Director Olga Taratynova of Tsarskoe Selo and director Boris Igdalov of Tsarskoselskaya Amber Workshop received the National Award for contribution to the revival of our palace-and-park ensemble.

The award, a.k.a. the State Prize of the Russian Federation for outstanding achievements in literature and arts, was handed over by the president of the Russian Federation in the Hall of the Order of St George at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow on 12 June, the Day of adoption of the declaration of state sovereignty in Russia.

Severely damaged in World War Two, the Tsarskoe Selo palaces and parks saw the start of their post-war revival in 1957. Work still goes on.

The restoration achievement highlights of the last 1.5 decades include:

• 2013: the Agate Rooms of the Cold Bath pavilion in the Catherine Park
• 2019: the Catherine Palace Chapel of the Resurrection
• 2021: the Lyons Hall of the Catherine Palace

All these masterpieces were restored by the Tsarskoselskaya Amber Workshop whose experts accomplished the almost 25-year reconstruction of the legendary Amber Room in 2003.

The ongoing restoration projects:

• the Alexander Palace
• the Imperial Farm in the Alexander Park
• the Private Rooms of Empress Catherine II in the Zubov Wing of the Catherine Palace

With the soon expected completion of Catherine's Private Rooms thanks to PAO Gazprom's support, the post-war revival of the Catherine Palace will be mostly finished and the dream of several generations of our museum workers and restorers will finally come true.

Our museum congratulates Olga Taratynova and Boris Igdalov on the deserved award and wishes them further great achievements.