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Pushkin| City in the Leningrad oblast (region) of the northwestern Russian Federation, 24 km/15 mi south of St Petersburg; population (1990) 95,500. The city is renowned for its 18th-century imperial palaces and parks and imposing 19th-century buildings. It is named after the writer Aleksandr Pushkin. The Pushkin museum is housed in the former lycée where the poet was educated. |
| The territory of the present town of Pushkin was presented by Peter (I) the Great in 1708 to his wife, the future Catherine (II) the Great, and in the second half of the 18th century became a country residence of the tsar. The first Russian railway was built to transport the royal family between here and St Petersburg in 1837. The city was badly damaged during World War II; extensive restoration work has since been carried out. |
| The main building of note in Pushkin is the Catherine Palace, built 1752–56, which once housed a room entirely made from amber. This exquisite treasure was plundered by the Nazis and has never been recovered. |
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