Artichokes, hydrangeas and camellias will decorate the interiors of the palace of Nicholas II in Tsarskoe Selo

The Tsarskoye Selo Museum-Reserve has launched a large-scale project called the Blooming Palace. Once a month, in different interiors of the Alexander Palace, which was the favorite home of the family of Emperor Nicholas II, floral arrangements created by modern designers and florists together with representatives of the museum will be exhibited.

“Hydrangea, chrysanthemum, forsythia, camellia, artichokes - these and other flowers and plants will be included in the compositions at different times. The flower marathon will last a year and end in August 2024,” says a message on the website of the museum-reserve.

The project is being implemented in partnership with representatives of the city’s creative industries.

“We have set ourselves the ultimate task of creating the atmosphere of a beloved home and family warmth in the personal rooms of Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. At the beginning of the last century, there were fresh flowers here all year round; floral themes were also present in the upholstery of the walls, furniture, and stucco reliefs on the walls and ceilings. We supplemented the museum exhibition with decorative indoor and cut flowers,” said Olga Taratynova, director of the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum, whose words are quoted in the message.

She noted that after more than a hundred years, the museum-reserve has revived the tradition of artificially forcing lilacs - its aroma fills the interiors from late January to March. “Visitors go to the Alexander Palace, among other things, to see its flower display,” said the director.

The first compositions decorated the Maple and Rosewood living rooms on Alexandra Feodorovna's half, the State Study and the Reception Room on Nicholas II's half. The main thing here was hydrangea - in total, florists used more than 80 luxurious flowers of white, pink, blue and green. As noted in the museum, this is thematically connected with the autochrome of 1917 - photographer Andrei Zeest took this photo with a hydrangea in a vase in the Rosewood living room literally a few hours after the royal family left for exile in Tobolsk. The designers also used autumn flowers and plants, including live branches with apples of paradise, rose hips, and cereals.

In total, 12 compositions will be created within the framework of the Blooming Palace project.

“Each of them will be in one way or another connected with the history of the Tsarskoye Selo imperial residence, the tastes of its crowned owners, and the life of the family of the last Russian emperor in the Alexander Palace,” the statement says.

As the museum said, the sources of inspiration for the florists will be historical facts (the heir’s eastern journey, engagement, wedding, vacation of the imperial family in Livadia); plant motifs in interior decoration (symbolism of lilies); items from the museum collection (vases made using cloisonne enamel technique, Venetian glass, incense burners); photographs, autochromes, paintings.

In partnership with the National Research University Higher School of Economics, the museum will hold a creative competition among students to create souvenirs based on the Blooming Palace.