St. Petersburg, founded in 1703 by the Russian Tsar Peter I, today is one of the richest cities in Russia and the most luxurious cities in the world. The main value of the city is its incredibly rich cultural and historical heritage. The historical center and the palace and park ensembles of St. Petersburg are listed by UNESCO in the list of objects of value to all mankind.
great city
The northern or cultural capital, the city on the Neva, or the city of white nights, northern Venice, or northern Palmyra - all these poetic names characterize the amazing essence of magnificent St. Petersburg.
Description of the sights of St. Petersburg impresses with unique solemn major images. Over the years, world-famous architects have worked on their creation: Trezzini, Vontana, Leblon, Mattarnovi, Zemtsov, Rastrelli and Chevakinsky, Rinaldi, Voronikhin, Frenchman de Tomon, Bryullov, Rossi and others.
Spacious squares, magnificent parks, embankments, bridges, monumental sculptures and royal buildings in the Baroque, Classicism and Empire style are unique sights of St. Petersburg. Photos with names abounded by various publications do not in any way convey the majestic atmosphere of one of the most beautiful cities on the planet.
Peter and Paul Fortress, Winter Palace, Admiralty, Nevsky Prospekt, Arts and Uprising Squares, Yekaterinhof Park, Hermitage, Smolensk Lutheran Cemetery, Botanical Garden, Transfiguration Cathedral, Faberge Museum, Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Stroganov Palace in St. Petersburg and other outstanding sights attract Thousands of tourists annually.
The richest complex of the Russian Museum
One of the main attractions of St. Petersburg is the Russian Museum. This is the general name of the whole complex of architectural masterpieces, which includes the Mikhailovsky Castle, the Stroganov Palace, the Marble and Mikhailovsky palaces.
The museums display expositions of thousands of masterpieces of world art. In addition, the branch buildings themselves are extremely picturesque and are of great historical and artistic value.
One of the famous architectural creations is the masterpiece Stroganov Palace, built by architect Rastrelli.
Let's go back in time, or how the Stroganovs settled in Peterhof
The founding millionth fortune of the family was laid in the 15th century by the enterprising and smart Anika Fedorovich Stroganov. He was engaged in salt and fur trades, trade. In 1558, the family received a letter from John IV to own vast land in the Urals. Entire cities were built along the Kama and Chusovaya Rivers. They advanced deep into Siberia, conquering ever new lands. They were equipped with a campaign Ermak.
In their activities, the Stroganovs always remained faithful to the crown, for which they were awarded the title of “eminent people”. They were allowed to arm themselves and have a squad; only the king had the right to judge them. In the 18th century, metallurgy was added to all industries. In 1722, the Stroganovs became barons, in 1761 they were granted the title of count.
Leading the life of aristocrats and being close to the court, the family settled in St. Petersburg. Rich nobles at the tailor Johann Neumann bought a plot on Nevsky Prospekt. The Stroganov brothers laid their eyes on the neighboring plot of the imperial cook Shestakov. The latter, after long and persistent persuasion, had to give up his plot to them.
At the end of 1752, the Stroganov Palace in St. Petersburg was laid. For its construction, the royal family of the Romanovs, as an exception, allowed to attract the court architect Rastrelli. In his practice, this was the first private order. Large-scale work completed in 1754. The elder Stroganov, Sergey Grigoryevich, was delighted with the new palace and generously paid for the work of Rastrelli. Housewarming was marked by a magnificent costume ball, which was honored by Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.
Palace Description
The Stroganov Palace in St. Petersburg was built by the architect Rastrelli in the L-shape, has 50 rooms, a large five-window dance hall with an area of 128 square meters. meters and the lobby is richly decorated with mirrors and sculptures. A large grand staircase with gilded railings, decorated with marble decor, is a real work of art.
Both facades overlooking the Moika River and the Neva River, decorated in the highest degree pathetic and solemn. Slender columns rise up from the high basement floor, combining the next two floors. Sculptures in the Italian style, elegant stucco molding, portrait medallions adorn the building. The main facade on Nevsky Prospect is decorated with the Stroganoff coat of arms.
Visitors were amazed at the luxurious interior of the house - magnificent sculptures, elegant decor, expensive furniture, gold, marble, chandeliers by famous masters, and paintings by great artists.
Alterations to the taste of the Stroganov’s heirs
After Rastrelli, the architect Voronikhin had a hand in the decoration of the palace. He rebuilt the entire north-west side of the building, locking it in a square, changed the terracotta color to yellow-pink, changed the style of several interiors to a classic one.
In 1790, a severe fire broke out in the palace, destroying everything except the dance hall and partially the lobby. The Stroganovs restored the interiors of the rooms, and the palace again shone with splendor.
In total, over 10 eminent architects worked on the Stroganov Palace. Something was being completed, the style of the interiors and the color of the facades were changing: after Voronikhin, the palace was repainted in light lilac, then in brick red, and later in light green. Now the palace has a pink tint. Nevertheless, the exterior of the building completely retained its original appearance according to the plan of Rastrelli.
The architectural history of the Stroganov Palace is so rich and multifaceted that special albums with detailed descriptions of the famous sights of St. Petersburg are published. Photos with names clearly illustrate all stages of construction and alteration of the building.
Life in the palace until 1917
The Stroganov Palace in St. Petersburg was famous for its brilliant balls, rich receptions, open lunches, which were available for every neatly dressed resident of the city. The first public library was opened here, accessible to all comers. The palace served 600 souls of the servant. The Stroganoff chef invented a popular dish today - beef stroganoff.
Count A. S. Stroganov collected a unique collection of paintings, supported by talented sculptors, artists and writers. Thanks to his advanced thinking, not only the children of nobles, but also gifted commoners could enter the Academy of Fine Arts. He sponsored Gnedich’s translation into Russian of the Homeric Iliad.
Everything broke off in 1917, when the Stroganovs had to flee from Russia. The palace was nationalized by the Bolsheviks, part of the property was looted, part - transferred to the Hermitage.
Modern museum
In Soviet times, the Stroganov Palace housed the Agricultural Academy. By the end of the 30s, several more tenants had settled in the palace, the most important of which was Electromortrest. Since 1970, the main tenant - LP "Era". Only in 1988, a fairly battered building took under its wing the Russian Museum.
The Stroganov Palace was restored and restored to its former magnificent appearance created by Francesco Rastrelli. In 1992, the last representative of the Stroganoff family - Elena (Baroness de Ludinghausen) registered a charity fund in New York, whose main task is to restore the Stroganov Palace, as well as other historical architectural monuments of Russia.
Exhibitions and expositions
The greatest work of art is the magnificent Stroganov Palace. A photo cannot convey all its splendor. Only after seeing the palace live, you can enjoy its magnificent architecture, external decor, and fabulous richness of the interior. The unique wooden flooring of lemon, sandalwood, boxwood, ash and oak is striking. In the Great Hall, miraculously preserved in its original form, the vault is decorated with paintings by Italian artist Giuseppo Valeriani. The so-called “Aeneas Triumph” lampshade is made on 13 canvases and, like puzzles, is assembled on the ceiling.
In addition to the external and internal beauty of the house, the modern museum presents rich and unique exhibitions and expositions:
- The Wax Museum;
- family heirlooms of the Stroganovs - works of applied art of Stroganov artisans dating back to the 15th century, icon painting of the Stroganov school, facial sewing of representatives of the clan (veil “Our Lady of Kazan”, ancient shroud, “Holy Tsarevich Dmitry”);
- personal items (especially valuable - personal; there are children's things, weapons, even a folding baron's metal bed);
- an exceptional collection of minerals, collected by one of the Stroganovs, and a chest with polished marble and granite tiles. They are presented in the Mineral Office, there is also a unique library of graphs.
The palace periodically hosts rich exhibitions of collections and masterpieces of Russian and world art, presented by other art museums.
Information for those wishing to visit the Stroganov Palace: address and opening hours
The famous branch of the Russian Museum - the Stroganov Palace - is located in the heart of St. Petersburg at 17 Nevsky Prospect.
There are 3 metro stations in the vicinity of the palace. The nearest - "Admiralteyskaya" - at a distance of only 300 meters, Art. Nevsky Prospect is located at a distance of 370 m. From the Gostiny Dvor station (access to the Griboedov Canal), the palace can be reached on foot within a few minutes, moving towards the Admiralty to the Moika River.
It is possible to reach the destination by public transport. A bus will be brought to the palace under the numbers 3, 7, 22 or 27. You can also come by trolleybus No. 1, 5, 7, 10, 17 or 22. A large number of fixed-route taxis also stop near the Stroganov Palace.
The front doors of the Stroganov Palace are open to visitors on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Thursday - from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. The day off at the museum is Tuesday. Please note that ticket offices close one hour earlier.
How much is the entrance to the museum
Ticket prices are floating. For foreigners, an excursion to the Stroganov Palace will cost an adult 300 rubles, a ticket for schoolchildren and students costs 150 rubles. Those who wish can purchase three-day tickets for visiting all branches of the Russian Museum. Such a complex ticket for an adult foreigner costs 600 rubles, for students and schoolchildren - 300 rubles.
For citizens of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, prices are reduced. An “adult” ticket will cost 150 rubles, and for schoolchildren, students and senior citizens - only 70 rubles. A complex ticket costs 400 and 150 rubles. respectively.
There are also beneficiaries who are allowed to enter the palace for free: participants of the Second World War, disabled people of I or II group (they are also provided with a free wheelchair for rent), preschoolers, orphans, students of art schools, students of various creative faculties of universities, large families and some other persons.
Interestingly, on a monthly basis on the 18th day, all persons under the age of 18 can visit the museum for free.
