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Dear Language Enthusiast,

Practice Russian with excerpts from "Travel to Pavlovsk" in Russian, followed by the English translation.

In English:

The town of Pavlovsk, famous for its beautiful palace-park complex, is situated twenty-seven kilometers south of St. Petersburg.

Pavlovsk Park occupies more than 600 hectares. It is one of best of Europe's landscaped parks. It is distinguished by the great variety of its views, and it displays the natural beauty of northern Russia in an organic blend of refined buildings of the Russian Neo-Classical period and beautiful statuary.

Pavlovsk Park has inspired many an enthusiastic response: there are poems dedicated to it and research works written about it. Today, restored by the hands of talented people, the park once again wins the hearts of visitors with its poetic beauty:

All is wild around me, twilight and silence; But seldom, stealing like a streaming through the dark dome Of the trees, the radiance of the day Gilds the crowns and roots; A single quivering leaf comes flashing through the twilight Disturbing the silence by its fall.

V. Zhukovsky, from the elegy "Slavyanka"
One of the most remarkable features of Pavlovsk Park is the ever-present breath of nature here; the artist's hand nearly always remains invisible. The major principle in the park's design is preserving the sense of harmony at any time of day, in any season of the year, and in any type of weather. The statuary and the ornamental vases blend wonderfully with the landscape. Classical deities are the major sculptural motif in the park. Small bridges, decorated with wrought iron railings, are attached to nearly all of the garden pavilions in the Slavyanka River valley, adding a special elegance. At times one encounters these bridges even where it appears no bridge is necessary, over shallow, dry gullies and ravines, but they always complement their immediate environment. Having walked up onto one of these wooden, metal, or stone bridges, one discovers new vistas, unexpected views of the surrounding landscape.

The beauty of the enormous Pavlovsk Park, and its variety of views, leaves no heart untouched. This is one of the best beloved vacation spots for natives of St. Petersburg and visitors alike. They come to admire the splendid decorations of the palace, to listen to a wonderful concert in the Greek Hall, to view a new exhibit, or to wander among the avenues of the park, the loveliness of which is indescribable.

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