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Young Blonde Girl In The Gardens Of Vorontsovsky Palace
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The palace was built according to a project by English architect Edward Blore (1789–1879). The architect did not visit Alupka, but was well informed about the area's mountainous landscape. When construction began, it was discovered that a foundation and the basement of the first portion of the building was already in position, as the palace was first supposed to be constructed on different plans, by architects Francesco Boffo and Thomas Harrison.
Serfs from the Moscow Governorate and the Vladimir Governorate were brought in to build the palace. Masons with expertise in "white stone" constructions were also brought in to help. The blocks used on the construction of the palace were made of diabase, found within the region. All other materials were brought in from far away. Work carried out on the place was done by hand, with the use of primitive tools.
The first room to be constructed of the Vorontsovsky Palace was the dining room, built from 1830-1834. The main and central wing of the building was constructed from 1831-1837. During 1841-1842, a billiard room was added to the dining room. During 1838-1844, the guest wing, the east wing, towers, the maintenance wing, and the front entrance were added on to the building. The last wing built of the castle was the library wing, constructed from 1842-1846. The remaining years on the construction of the palace were spent on the interior decor.
The largest of the landscaping jobs carried out on the palace's grounds were done from 1840 to 1848 with the help of soldiers helping to construct the park's terraces located in front of the building's southern entrance. The parks plant life was brought in from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, from North and South America, and eastern Asia. Currently over 200 species of plant life exist within the palace's grounds.
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