The Great Gatchina Palace was built in 1766–1781 in Gatchina by Antonio Rinaldi for Count Grigori Grigoryevich Orlov, a favourite of Ekaterina II. Located on the hill above Lake Serebryannoe, the palace combines the style of a medieval castle and a country residence.The interiors of the Palace are an example of Russian classicism of the XVIII–XIX centuries. The Gatchina Palace became one of the favourite holiday residences of the Russian royal family.

Located on a hill, the palace dominates the surrounding landscape. The Northern facade of the building faces the park, in particular, the slope going down to the Serebryanoye lake; further ahead in the Palace Park one can see a vast lake called Beloye (White). The southern facade of the palace hides the park from view, so that all the attention is focused on the architecture of the building.

When looking at the plan of the palace, one may notice three main parts. The central building is an elongated rectangle, with two five-tiered pentahedral towers on its corners from the side of the park. The south facade of the central building, opposite from the park, features a recess with three arches of the entrance doors and a balcony, which creates a design based on the variety of volumes. The main building is connected by two semicircles of the galleries with two three-storey buildings, which are almost square. The corners of the square are emphasized with octagonal three-tiered towers, two of which, adjacent to the galleries, are crowned with domes. The layout of the palace creates an impression of plasticity and integrity of the building as a whole and each of its elements in particular, which is enhanced by the alternation of extended parts and looming faceted towers.

Opening hours: Open daily from 11.00 to 19.00

Closed on the first Tuesday of the month.

Opening hours: 11.00 am - 7:00 pm daily except the first Tuesday of the month.