to close  Children’s Rooms was prevented by the society in 1931. But unfortunately in 1932 the Children’s Rooms were closed. Due to theenergy  of V.I.Yakovlev, a curater  of the Palace, the photofixing of Children’s Rooms interiors was made. Thouroughly, the archive was not kept but  we have the water- colours, executed by the arts of the Academy of Arts Y. Neprintsev and A.Kravchenko. Toys were transferred to the museum of Sergiev Posad, textbooks –to the Lenin library. Years have gone…at last  79 years later, toys, books, kid,s weapon met…..were gathered together in the Children’s Rooms of Alexander Palace . The exhibition was organized by the museum of Tsarskoe Selo, the Art and pedagogical toy Museum of Sergiev Posad, the Obraztsov Puppet Theatre and Ostankino Museum-Estate which joined efforts and as the result - it started in June, 2,2011.  The exhibition “In the Children,s Rooms of the Alexander Palace” tells us about the life of imperial children at Tsarskoe Selo summer residence in the 19th to the early 20th centures. The exhibition consists of several sections.

 The first  is «the Alexander Palace is  Romanov's family nest» which represents portraits of members of a family of Nikcolas I, children’s uniforms, clothes, toys, furniture.

 The section «Nicolas 2 and his  family» is devoted to the children of the last Russian emperor and their life in Tsarskoje Selo residence.  Portraits of imperial family members, dresses,  tsesarevitch,s uniforms. are offered to the  public,s attention. Yan Kapelyush,  a well-known theatre artist,a designer of an exhibition could create a sense of imperial,s children invisible presence. 

  The next exposition acquaints public to  one of the most remarkable interiors of the Children's Rooms – Playing Room, engraved  on unique water colours  of artists A.N.Jar-Kravchenko and J.M.Neprintsev in 1930th, before closing of a museum,s exposition on the second floor of the Alexander Palace.12 water-colours  is a unique document, which not only shows details of the interior but also the atmosphier of the epoch.

This Playing Room was initially created for Nicolas 2.s daughters, and after their growing became a place for  games of Tsesarevich Alexey – it was his small world reflected his tastes and interests . Here we can see original toys of of Nicolas 2,s children from  the Children's Rooms, and in 1930th transferred to  the  collections of the Toy Museum of Sergiev Posad , among the rarities: The Tsesarevich.s Puppet Theatre, a bedspread, gifted by French government for the birth of Knyazna Anastasiya Nickolaevna, the famous vigvum and others.

T he special attention of the exhibition is paid to the  life of imperial children,  their education and recreation . It is possible to see books, notes, educational accessories, photos,  sledge, a harness, to read a timetable, different letters, notes and enjoy other unique original things belonged to the imperial children.

 The exhibition doesn,t touch the tragical destiny of the last Russian Emperor.s children. The organizers of the exhibition tried to fill the Palace.s halls with positive, joyful sensations of a happy childhood. They managed to collect the splinters of the children,s paradise, created by several generations of Romanovs for their beloved children: more than 200 exibits: picturesque and graphic portraits, clothes, books, the children,s weapon and furniture.

 There is a hall where young visitors could draw and express their impressions and feelings, which is now full of wonderful pictures. Besides,a friendly staff of the museum will suggest to you to see a mute documentary film devoted to the last emperor of Russia and his beloved family. I think this exhibition is the first step on the way of Children,s Rooms of Alexander Palace Returning.  I stongly reccomend you to visit this briiliant exhibition and enjoy it. Thank you for your attention!