The Alexander Palace, only a five minute walk from my flat, is located on Dvortzovaya Street, where Malaya and Srednia Streets both end. Walking south from Malaya onto Tzerkovnaya, you pass a house that today is the Justice of the Peace office. This house is officially known as the Tepper de Ferguson House. De Ferguson was a music instructor at the Imperial Lyceum in the early 19th century (more about the Lyceum later). One of the Lyceums students who visited him there was the young Alexander Pushkin. In the early 20th century, Anna Vyrubova - a close friend of Empress Alexandra - occupied the house, and this was where the imperial family would occasionally gather, sometimes to meet with Gregory Rasputin Eor so the story goesE
Above: Tepper de Ferguson/Anna Vyrubova house
Above: weddings are an almost daily occurrence at the Tepper de Ferguson House - now Justice of the Peace office.
Walking a bit north on Dvortzovaya St will bring you past the pre-revolutionary Alexander Palace kitchens, now reportedly leased as private workshop space. And just about 100 feet down the street is the Alexander Palace gate.
Above: The AP kitchen building.
Above: This pre-revolutionary gate was used by all those entering the park or the palace, including the Tsar and his family.
Below are some photos of the AP exteriors and the surrounding area.
,
Above: Back of AP in 1841 and today.
,
Above: The rear area of Alexander Palace is completely neglected and overgrown with weeds. It is surrounded by chain link fence with barbwire to prevent vandalism.
Several people reported that the tunnels leading from the kitchen building to the East wing of the palace still exist today and are used by the Russian military as storage space. Prior to the revolution, these tunnels were used to transport food from the kitchens into the palace.
Below: the kitchen building, seen from the rear side of the East wing of Alexander Palace.
Above: side view of the kitchens on the right hand side of the back of the palace.
The Alexander Park seems to be a very popular spot for the locals. They bring their kids and dogs, and the park is packed on weekends, weeknights and in the evenings - even as late as 11pm before it gets dark. The locals use the lake in front of the palace as a beach: they even swim in it, as well as in the canals of the park. The water does not appear too clean and is brimming with algae, but this doesnt deter them!
I found the Alexander Park to be more fascinating than even the palace itself, because very little had changed in the park since the revolution. Many areas are recognizable from pre-revolutionary photos, and it was interesting to see what they look like today.
Below are then and nowEphotos taken at the Alexander Park:
Above: The Childrens Island and House, circa 1917 and as it appears today.
Above: breaking of ice on one of the Alexander Park canals during 1917 imprisonment of the imperial family.
Above: View onto the street outside the AP gate and from the street facing the gate.
