Ceres Gazebo

Ceres Gazebo (aka “Golden Sheaf”) is a small pavilion on the southern border of Tsaritsyno Lanscape Park. Built in 1805, it was designed by the architect Ivan Yegotov. The place for gazebo is not accidental. In the summer of 1775 года, after she purchased Tsaritsyno, Catherine II spent time in a hut here. From this hill the Empress watched a rural celebration with local peasants arranged by Grigory Potemkin.

In the early 19th century Petr Valuyev started developing Tsaritsyno’s greenhouses. As a result – up to the 1870s – Tsaritsyno had the reputation of the largest supplier of fruits and berries in Moscow and St. Petersburg. It is no coincidence that Valuyev ordered the architect to put the statue of Ceres in the newly built “temple” – an ancient Roman goddess of fertility with a golden sheaf in her hands. The gazebo itself is a rotunda with a colonnade on a three-level foundation. The dome is crowned with a gold plated sheaf of wheat.

During World War 2, the Ceres Gazebo was badly damaged. The original historical look was restored only in 2007. White stone steps, columns and copper dome were restored and the pedestal was re-decorated with a statue Ceres made by the contemporary sculptor Alexander Burganov.