English Taste of the Empress, a photo from Saint Petersburg, Northwest

Photographer's Note

I planned to show something else (mangroves are still waiting...) but I was inspired by Jorge's photo today. What he showed was not the mosque, although it had a minaret, but Turkish Baths, and built not by Catherine, but by the tsar Nicolas in 1850.
They were probably hot baths. Here Cold Baths.
The Cold Bath is a rare example for Russian architecture of a building the very plan of which reflects an intention to imitate ancient prototypes. In designing the Cold Bath Cameron apparently took as his starting point the plan of the Thermae of Constantine, which were destroyed in the early seventeenth century but are known from measurements taken by Palladio. The rooms in that bath complex included an apodyterium for undressing, an unctuarium for the application of oils; a sphaeristerium – a large exercise hall; a calidarium – hot bath; a laconicum –steam room; a tepidarium – a warm room with heated water; and a frigidarium – a cold room with a pool.

Charles Cameron (1745 – 19 March 1812) was a Scottish architect who made an illustrious career at the court of Catherine II of Russia. Cameron, practitioner of early neoclassical architecture, was the chief architect of Tsarskoye Selo and Pavlovsk palaces and the adjacent new town of Sophia from his arrival in Russia in 1779 to Catherine's death in 1796. Cameron concentrated exclusively on country palaces and landscape gardens.
Cameron's British neoclassicism was an isolated episode in Russian architecture, then dominated by Italian artists (Francesco Rastrelli, Antonio Rinaldi, Giacomo Quarenghi, Vincenzo Brenna, Carlo Rossi, and many others).

ikeharel, jhm, holmertz, pierrefonds, johnjmoe, COSTANTINO, Royaldevon, jean113 has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Silvio1953 (206867) 2021-02-23 8:32

Ciao cara Malgo, great view of fantastic building, superb sky, fine details, excellent clarity, wonderful colors and splendid light, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

jhm (203867) 2021-02-23 9:16

Hello Malgo,

You chose an excellent angle with the frontage of the splendid building.
Also the foreground with grass and flowers gives a nice effect.
Of course the blue sky cares for it contrast.
Nice composition perfect of colours and sharpness.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

holmertz (93506) 2021-02-23 9:21

Hello Malgo,
Another fine building, easily identified as a bath. ;-) Most ignorants like me would take it for a palace. It's a very well taken photo with fine symmetry, and nice depth created by the plants on the side and the stripes in the lawn. Perfect photo conditions provided very good colours and sharpness. Nice WS too.
Best regards,
Gert

Tue (82934) 2021-02-23 10:33

Hello Malgo,
It was a beautiful day with bright sunshine and a blue sky, perfect for a photo of this elegant building with its white columns and yellow walls. The garden is well included also.
Lars

lousat (130515) 2021-02-23 11:47

Ciao Malgo,two beautiful photos showing these interesting Russian baths built by Tsar Nicholas the first, the style is the top of elegance, but in Puskn everything is top speaking of the architecture, great postcard and an endless queue in the WS, it would be really nice to be able to go now while the tourists are not there. Have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano

pierrefonds (104366) 2021-02-23 13:20

Hi Malgo,

The garden is helping to frame the scene. The point of view is showing the details of the building. The quality of the light beautifies the colors. Have a nice day.

Pierre

ifege (33455) 2021-02-23 19:22

Hi Malgo
A good pair of photos from the grounds of this famous palace which we didn't get to see.
cheers
Ian

COSTANTINO (104929) 2021-02-23 23:14

Hello dear Malgorzata and have
a nice day
interesting capture!!!
you chose an excellent angle
well done
regards
costantino

jemaflor (136178) 2021-02-23 23:21

Hi Malgo,
Nice architecture, good frame with symmetry,so pleasant sunlight, perfect for colors, tfs.

abmdsudi (89305) 2021-02-24 2:35

Hi Malgorzata
The pov and symmetry reveal the beauty of this eye drawing architecture, the clarity is pleasant, immense details, colours and so well set off against the blue sky. I think this image means alot to you which evokes some wonderful memories of this building and place. Well written notes too. Congrats
Best regards

Royaldevon (76618) 2021-02-24 7:41

Hello Malgo,

The Cold Baths seem to have much more than those inside, sort of a mixture of Turkish and Roman baths!

This is a beautiful building, with its curves, arches and Ionic pillars. It seems to flow so naturally into the garden area, beautifully captured in your photograph.

I don't think I would have been able to wait in such a long queue to explore the building. Maybe earlier in the day, or later in the afternoon would have worked better.

My warm regards,
Bev :-)

ChrisJ (161004) 2021-02-24 23:46

Hello Malgo,

An impressive regal building with nice repetition of the Greco Roman columns with their Ionic capitals. Looks far more grandiose than any of the Turkish Baths I have seen. Tfs!

jean113 (22477) 2021-02-25 8:18

Hello Malgo, I was surprised to see that this building was in Russia; your note tells us all we need to know.
You had a beautiful sunny day which has highlighted all the architectural details so well.
Perfect composition.
Thanks for sharing, kind regards, Jean.

jmdias (103814) 2021-02-25 9:53

malgo

you got a blue sunny day when you visited the place. excellent image. I took many images of it too but I didn't enter.
excellent image. did you see the link in youtube I sent you ?

take care

jorge