Catherine's Block

The Catherine Building in the Lower Park of Peterhof was built according to the design of Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1747 on the site of a kitchen garden from Peter the Great's times and is closely attached to the western wing of the Monplaisir Palace. The only room that has preserved Rastrelli's decoration unchanged is the Warming Room, and in 1785–1786 the interiors were remodeled in the Classicism style according to the design of Giacomo Quarenghi. In the 19th century, receptions were held here in honor of the graduates of the Smolny Institute, and a marble statue of Catherine II stands in the vestibule, reminding of the events of June 1762. The name of the building is associated with the palace coup of 1762, when Grand Duchess Catherine lived in the wing attached to this building, and the railings of its porches are made from the grilles of the balconies of St. Petersburg palaces belonging to F. M. Apraksin and S. V. Raguzinsky.