Explore Russian History At This Multifunctional Activity Zone

In the 18th-century imperial palace turned Tsaritsyno museum-reserve in Moscow, Olga Rokal, cofounder of the all female–led Utro, has crafted a multifunctional activity zone to foster visitor learning and creativity—fitting as the local studio’s name derives from the Russian word for morning, referring to its fresh approach. Used for hands-on workshops, the 500-square-foot space known as Tsaritsyno Education Center is a dynamic, interactive setting carved out from a small footprint. Playing a central role is the custom plywood furniture, most of it built-in and inspired by 19th-century Wootton desks and sewing tables, where surfaces conceal meticulously organized storage. Particularly noteworthy is the wall-mounted perforated cabinetry, which takes cues from traditional carpenter’s cabinets, where all the materials and tools necessary for such crafts as metalworking, jewelry making, and weaving are concealed inside. But the cabinet exteriors are equally intriguing, the profiles referencing the neo-Gothic vaults of the palace’s architecture, originally designed by Catherine the Great’s court architect, Vasily Bazhenov, as the Empress’s summer residence (tsaritsyno means tsarina’s property). Fittingly, Utro’s custom tables interlock into circular and wavelike formations inspired by the knight’s round table.