Empress Catherine II’s travel to Crimea From 18 to 28 March at the art gallery of Smolensk State Museum-Reserve can be seen a painting by an unknown artist of the XVIII century, dedicated to the journey of the Empress Catherine II in the south of Russia - the Empress Catherine II travels in her country in 1787 (original by Ferdinand de Mays) . In 1787 Empress Catherine II made a trip to the Crimea - newly acquired south land, but then called by her the best jewel of her crown. It was kind of an inspection tour of the land given to the management of the Most Serene Prince, GA Potemkin, in part - a political demonstration, which was supposed to reveal the greatness of the empire before its neighbors. But still the main motive was the desire of the Empress to see the new land attached to Russia as a result of bloody wars in the four years before that. On January 1, a luxurious imperial train of 14 carriages and sleighs moved out of St. Petersburg on a 5657 miles long travel. The Empress was riding in a carriage for 12 persons, drawn by 40 horses. In the imperial retinue were 3000 persons. Arriving at the end of January in Kiev, the travelers made a three-month halt - waiting until ice on Dnepr would disappear. Down the Dnieper the imperial cortege went on 80 magnificent ships. First stop in the Crimea was in Bakhchisarai - the palace of the Crimean khans, which was renovated for this purpose. In the evening all the surrounding slopes were illuminated. The travel of Catherine created a whole tradition of imperial voyages to the south, and all the heirs of the Great Empress, except Emperor Paul I, felt obliged to make a trip to the Black Sea coastal land. So did Alexander I, who visited the peninsula in 1818 and 1825, and Nicholas I in 1837 and subsequent years. Ferdinand de Mays - a native of Flanders (Wallonian origin), a retired officer regiment the Prince de Ligne, a gifted amateur, not without success, came to Russia about 1783. He portrays Catherine in the image of the goddess Minerva, with a scepter and a torch in her hand. The chariot, with four horses, passes through prosperity, well-maintained lands entrusted to her by Providence, with happy citizens - representatives of different classes - the settlers, clergy, people of middle rank, and others – coming to meet her. See the video in the Russia article
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 07:59:41 +0000
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