Pavilion "Pyramid" is one of the first pavilions of the Tsarskoye Selo Park, built in revegitation style, which became a model for such facilities in Russia. The pavilions in the form of the ancient symbol of eternity – the pyramids – were widespread in the decoration of European landscape parks.

The pavilion stands on the Bank of Swan lake. It was believed that in the compositions of the pavilion used Roman pyramid of Cestius (gravestone (I century BC), but in documents of the 18th century, the Pyramid was called "Egyptian", and "pyramid of rough stones," and "pyramid gazebo", and "pyramid urn", and "pyramidal mausoleum", and "Chinese".

The pyramid is built of brick. Project author – architect V. I. Neelov. Its construction dates from the 1770-1772, On the facade of the "Pyramid" is the entrance, the corners in 1773, established four columns of pink and grey Ural marble, some elements of the pedestals is made of ukrinskogo porphyry.

When in 1781 the Pyramid collapsed, it was dismantled. Again it was built by the architect Charles Cameron in the same place in 1782-1783, he Produced works that supplied the craftsmen and materials of the merchant from Sofia, Evdokim Zhdanov, led the stonemasons Ivan Balakshin. Cameron kept the granite plinths and high pedestals and put them in the same way on the sides of the pyramid, changing only a few made in the form of vases decoration. The entrance to the pavilion was situated by a Large pond, opening the door slightly narrows up to tapering the edge of the building (the Pyramid Neelova the entrance was classic rectangular projecting portico, and surmounted by a pediment).

The pavilion was specially placed slightly away from the main paths, with the purpose of strolling as if accidentally come across it. Overgrown with moss, verdigris surface of this romantic constructions, traditional parks of the end of the 18th century, giving it the traits of similarity with the ancient mausoleum.

The entrance to the pavilion was closed simple drawing grid in the form of a number of fine copies. Cameron is a bit different than Neelov, performed the interior of the Pyramid. Hall he made circular rather than rectangular, and covered with a spherical dome in the center of which is a hole. Light falls through a small, second, dome top, through the slotted Windows in it. The floor is covered with marble slabs.

On the sides round the room alternating semicircular and rectangular niches intended for vases of ashes. This expense is the premise seems quite spacious. In the niches housed a large collection of antique urns and vases. In January 1780 in Tsarskoye Selo in St. Petersburg were brought Roman marble statues, columns, vases, capitals. Made of different types of marble, Jasper, porphyry collection is constantly replenished. In the "Pyramid" and kept a collection of antique marble vessels best cutters.

This type of pavilion, which dates back to the ancient Egyptian funerary buildings of character, and so widespread in the architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries, was chosen not by chance. This is because on the opposite of the entrance to the building side, at the foot of the pavilion buried three favorite Catherine II dogs: Zemir, Tom Anderson and Duchess. Before the place of their burial boards were marked with inscriptions in white marble. Epitaph for Semira wrote the Comte Louis-Philippe de Segur, the French Ambassador. And for Dashesy wrote the epitaph of the Empress.

Pavilion "Pyramid" in the Catherine Park, which is in line with the monuments of military glory, has formed a new type of historical emotions of major historical events become equal to personal preferences.