Authors

Korshunova Natalya G.
PLAFOND PAINTING IN THE CHAPEL OF THE CATHERINE PALACE, TSARSKOYE SELO

Architecton: Proceedings of Higher Education №2 (78) June, 2022

The Chapel of the Resurrection of Christ is an example of the mid-18th century baroque church combining two traditions – Western European and Russian, which is manifest in the decor of the church interiors, plots and stylistics of religious painting. The church has a number of unique artistic features, including the iconostasis program, the color characteristics of the interior, the picturesque ensemble of wall images, and the inclusion of mirrors and plafond paintings in the cult space. Three plafonds painted in the 19th century each feature a different style, and their stories correspond to the mid-18th century plafonds lost in the 1820 fire. The plafond painting is a bright contribution to the decor filled with profound semantic and symbolic contents. During the German occupation of Pushkin (1941–1944), the Chapel was barbarically looted. From 2015, work is under way to recreate the painting ensemble of the church, including the plafonds in the altar, central hall, and choirs.