Publications in the Architecture section

Where did the Romanovs live?

Small Imperial, Marble, Nikolaevsky, Anichkov - we go for a walk along the central streets of St. Petersburg and recall the palaces in which representatives of the royal family lived.

Palace embankment, 26

Let's start the walk from the Palace Embankment. A few hundred meters east of the Winter Palace is the palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, son of Alexander II. Previously, the building built in 1870 was called the "small imperial court". Here, almost in its original form, all the interiors have been preserved, reminiscent of one of the main centers of the social life of St. Petersburg at the end of the 19th century. Once upon a time, the walls of the palace were decorated with many famous paintings: for example, on the wall of the former billiard room hung "Barge haulers on the Volga" by Ilya Repin. Monograms with the letter "V" - "Vladimir" have been preserved on the doors and panels.

In 1920, the palace became the House of Scientists, and today the building houses one of the main scientific centers of the city. The palace is open to tourists.

Palace embankment, 18

A little further on the Palace Embankment you can see the majestic gray Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace. It was erected in 1862 by the famous architect Andrey Shtakenshneider for the wedding of the son of Nicholas I - Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich. The new palace, for the reconstruction of which neighboring houses were bought out, absorbed the styles of baroque and rococo, elements of the Renaissance and architecture from the time of Louis XIV. Before the October Revolution, there was a church on the top floor of the main facade.

Today, the palace houses the institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Millionnaya street, 5/1

Even further on the embankment is the Marble Palace, the family nest of Konstantinoviches - the son of Nicholas I, Konstantin, and his descendants. It was built in 1785 by the Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi. The palace was the first building in St. Petersburg to be faced with natural stone. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, known for his poetic works, lived here with his family, in the pre-revolutionary years - his eldest son John. The second son, Gabriel, wrote his memoirs "In the Marble Palace" in exile.

In 1992 the building was transferred to the Russian Museum.

Admiralteyskaya embankment, 8

Palace of Mikhail Mikhailovich. Architect Maximilian Messmacher. 1885–1891 Photo: Valentina Kachalova / photo bank "Lori"

Not far from the Winter Palace on the Admiralteyskaya Embankment, you can see a neo-Renaissance building. Once it belonged to Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich, the grandson of Nicholas I. It was started to be built when the Grand Duke decided to marry - Alexander Pushkin's granddaughter Sophia Merenberg became his chosen one. Emperor Alexander III did not give consent to the marriage, and the marriage was recognized as morganatic: the wife of Mikhail Mikhailovich did not become a member of the imperial family. The Grand Duke was forced to leave the country without having lived in the new palace.

Today, the palace is leased to financial companies.

Labor Square, 4

If you walk from the palace of Mikhail Mikhailovich to the Blagoveshchensky bridge and turn left, on Labor Square we will see another brainchild of the architect Stackenschneider - the Nikolaevsky Palace. Until 1894, the son of Nicholas I, Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder, lived in it. During the years of his life, there was also a house church in the building, everyone was allowed to attend services here. In 1895, after the death of the owner, a women's institute named after Grand Duchess Xenia, sister of Nicholas II, was opened in the palace. Girls were trained in the professions of an accountant, housekeeper, seamstress.

Today, the building, known in the USSR as the Palace of Labor, hosts guided tours, lectures, and folklore concerts.

English embankment, 68

Let's go back to the embankment and go west. Halfway to the Novo-Admiralteisky Canal is the palace of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich, son of Alexander II. In 1887, he bought it from the daughter of the late Baron Stieglitz, a well-known banker and philanthropist, whose name is the Art and Industry Academy he founded. The Grand Duke lived in the palace until his death - he was shot in 1918.

The palace of Pavel Alexandrovich was empty for a long time. In 2011, the building was transferred to St. Petersburg University.

Embankment of the Moika River, 106

On the right side of the Moika River, opposite the island of New Holland, is the palace of the Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna. She was married to the founder of the Russian air force, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, the grandson of Nicholas I. The palace was presented to them for a wedding - in 1894. During the First World War, the Grand Duchess opened a hospital here.

Today the palace houses the Lesgaft Academy of Physical Education.

Nevsky prospect, 39

We leave on Nevsky Prospekt and move in the direction of the Fontanka River. Here, at the embankment, the Anichkov Palace is located. It was named so after the Anichkov Bridge in honor of the old family of pillared noblemen Anichkovs. The palace, built during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, is the oldest building on Nevsky Prospekt. Architects Mikhail Zemtsov and Bartolomeo Rastrelli participated in its construction. Later, Empress Catherine II presented the building to Grigory Potemkin. On behalf of the new owner, the architect Giacomo Quarenghi gave Anichkov a more austere, close to modern look.

Starting from Nicholas I, the heirs to the throne mainly lived in the palace. When Alexander II ascended the throne, the widow of Nicholas I Alexandra Feodorovna lived here. After the death of Emperor Alexander III, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna settled in the Anichkov Palace. Nicholas II also grew up here. He did not like the Winter Palace and most of the time, already being emperor, he spent in the Anichkov Palace.

Today it houses the Palace of Youth Creativity. The building is also open to tourists.

Nevsky prospect, 41

On the other side of the Fontanka is the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace - the last private house built on the Nevsky in the 19th century and another brainchild of Stackenschneider. At the end of the 19th century, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich bought it, and in 1911 the palace passed to his nephew, Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich. He sold the palace in 1917, being in exile for participating in the murder of Grigory Rasputin. And later he emigrated and took the money from the sale of the palace abroad, thanks to which he lived comfortably for a long time.

Since 2003, the building has been owned by the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, it hosts concerts and creative evenings. On some days there are guided tours of the halls of the palace.

Petrovskaya embankment, 2

And walking near Peter's house on Petrovskaya Embankment, you should not miss the white majestic neoclassical building. This is the palace of the grandson of Nicholas I, Nicholas Nikolaevich the Younger, the supreme commander of all land and sea forces of the Russian Empire in the early years of the First World War. Today, the palace, which became the last grand-ducal building until 1917, houses the Representation of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District.

Palace Embankment- practically the same age as St. Petersburg. In 1705, on the then swampy river banks, the house of one of the founders of the Army Fleet, Admiral General Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin, was built. Later, Anna Ioannovna settled in this house. Like the embankment itself, originally called the Upper, the mansion was wooden. According to it, during the period of active development, the so-called “red line” was determined for the entire street.

In 1712, the Wedding Chambers of Peter I were erected, next to them the houses of the emperor's close associates gradually grew. Four years later, the personal residence of the tsar, the Winter Palace of Peter, was erected here (today it has been preserved only partially and is located in the building of the Hermitage Theater). And in the years 1710-1714 in the Summer Garden, the construction of the palace of the same name was underway according to the project of Domenico Trezzini, the founder of the European school in domestic architecture. This building has come down to us almost unchanged and is now a branch of the Russian Museum.

The central quarters gradually turned into the realm of "stone chambers", but only in the middle of the 18th century, when piles were installed along the shallow water of the river and additionally strengthened the coast with earth, it became possible to build a renovated embankment. It was from Dvortsovaya that the history of the stone streets of the city began; it was the first to be dressed in granite slabs in accordance with the plan of the architect Yuri Felten. At the same time, the first stairs-berths appeared. After the construction of the Winter Palace according to the project of Bartolomeo Rastrelli was completed, its modern name was assigned to the embankment.

However, half a century later, the appearance of the street was not at all ceremonial - piles of building materials intended for the construction of the General Staff were piled between the barns and sheds. By order of Nicholas I, another architect with Italian roots, Carl Rossi, developed a reconstruction project. The descent to the Neva was decorated with bronze sculptures of lions and vases of polished porphyry. The latter were a gift to the Russian Emperor from the King of Sweden Charles XIV. In 1873, both of them were moved to the Admiralteyskaya embankment, where they are still located.

Since its inception, the street has had different names: Cash or Stone Line, Upper or Millionnaya Embankment, Embankment of the Ninth of January. Since 1944, the name Palace Embankment has been officially fixed.

Attractions Palace Embankment

Palace Embankment is included in the list of the Cultural Heritage of the Russian Federation. Due to the fact that the construction continued for more than one decade, it cannot be said that the buildings standing here are made in a single architectural style, each era had its own dominant. Initially, the tone was set by the summer and winter residences of the first Russian emperor, built in the spirit of the Petrine baroque. Then came the turn of the monumental Rococo. Guests of the city can see the heritage of these styles in the facades of the Winter Palace and the Great Hermitage. But in its original form, most of the monuments of the 18th century were not preserved and were either completely demolished, like the wooden Opera House, on the site of which Betsky's mansion is now located, or significantly altered in subsequent years, like the Cantemir Palace, which, through the efforts of several architects, turned into Gromov's house.

But there are still quite a few examples of classicism on Palace Embankment today: the Hermitage Theater, which absorbed the Winter Palace of Peter I, the Marble Palace - the first St. Petersburg building completely lined with natural stone, the Saltykov House with partially preserved interiors, the Betsky House already mentioned above, the Small Hermitage.

Gromov's mansion and the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace represent architectural eclecticism, since with numerous alterations initiated by the heirs or new owners, the architects to a greater or lesser extent retained the features of the original buildings. A separate line is worth mentioning the former palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, where the House of Scientists is now located. It was designed in the second half of the 19th century by Alexander Rezanov, the first chairman of the St. Petersburg Society of Architects, in the style of a Florentine palazzo.

Interestingly, despite the heterogeneity of buildings, Palace Embankment in St. Petersburg looks harmonious and architecturally integral.

How to get there

There are piers for motor ships on the Palace Embankment. Nearby there are stops along the route of several buses and trolleybuses at once. The nearest metro station is Admiralteyskaya, but in the warm season it will not be difficult to walk from the Nevsky Prospekt and Gostiny Dvor stations.

Palace embankment (Russia) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.

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Palace embankment can be called one of the most beautiful and famous embankments in St. Petersburg. It is here that the world-famous sights of the Northern capital are located: the Hermitage, the Winter Palace, the Russian Museum, the House of Scientists and many others. This street offers an excellent view of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island and Peter and Paul Fortress. The Palace Embankment is located on the left bank of the Neva from the Kutuzov Embankment to the Admiralteyskaya Embankment. Its length is 1300 meters.

The world-famous sights of the northern capital are located on the Palace Embankment: the Hermitage, the Winter Palace, the Russian Museum, the House of Scientists and many others. This street offers a great view of the Spit of Vasilevsky Island and the Peter and Paul Fortress.

The palace embankment began to be built up quite early - at the very beginning of the 18th century. The architectural tone of the buildings was set by the summer and winter residences of Peter I. People close to the tsar also began to build their houses on this land. In 1705, the first wooden house of General Admiral Fyodor Apraksin appeared. The building determined the red line of the street, and all other buildings began to be erected according to this line.

Palace Embankment

The Palace Embankment had many names: Cash Line, Embankment Upper Stone Line, Millionnaya. It was often called Postal due to the fact that the Post Yard was located here. In 1762, the architect Rastrelli built here the royal residence - the Winter Palace. After that, the embankment, the square and the bridge, located nearby, began to be called palace. Already under Soviet rule, the street was renamed the Embankment of the Ninth of January. But in 1944, the old name was returned to her.

To transport the main part of the Alexander Column, which weighs 600 tons, they used a special pier on the Palace Embankment. Engineer Glasin has developed a special boat capable of lifting loads up to 1100 tons. In order to unload the monolith, they even built a new pier.

Gradually, the embankment became better and better: it was dressed in granite and made comfortable slopes to the river. By the way, until the middle of the 18th century, all St. Petersburg embankments were wooden. The Palace Embankment became the first stone street. Nevertheless, in the 20s of the 19th century, the area around the Winter Palace remained unkempt. The construction of the General Staff building was planned here, and therefore working materials, piles of sand and boards were everywhere, as well as all kinds of warehouses and barns. Nicholas I instructed the architect Carl Rossi to put this place in order. Rossi developed a project for a beautiful descent to the Neva, decorated with Dioscuri sculptures and lions. But the emperor was not impressed by the sculptures of young men holding back horses, so they were replaced with porphyry vases. Subsequently, in connection with the construction of the Palace Bridge, the pier with lions was moved to the Admiralteyskaya embankment.

Palace Embankment has always been famous for the fact that famous and influential people lived here: the Romanov dynasty, the poet Ivan Krylov, Count Sergei Witte.

Palace Embankment

And, leaning on the colonnades, Granite masses rise in an unshakable line of Palaces Above the darkened Neva!.. N. Agnivtsev.

Location: left bank of the Neva, from Troitsky to Palace Bridge

Palace Embankment, one of the most picturesque in St. Petersburg, is located on the left bank of the Neva, between Kutuzovskaya and Admiralteyskaya embankments. It crosses Suvorovskaya Square and is connected by the Palace Bridge to Vasilyevsky Island, and by the Troitsky Bridge to the Petrograd Side. The Palace Embankment ensemble includes architectural structures of outstanding artistic value: the Winter Palace, the Small and Old Hermitages, the Hermitage Theatre, the Marble Palace, the House of Scientists and other buildings.

Soon after the founding of St. Petersburg, in 1715, the general scheme of the Palace Embankment was outlined. In those days, it was called Upper, and retained this name until the end of the 18th century. In 1754-1762, according to the project of the architect Rastrelli, the Winter Palace was erected, which became the royal residence. It was he who gave the name to the Palace Square, Palace Embankment, Palace Passage and Palace Bridge located next to it. During the heyday of Soviet power, when it became a good tradition to rename streets and avenues, naming them in honor of prominent figures and memorable dates of the revolution, Palace Embankment turned into the Ninth of January Embankment. However, already in 1944, the original name was returned, and has remained unchanged since then.

In the middle of the 18th century, the Palace Embankment was faced with granite, it was complemented by picturesque descents to the water, made by the master G. Nasonov according to the project of the architect I. Rossi. In the 19th century, at the place where the entrance to the Palace Bridge is located today, there was a pier decorated with bronze sculptures of lions (sculptor - I. Prokofiev) and porphyry vases. In 1873 they were moved to the Admiralty Embankment.

On the Palace Embankment is the former palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, designed by the architect A. Rezanov in the style of a Florentine palazzo. Today it houses the House of Scientists (Palace Embankment, 26). House No. 20 belonged to I. Moshkov, Peter I's quartermaster. The old walls of the building are preserved under late plaster. House number 18 was built in the middle of the 19th century by the architect Stackenschneider for Grand Duke Mikhail. There is no stylistic unity in the development of the Palace Embankment, but its appearance gives the impression of harmony, balance and architectural integrity.

History reference

1715 - Creation of the embankment. 1754-1762 - erection of the building of the Winter Palace, which gave the name of the embankment. 1763-1767 - the embankment is lined with granite, slopes to the water are built. 1763-1766 - construction of the Hermitage Bridge across the Winter Canal. 1767-1768 - construction of the Verkhne-Lebyazhy bridge over the Lebyazhy Canal. Legends and myths

There are several palaces on the Palace Embankment, including the official royal residence, so it is not surprising that many legends about the palaces themselves and their owners are associated with this place in St. Petersburg. For example, among the employees of the Hermitage there is a legend about the last owner of the Winter Palace - Emperor Nicholas II. It is said that in the evenings the ghost of the martyr tsar appears in the galleries of the Hermitage, sadly looking around his former possessions.

The bridge was built in 1856: the merchants needed a direct connection with the Stock Exchange and the Trade Port. In the manufacture of the structure, the floating St. Isaac's Bridge was used. Then it was modernized and named Palace. A permanent bridge appeared in 1916, although it was planned earlier. The construction was hampered by a variety of events: first, a flood, then the First World War. In 1917, the bridge was renamed Republican, but in 1944 its original name was returned. Cast iron gratings were installed only in 1939. In 2013, this architectural monument was reconstructed.

The garden owes its name to the fact that earlier the palace guard was bred here. The garden was laid out in 1896 and separated the royal residence - the Winter Palace - from the roadway. The architect Nikolai Kramskoy was in charge of planning, according to the project of which the garden was raised above the street by about a meter. A fountain and tree seedlings appeared in it. The garden fence was made in the Rastrelli baroque style: the pattern of leaves was supplemented with the emblem of the imperial family and the state emblem. In 1920, the fence was dismantled and installed in. In 2008, the original appearance of the fountain was restored. Now the garden is a great place to relax in the center. In summer you can hide from the sun here, and in winter you can admire the multi-colored garlands decorating the branches of trees.

Winter Palace 0+

The main residence of the Russian emperors changed its appearance five times. Construction began under Peter I, and ended under Peter III. Bartolomeo Rastrelli gave the building a modern baroque look.

Many decisive events for the country took place in this place: here the revolutionary Stepan Khalturin tried to kill Emperor Alexander II, a demonstration of workers was shot here in 1905, a little later the Provisional Government, displaced by the Bolsheviks, met in the palace. For 20 years in winter palace the Museum of the Revolution, which closed in 1941, functioned. Now the palace is the main building of the Hermitage, which stores many cultural and historical values ​​and art objects.

The museum was built by Yuri Velten and Jean-Baptiste-Michel Vallin-Delamote in 1775. The miniature gallery is fraught with many famous exhibits: the Peacock Clock, the Pavilion Hall, and the Hanging Garden. Initially, unique works of art acquired by Catherine II were exhibited here. Only the elite could see them - it is not for nothing that the word "hermitage" is translated as "a place of solitude". Only in 1852 did the Hermitage become accessible to the public.

The museum was built in 1787 by the architect Yuri Felten. Built in the style of classicism, the building amazes with its interior: the rooms are painted with gilding, decorated with colored stones and skillful stucco. Now administrative premises are located here and works of Italian painting of the 13th-18th centuries are exhibited. Five years after the construction of the building, Raphael's loggias were added to the Great Hermitage, in which there are copies of the artist's frescoes.

Among the famous objects inside are the Theater and Soviet stairs. The first connects the floors of the Great Hermitage and allows you to go to the Hermitage Theater and the Raphael Loggias. The second staircase appeared due to the need for its own entrance to the premises where the Committee of Ministers and the State Council met. Architect Andrei Shtakenshneider finished the staircase with marble, and decorated the lobby with red porphyry columns.

The New Hermitage, designed by Leo von Klenze in 1851, is located behind the building of the Greater Hermitage. Known for its portico with ten atlantes, the museum was created specifically for public visits. Initially, it housed halls of Russian and Western European sculpture, now there is a Knights' Hall with a rich collection of armor and weapons. Also a curious exhibit is the Big Kolyvan vase made of green jasper weighing 19 tons.

winter groove

The groove was dug in 1719 and named the Old Palace Canal. It connects the Neva and the Moika and stretches for 228 meters. Despite the fact that the canal is so short, several bridges are thrown across it. The Hermitage Bridge became the ancestor of stone construction in the city: before it, all bridges were constructed exclusively from wood. It was built in the 18th century, like the 1st Winter Bridge. The 2nd Winter Bridge was erected in the middle of the 20th century, but made in the style of the previous two. The buildings of the Greater Hermitage and the Hermitage Theater are connected by an arched structure supporting a transition-gallery. From the side of the embankment, it looks very beautiful: the groove flows under the arch, disappearing into perspective.

Hermitage Theater

Originally located here. In 1787, in its place, Giacomo Quarenghi built a luxurious theater in antique style. The Hermitage Theater was intended for the imperial family and the highest nobility: in addition to operas and performances, balls, masquerades, and amateur performances were staged here. The chamber hall is located as an amphitheater and is designed for 250 people. The interior of the theater is framed by marble columns, statues of Apollo and the Muses of Art, portraits of great musicians and poets. Since 1990, performances by the troupe of the Russian Ballet, the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre. Tchaikovsky, the St. Petersburg Opera Chamber Theater and the L. Yakobson Ballet Theatre.

Previously, on the site of the palace was the mansion of Ivan Musin-Pushkin, then - Dmitry Volkonsky, which later housed the French embassy. In 1872, the architect Alexander Rezanov erected a palace intended for the third son of Alexander II, Vladimir. The building was built in the Florentine style, decorated with large Venetian windows and family coats of arms. It was called the "Small Imperial Palace" because the interior decoration was amazing: different architectural styles harmoniously intertwined in the decor of the halls. The Grand Duke was president of the Academy of Arts and collected paintings.

In the first third of the 20th century, the House of Scientists was opened in the palace, where meetings, round tables, open lectures, and debates were held. Now there are several dozens of scientific sections dealing with issues of technology and science. Also in this place, historical films are shot, exhibitions and presentations are arranged.

The palace was erected for the family of Grand Duke Mikhail, son of Nicholas I. Architect Andrey Shtakenshneider created the building in the eclectic style, combining the trends of various architectural trends. During the construction, metal structures were used, which was an innovation of that time. In 1911, a museum was opened here, the exposition of which tells about the life and work of Prince Mikhail, who for a long time was the governor in the Caucasus. At the moment, the palace houses the Institute of the History of Material Culture and a large library that stores many oriental manuscripts.

Marble Palace (Russian Museum) 0+

This is the first palace in St. Petersburg, the lining of which is made of natural stone. Antonio Rinaldi used more than 30 varieties of marble in his work on the exterior and interior decoration of the building. Many of them are presented in the Marble Hall. Forged grating and marble vases adorn the main entrance to the palace. Previously, the site of the palace was the Post Office Yard, and then the menagerie, where the elephant lived.

The palace was intended for Count Orlov, but he never settled in it - the Count died two years before the completion of construction work. Catherine II had to buy the palace from his heirs. For some time, the favorite of the Empress Stanislav Poniatowski lodged here, and then the building passed into the possession of the Romanov princes. Here lived the grandson of Catherine II, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, then the son of Nicholas I, Konstantin, and the heirs of his family.

For 17 years, the Russian Academy of the History of Material Culture functioned here, then the Lenin Central Museum worked. In 1996 the palace became a branch of the Russian Museum. The exposition presents works by foreign artists of the 18th - early 19th centuries. From time to time there are exhibitions of works by contemporary masters.

By the walls Marble Palace the armored car "Enemy of Capital" stood for a long time. The car was installed in memory of Lenin, who spoke on an armored car of a similar model in 1917. Now here is the authorship of Paolo Trubetskoy, who worked on it at the beginning of the 20th century. Previously, it stood on Znamenskaya Square, not far from the modern Moscow railway station. The monument was created as a tribute to the memory of the founder of the Siberian Way. The sculpture captured not the appearance of the emperor, familiar from the ceremonial paintings, but a true portrait resemblance. In 1919, an ironic poem by Demyan Bedny "Scarecrow" appeared on the monument. He was also involved in a holiday dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution. The monument was placed in a cage, decorated with a sickle, a hammer and the emblem of the "USSR". Since 1937, the monument rested in the Russian Museum and was returned to the city only in the early 90s.

Trinity bridge

Initially, it was a floating bridge, named Troitsky in honor of the nearby square. A permanent drawbridge was built at the beginning of the 20th century in honor of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the marriage of Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna. The grilles and lanterns are decorated in the Art Nouveau style by the architects René Patoulliard and Vincent Chabrol, the granite columns with bronze rostra and eagles on top by Amandus Adamson. Troitsky Bridge survived two reconstructions. According to legend, Valery Chkalov flew over this architectural monument during his famous non-stop flight from Moscow to the North Pole.

The territory belonged to Count Alexander Vorontsov, who renounced his own rights. By decision of a neighbor, Field Marshal Nikolai Saltykov, a garden was planted here. In 1818, the state bought the site, and a square was created on this site, the plan of which was worked out by Carl Rossi.

In the center of the square, a bronze monument to the commander Alexander Suvorov was erected, on which Mikhail Kozlovsky worked. It originally stood on the Champ de Mars. Suvorov is depicted in the allegorical image of Mars, the god of war. It was the country's first monument to an uncrowned person, erected by decree of Paul I in honor of the commander's victorious campaign in Italy.

It was erected in 1788 by Giacomo Quarenghi in the classical style and belonged to the merchant Groten. The house changed several more owners and, at the behest of Catherine II, was bought by the state and presented to Nikolai Saltykov as a thank you for raising Konstantin Pavlovich, the empress's beloved grandson. Alexander Suvorov was a frequent guest of the house, it was here that Mikhail Kutuzov was appointed field marshal of the army. Before the October Revolution, the house was rented by various foreign embassies. Despite the fact that the building was rebuilt several times, beautiful interiors have survived in the White Hall and the lobby. Now the St. Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts is located here.

Initially, a spruce grove grew here. A little later, Domenico Trezzini built a pavilion for Peter I, where the tsar spent hours of rest. In 1750, Bartolomeo Rastrelli erected the Opera House on the vacated space, where European troupes gave performances. For a long time the building was rented by the Italian theater. After 22 years, the Opera House was demolished, and construction began on the mansion of Catherine II's personal secretary, Ivan Betsky. Among the official's guests were Denis Diderot and Ivan Krylov. It was here that the fabulist took up publishing activities and published the magazines Spectator and St. Petersburg Mercury.

In 1830, the mansion was purchased by the state treasury and presented to the Prince of Oldenburg. Architect Vasily Stasov redecorated the building. The son of the Prince of Oldenburg sold the mansion to the Provisional Government for 1.5 million rubles. After the October Revolution, the inner chambers were divided into communal apartments, then a museum and a circle named after Saltykov-Shchedrin appeared in the former palace. In the second half of the 20th century, the mansion was connected to the Saltykov house, so a wing of the St. Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts is also located here.

One of the oldest buildings in the city was built in 1714. Dominico Trezzini created a baroque palace, very simple and modest inside. Outside, the building is decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the events of the Northern War. The palace has 14 rooms and 2 kitchens. The palace was built for the rest of Peter I in the summer. After the death of the king, dignitaries lived here, and under Alexander I the palace became public. In 1934 a museum was opened there. In the middle of the 20th century, a major restoration was carried out. Now the building is a branch of the Russian Museum.

It was conceived as a regular park and the personal residence of the king. In 1704 official landscaping work began. Within 15 years, the garden acquired the desired appearance. They began to let visitors into it, they did it selectively and on Sundays. Composition summer garden Jean-Baptiste Leblon was engaged, and Bartolomeo Rastrelli created a wooden palace for Anna Ioannovna, the Amphitheater cascade and the Crown Fountain. The garden was filled with Venetian sculptures, becoming, along with fountains, its main decoration. Later, the flood destroyed the fountains and the Grotto pavilion, which it was decided not to restore. The fence appeared in 1784, and in 1855 a monument to Krylov was erected here. Gradually, the garden acquired the features of a landscape English park and fully opened its doors to the public. In 2012, the reconstruction of the Summer Garden was completed, the layout of which was given its original appearance.

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