Two men on shoulders play chicken fight in pool.

History takes a holiday, and even the most severe of men dissolves into laughter when the summer sun hits Tsarskoye Selo just right. The gilded palace watches with patient grandeur as its reflection shimmers and breaks beneath the splashing of those who, for one afternoon, have forgotten their destinies. Glory, it turns out, is slippery and warm, and it smells like a swimming pool.

Apr 25, 2026

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