Overview

The reign of Catherine the Great (1762-1796) marks a high point in the history of Imperial Russia. Contacts with the West, begun in the days of Peter the Great (1682-1725), were intensified, and Western European culture pervaded the lifestyle of the Imperial court, the landed aristocracy and the urban elite. One field where Western influence was strongly felt was gardening aesthetics. The regal symmetry of French absolutism was imitated in the gardens of the great Imperial palaces. The British garden tradition, too, found new forms of expression, abandoning the romantic lushness of the English landscape garden for a more austere use of colours better suited to the brief summers and severe winters of Central Russia. In the final chapter, the author follows the history of individual gardens up to the present day. Some were neglected during the Soviet period, others became monumental parks or recreational areas. Today, Russia's citizens are reawakening to the gardening traditions of their Imperial past.

Full Product Details

9788772885575

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available