Russia Will Rebuild Residence of Nicholas II
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The Russian government will reconstruct the Lower Dacha, the former residence of Tsar Nicholas II, destroyed in World War II, Vadim Znamenov, director of the Peterhof Estate Museum, said.
From 1894 to 1914, the imperial family lived mostly at the Lower Dacha, a small palace on the Peterhof estate, about 30 kilometers southwest of St. Petersburg on the Gulf of Finland, Mr. Znamenov said. The Nazis held Peterhof in 1941 and stayed until 1944 when the Red Army booted them out.
On July 17, Russia marked 90 years since Bolshevik rebels executed the imperial family. The 18th-century Peterhof, best known for its fountains and the gold-plated Bolshoi Palace, draws almost 3 million visitors a year.
“Rebuilding the palace is part of efforts to bid farewell to the Imperial family,” Mr. Znamenov said at a press conference. “We brought this project to the attention of (then) President Putin and he supported it.”
Mr. Putin, a native of St. Petersburg, was Russia’s president from 2000 to May 2008. He is now prime minister.
In 2007, the government gave Peterhof $8.7 million for restoration projects. In 2008, Peterhof received $12.85 million, and $19.89 million has been earmarked for 2009, Mr. Znamenov said.
The Lower Dacha is expected to be completed by 2012, though the cost is not yet known, as experts are still trying to determine exactly how it looked, he said.
