Daily Camera

THE PALACE OF GATSCHINA
A Sanctuary of Safety for the Czar
of All the Russias in Time
of Troubles.

The palace of Gatschina cannot be
compared with such castles as Ver-
sailles, Sanssouci or Schoenbrunn. It
has nothing of the artistic embellish-
ment of the one, the historical memories
of the other or the landscape beauty
and comfort of the third. Situated in
the middle of a wide and desert plain, it
has no pretty surroundings, and, built
without luxury, its exterior does not
make an imposing impression. Gats-
china lies between Tsarskoje-Selo and
Krasnoje-Selo, and the roads from each
of these places to the imperial palace.
which have private court railway sta-
tions, are placed under particular su-
pervision, and may not be used except
by the court. A high wall incloses the
park, in the center of which is the
palace, and this wall is protected by
patrols, which never leave the outer
circle nor the park itself for one mo-
ment out of sight.

Entrance is only permitted by special
order. Though the superintendence is
so strict, it is said that the inhabitants
of the palace are not, and must not be,
aware of it. Their pleasures and com-
forts are not impaired by it, and all the
amusements that could be agreeable to
the emperor and his family--drives,
hunts, riding and rowing, evening par-
ties, theatrical representations; etc.-
can be partaken of. Adjoining the
well-tended park is an extensive wood
-like the park, surrounded by a wall
and guarded. In the park itself are two
lake-like basins of water; the palace
contains splendid saloons, and two col-
onnades which afford agreeable prom-
enades in bad weather: all this aids in
preventing the inhabitants from feel-
ing anything of the anxious and never-
tiring supervision held over them and
the want of more charming surround-
ings.

Sometimes the royal family inhabit
Peterhof, but always return to Gats-
china. Peterhof is more magnificent,
Oranienbaum prettier, but Gatschina is
considered safer and quieter. For many
years before the accession of Alexander
III. the palace had been unused; he
caused it to be restored and comfort-
ably furnished. It has been seldom
spoken of and scarcely more was known
of it than that the imperial hounds were
kept there. The Gatschina race was
celebrated, and a dog from the imperial
pack was very valuable, but people
cared little for the castle and park.

Still Gatschina has its history. Peter
the Great made a gift of it to his fa-
vorite sister, Natalie; Catherine II. gave
it to her favorite Orloff, who furnished
it at great expense, and built additional
edifices, by which, after the plans of the
Italian architect, Rinaldi, it received
quite a different form. After Orloff's
death the empire rebought it from his
family and gave it to Archduke Paul,
who inhabited it for some length of
time. The palace forms a long square,
at each corner of which is a stately
tower. The dwelling rooms are in three
stories. The colonnades run along the
sides, and the pillars are of Finland
marble. The rooms are not architec-
turally beautiful, but are adorned with
valuable pictures and sculpture from
the imperial hermitage in St. Peters-
burg, from the Anitschkow palace and
from the winter palace. The views are
limited by the park and wood, which,
however, have been beautifully laid out
by the celebrated St. Petersburg land-
scape gardener.--London News.