After Peterhof and then Tsarskoye Selo were created, a search was begun for suitable places for the Royal hunt near the new residence of the Russian monarchs. The area of today's Pavlovsk was chosen. The first structures to go up in this locality were two small wooden hunting lodges that were humorously called "Krik" and "Krak". In 1777 Catherine the Great presented this land to her son Paul (the future Emperor of Russia Paul the First). However, the construction of the palace was started only in 1782. Palace was commenced with the active participation of Charles Cameron. It was completed in 1786.

The Grand Palace, damaged by the fire in 1803, was restored under the supervision of Andrei Voronikhin. Among the greatest architects, who also embellished Pavlovsk, were - V.Brenna, C.Rossi, and G.Quarenghi. The landscape park of Pavlovsk, one of the largest in Europe, covers an area of 600 hectares. It combines the areas of regular and landscape planning, conditioned, to a certain extent, by the terrain-the meandering Slavyanka River and the undulating hills and valleys. It is also embellished with the artificial canals and lakes, nice and cozy pavilions, statues and shady alleys.

The owners of Pavlovsk, Paul and Maria Feodorovna, through Europe closely connected the formation of the palace collections with the journey of 1781-82. They visited workshops of well-known artists, ordering and acquiring paintings, furniture, bronze articles, silk fabrics, china sets, etc. They also brought back to Russia a large number of antique sculptures from Italy, and gifts from European royal courts.