Vitebsky Station
Read about the most romantic railway station in Russia.
It is curious to know that at that time the passengers did not carry their bags to trains, they checked them in at the huge entrance hall and the luggage was later loaded to a baggage car of each train, similarly as at the airports now.
It seems that train stations are the most romantic places on our planet. They are the starting points for our journeys, sites for meetings and farewells, love dates and high hopes.
In St. Petersburg it is the Vitebsky Station – probably the most beautiful in the whole country. From here in 1837 the first Russian train departed with emperor Nicholas I as the first passenger.
The present building, an outstanding example of Art Nouveau, was constructed later, in 1904 to the design by architect Stanislaw Brzozowski, who devoted much of his professional life to the railroads. During its construction, he took advantage of the latest architectural and engineering technologies - he used the large amount of metal and glass, including the huge dome of the main hall and arches on platforms, partially covered, located on the second floor.
Among other technological innovations are the elevators for passengers and luggage, and the central heating that are not functioning at the moment, but at the beginning of the 20th century, they did function. Electricity was widely used for lamps and elevators.
In addition to the latest technologies, the station is richly decorated in line with the Art Nouveau trends. The main hall contains the immense main staircase, decorated with marble and bronze, and large stained glass windows let a lot of natural light come in, which is emphasised by intricate electric lamps.
Among the floral decorations, typical for the Art Nouveau, there are the bas-reliefs of Mercury and mysterious women with long hair, as well as the coat of arms of the Russian Empire.
On the second floor there are beautiful waiting rooms, decorated with the paintings dedicated to the development of railways in Russia, and the former restaurant, now almost empty and sometimes used for exhibitions, for example, about the fashion of that epoch.
Of course, the facade decoration is as interesting as the interior design, here all the asymmetric parts of the building are skilfully linked to each other, it is picturesque and vibrant, with the large arch on one facade and the clock tower with owls, so much appreciated by the Art Nouveau architects, on the other.
For more than 100 years, the trains leave for the famous suburbs of the city where the royal residences are located, Tsarskoe Selo with splendid Catherine's Palace and romantic Pavlovsk, from this station. Its modern name derives from the name of the Byelorussian city Vitebsk, as now the long-distance trains to Belarus, Latvia and Lithuania primarily run from here.
Although the station was so modern, the royal family almost never used it. They had their separate pavilion located on the other side of the station and constructed to the design by the same architect, S. Brzozowski, in Art Nouveau. The pavilion was inaugurated in 1901, 3 years earlier than the station, and it is currently under reconstruction.
Text Karina Carusel Tours
In St. Petersburg it is the Vitebsky Station – probably the most beautiful in the whole country. From here in 1837 the first Russian train departed with emperor Nicholas I as the first passenger.
The present building, an outstanding example of Art Nouveau, was constructed later, in 1904 to the design by architect Stanislaw Brzozowski, who devoted much of his professional life to the railroads. During its construction, he took advantage of the latest architectural and engineering technologies - he used the large amount of metal and glass, including the huge dome of the main hall and arches on platforms, partially covered, located on the second floor.
Among other technological innovations are the elevators for passengers and luggage, and the central heating that are not functioning at the moment, but at the beginning of the 20th century, they did function. Electricity was widely used for lamps and elevators.
In addition to the latest technologies, the station is richly decorated in line with the Art Nouveau trends. The main hall contains the immense main staircase, decorated with marble and bronze, and large stained glass windows let a lot of natural light come in, which is emphasised by intricate electric lamps.
Among the floral decorations, typical for the Art Nouveau, there are the bas-reliefs of Mercury and mysterious women with long hair, as well as the coat of arms of the Russian Empire.
On the second floor there are beautiful waiting rooms, decorated with the paintings dedicated to the development of railways in Russia, and the former restaurant, now almost empty and sometimes used for exhibitions, for example, about the fashion of that epoch.
Of course, the facade decoration is as interesting as the interior design, here all the asymmetric parts of the building are skilfully linked to each other, it is picturesque and vibrant, with the large arch on one facade and the clock tower with owls, so much appreciated by the Art Nouveau architects, on the other.
For more than 100 years, the trains leave for the famous suburbs of the city where the royal residences are located, Tsarskoe Selo with splendid Catherine's Palace and romantic Pavlovsk, from this station. Its modern name derives from the name of the Byelorussian city Vitebsk, as now the long-distance trains to Belarus, Latvia and Lithuania primarily run from here.
Although the station was so modern, the royal family almost never used it. They had their separate pavilion located on the other side of the station and constructed to the design by the same architect, S. Brzozowski, in Art Nouveau. The pavilion was inaugurated in 1901, 3 years earlier than the station, and it is currently under reconstruction.
Text Karina Carusel Tours