Every October, crews in St Petersburg's parks and suburban palace estates wrap marble and limestone statues in wooden cases for the winter. Tsarskoye Selo alone covers more than sixty sculptures around the Catherine Palace; Peterhof and Pavlovsk do the same on their grounds. If you want to see the statues uncovered, you have days rather than weeks.
Why they do it
Marble is porous. Water seeps into cracks, freezes, expands — and the stone slowly crumbles. Wooden shells with insulation shield it from frost and moisture. Bronze figures stay out; they handle the cold better. The practice dates to the 18th century, when imperial gardeners used straw and burlap.
Where to still find open sculptures
Covering happens in stages, so not every park has finished:
- Summer Garden — its statues are usually among the last to be boxed up. You may still catch them.
- Pavlovsk Park — avenue sculptures are typically covered in late October to early November.
- Catherine Park (Tsarskoye Selo) — work is under way, but some figures remain visible.
Check each museum's website for the latest status.
Getting there
- Summer Garden: central St Petersburg, free entry. Walk from Gostiny Dvor or Chernyshevskaya metro.
- Tsarskoye Selo: suburban train from Vitebsky station to Pushkin, then a bus. Park admission applies.
- Pavlovsk: suburban train from Vitebsky station; the park is a short walk from the station.
For the suburbs, you can choose an excursion with transport included — it saves figuring out train and bus connections on your own.
Who should skip it
Anyone set on a particular statue that may already be covered. The schedule is weather-dependent and unpredictable. Call the museum before making the trip if one specific figure matters to you.
If the sculptures are already covered
The parks are beautiful regardless: golden leaves, ponds, palace facades. In winter the wooden silhouettes become part of the landscape — people photograph them almost as often as the open statues.
Verified 23 October 2026
Cover photo: 101ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ512, CC BY-SA 4.0, Викисклад
