Description of the attraction
The Turkish Bath Pavilion is located in the Catherine Park in the southwestern part of the Big Pond on a small peninsula. The pavilion was built in 1852 in honor of the victories in the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829. and by order of Nicholas I. It was used for its intended purpose as a bathhouse.
The first project of the "Turkish Bath" was carried out by K. P. Rossi in 1848, but his project was rejected. The drawings were sent to Monighetti to design a Turkish bath using marble decorations brought from the garden of the Sultan's palace Eske Soral in Adrianapolis as trophies. Monighetti's project was approved in 1850.
The "Turkish bath", despite the fact that it was conceived as a construction of a military memorial nature, was very different from the memorial structures erected in Moscow and St. Petersburg during the period of late classicism.
Looking for the architectural image of the "Turkish Bath", Monighetti took as a basis the traditions of architectural romanticism of the late 18th century. Monighetti felt the peculiarities of the landscape in Tsarskoye Selo Park and continued the romantic trend of the 1770s-1830s. With his Turkish building with a picturesque silhouette of the pavilion, built on the play of a slender minaret and graceful domes, Monighetti adequately completed the ensemble of the part of the park adjacent to the pond.
Since the pavilion was being built on a cape, the coast had to be fortified. First, the bank of the pond was fortified, and then the earth was taken out to a depth of 3, 2 m, and after the bottom was tamped down, a layer of concrete was laid on it. The foundations of the "Turkish Bath" are rubble. Vaults were erected on brick pillars under the floors. The dome of the building is gilded, topped with a spire with a crescent moon. The large dome and doors are decorated with stucco moldings with Turkish ornaments.
Inside, the pavilion is decorated in a Moorish style. Numerous elements of the pavilion's interior were brought from Adrianapolis as trophies. The walls of four rooms are decorated with stucco ornaments and are faced with colored mosaics. In the interior decoration of the pavilion, gilding and Olonets marble are widely used. In the central octagonal hall there is a pool with a fountain in the center. There are also marble fountain boards brought from Turkey with carved verses.
The Turkish Bath was built like a bath without heating. It was not used for its intended purpose, but two wash bowls were nevertheless equipped with taps for cold and hot water.
The entrance to the vestibule opens a portal decorated with ornaments; the lower part of the walls is covered with multi-colored marble mosaics, and the upper part is decorated with molding and ornamental painting. There is a cascading fountain in the niche. A niche separates the dressing room from the soap-room and is made of gilded carved Olonets marble. In the soap-room there is an overhead light and the same decoration with ornaments as in the dressing room; in the wall there are two bowls and taps for cold and warm water. From this room, an arch leads to a round domed hall, the windows of which let in even light inside the room.
In addition to the elegant decoration, the pavilion's interiors were luxuriously decorated with various "Byzantine" things, lamps and furniture made according to Monighetti's drawings. It housed a bronze clock made according to a drawing by the architect, which was included in the catalog of highly artistic objects from the Tsarskoye Selo palaces in 1888.
At first, the Turkish Bath was used for its intended purpose, but later it became just a pavilion for relaxation. After the revolution, the pavilion was mothballed, and after restoration in 1939 it was opened as a museum. During the Great Patriotic War, the "Turkish Bath" was almost destroyed. In 1953, only the facades were restored. Further major overhauls turned the beautiful pavilion into a utility room at the boat station.
In 2002-2003. a project for the restoration of the pavilion was developed, according to which it was envisaged: restoration of facades, interiors, repair of structures and utilities, engineering equipment of premises, waterproofing of the basement, lighting of the building, improvement of the territory. In 2008, the minaret was re-laid, the dome with gilded overhead decor was restored, fountains await their turn for restoration. The fountains will work, they will be supplied with water. After the completion of the restoration, the pavilion will become a museum.
