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A retirement stable and a horse cemetery
Category: Best Implemented Restoration Project
In 2026, an exhibition opened at a unique heritage site—the Pensionary Stables, built between 1827 and 1829 to the design of architect Adam Menelaws for "imperial saddle" horses retired from active service.
The stable building—a two-story pavilion featuring a staircase belvedere tower, two canted bay windows, and a single-story annex—is executed in the English Gothic style. The ground floor housed eight stalls and a small room for harness and tack storage, while the upper floor contained living quarters for the overseer and grooms. During World War II, the pavilion sustained only minor damage; however, over time, it fell into disrepair.
In the 1830s, the first burials of imperial horses were established near the stables, evolving by the early 20th century into the world's largest equine cemetery (comprising over 120 graves) dedicated to "imperial saddle" horses. They have now been restored through field surveys and archival documentation, with gravestones bearing concise historical inscriptions reinstated for many of them.
Location
Alexandrovsky Park, Pushkin, St. Petersburg, Russia
Project Website
About the Applicant
The Tsarskoye Selo Museum‑Reserve is a unique monument of world history and culture. The former summer residence of the Russian emperors is a recognized masterpiece of architecture and landscape gardening of the 18th – early 20th centuries. The compositional centre of the palace and park ensemble is the Catherine Palace, a magnificent example of Baroque architecture. The Golden Enfilade of state rooms, including the world‑famous Amber Room, delights with its luxurious decoration.
Project Authors
Federal State Budgetary Institution of Culture "State Artistic and Architectural Palace and Park Museum-Reserve "Tsarskoye Selo"
Images
Ekaterina Novak, Dmitry Rakovsky
Extra visual materials
Other participants
Jean-Louis Gouraut – assistance in implementing the project. Natalya Kudryavtseva – monitoring the work process. Iraida Bott, Natalya Lansere, Irina Bredikhina – scientific support. Museum Design Bureau “Svoya Shkola” – creation of the exhibition “Tsar’s Horses. Life after Service”. Scientific and Artistic Museum of Horse Breeding at the Timiryazev Academy – assistance in preparing and creating the exhibition.
