Marble Palace: excursions, exhibitions, exact address, telephone. History Marble Palace millionth 5 1

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Marble Palace- one of the most beautiful buildings in St. Petersburg. He completes the composition Palace Embankment, which begins at the Winter Palace. From a distance it seems that the palace seems to grow out of the granite of the Neva. Gray-pink granite and marble walls echo the colors of the St. Petersburg sky.

Marble Palace, 19th century painting

In the era of Peter the Great there was a drinking house here. In 1714, a wooden Post Office building with a pier appeared on this site. In 1716 it was built on; Peter I held assemblies on the second floor. The embankment in those days was called Pochtovaya. After a while, a Manege was built on the site of the Postal Yard, which subsequently burned down.

On October 10, 1769, by order of Catherine the Great, construction of a huge palace began. The architect was the famous Antonio Rinaldi. However, according to one of the St. Petersburg legends, the empress personally sketched out a sketch of the future structure. The sculptures were made by Fedot Ivanovich Shubin. The Italian master Antonio Valli, the Austrian I. Duncker and many other famous sculptors and painters also took part in the work. More than 100 stonemasons worked daily at the construction site.

Catherine the Great gave her favorite another palace - also built according to the design of Antonio Rinaldi.

The palace was intended for the count Grigory Orlov(1734-1783) as gratitude for his active participation in the events of 1762. In 1773, in response, he gave his empress a huge cut diamond of 189.62 carats, which is now kept in the Diamond Fund in Moscow and bears the name “Orlov”.

Construction took 16 long years. In 1783, Count Orlov died without waiting for the completion of the work. In 1785, when the Marble Palace was ready, Catherine bought it from her heirs for 1.5 million rubles.

Monument to Alexander III in the courtyard of the Marble Palace

In 1780-1788, in the eastern part of the site, according to the design of the architect P.E. Egorov, the Service Building was built, where stables, an arena, a carriage house, hay sheds, etc. were located. On the second floor there were apartments for servants. The new building obscured the facade of the palace, facing the current Suvorov Square. A lattice was installed between the buildings, its style reminiscent of a fence.

In 1796, the Empress gave the Marble Palace to her 16-year-old grandson, the Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, on the occasion of his marriage to Princess Juliana-Henrietta-Ulrika of Saxe-Saalfeld-Coburg, baptized Anna Fedorovna. However, soon Catherine was forced to take away the gift “for misbehavior” - the young prince was shooting live rats from a cannon in the corridor, and his 14-year-old wife was forced to hide in a vase.

In 1797-1798, the Marble Palace became the residence of the last Polish king Stanislav Poniatowski(1732-1798). For him and his retinue, some of the halls were decorated by V. Brenna. Then A. Voronikhin continued the work on decorating the palace.

After the death of Poniatowski, the palace again returned to the possession of Konstantin Pavlovich and belonged to him until his departure to Poland as governor of the Kingdom of Poland. Subsequently, the palace was owned by the Court Chancellery, renting out apartments to court officials, who remodeled the interiors to their liking.

In 1832, Emperor Nicholas I gave the Marble Palace to his second son, the Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich. The palace had become dilapidated by that time, and in 1843-49 its reconstruction began according to the design of the architect A.P. Bryullov. Bryullov retained appearance building and, mainly, its layout. He designed a number of rooms in the Gothic, late Renaissance, Rococo and Classical styles. The Service Building was built on, its façade is decorated with pilasters. Technical improvements appeared in the palace: air heating, “pneumatic ovens,” a prototype of an elevator, and machines for supplying water upstairs.

After perestroika, the Marble Palace began to be called Konstantinovsky after its owner, although there was a palace with the same name in Strelna.

In 1888, the son of Konstantin Nikolaevich, the Grand Duke, became the owner of the palace. Konstantin Konstantinovich, a highly educated person, president of the Russian Academy of Sciences and poet of the Silver Age. His chambers on the first floor were furnished with an English study, Gothic and Musical living rooms, and a Lower library. The palace became one of the centers cultural life St. Petersburg.

Marble Palace, pre-revolutionary photo

During the First World War, the palace premises were converted into a hospital for wounded officers. After the February Revolution, various services were located in the palace for a short time. In 1919-1936, the Russian Academy of the History of Material Culture was located within the walls of the Marble Palace. Since 1937 - Leningrad branch Central Museum V.I.Lenin. Almost all the halls on the second floor were rebuilt, the interiors were lost. Only the Main Staircase and the Marble Hall have retained their original decoration.

Marble Hall, photo from the Internet

In front of the main entrance, an armored car “Enemy of Capital” was installed on a pedestal, from which V.I. Lenin spoke on the night of April 3-4, 1917, next to the Finlyandsky Station building. In 1990, the armored car was dismantled, and in its place a marble Ford Mondeo was installed - a monument to the “Motor Age”.

In 1992, the dilapidated building of the Marble Palace was transferred to the Russian Museum, and work began to restore the original layout and interiors. The Service Building houses the Northwestern Correspondence Technical University.

In 1994, in place of the pedestal for the armored car, a equestrian statue of Emperor Alexander III. It was made in 1909 by sculptor Paolo Trubetskoy and stood on Znamenskaya Square (now Vosstaniya Square). After 1937, it was preserved in one of the closed courtyards of the Russian Museum.

Transportation of the monument to Alexander III in November 1994, photo by Belenky

Exhibitions at the Marble Palace

Currently, the Marble Palace houses permanent exhibitions of the Russian Museum dedicated to Russian art of the 20th century:

♦ “Foreign artists in Russia XVIII-XIX centuries»,
♦ “Ludwig Museum in the Russian Museum” - a gift from collectors Peter and Irena Ludwig: works of contemporary European, American and Russian artists,
♦ “Collection of St. Petersburg collectors of the Rzhevsky brothers”,
♦ “Konstantin Romanov – poet of the Silver Age.”

In addition, exhibitions of works by contemporary Russian and foreign artists are held.

Facade of the Marble Palace from the Neva, photo from the Internet

External and internal decoration of the Marble Palace

The Marble Palace was built in the style of early classicism and is distinguished by the richness of its interior decoration, which was supposed to emphasize the strength and masculinity of its owner.

The combination of finishing stones gives the palace a special expressiveness different color and textures. 32 types of marble, granite, and agates were used for the exterior and interior decoration of the palace. White marble was brought from Italy - it was cheaper than transporting it from Siberia. Other types of marble are obtained from quarries in Karelia and Estonia, white marble for sculptures is from the islands of the Greek archipelago, and agates are from the Urals. The copper roof was made in Sestroretsk and was of such high quality that it lasted for about 150 years without repair.

The ground floor is finished with pink granite, which perfectly matches the granite embankment of the Neva. The upper floors are tiled gray. The portico is made of pink Tivdi marble.

Marble Palace from the Neva

The thickness of the palace walls is 1.5-2 meters. Overall height the building is 22 meters, the height of the Corinthian order of the upper floors is 12.5 meters.

The main façade of the palace faces the garden, where the Red Canal (later closed) used to run, connecting the Neva with the Moika. Above the entrance to the palace is written: “Building of Gratitude.” At the top there is a turret with a clock, on the sides of which there are figures of Loyalty and Generosity by F.I. Shubin.

According to Rinaldi's plan, she continued the stone finishing of the palace facades. It is distinguished by restraint of design. The statues Morning, Day, Evening and Night symbolize childhood, youth, maturity and old age. Between the 2nd and 3rd floors there are sculptures of the Spring and Autumn Equinox. On the ceiling there is a panel by the German painter I. Christ “The Judgment of Paris”.

On the ground floor of the palace there were kitchens, a boiler room, other service rooms, as well as Church of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The main staircase leads to the second floor, where there are enfilades of ceremonial halls: the Lacquer Hall, the Tsar’s Living Room (“Assembled Hall”), the Gallery (Orlovsky Hall), the Chinese Hall and the Marble Hall. Behind them are the personal chambers of Grigory Orlov.

Lacquer Hall decorated with wood. Its walls were decorated with wooden carved panels depicting the exploits of Alexander the Great (now kept in the State Hermitage). Initially, the ceiling was decorated with a picturesque lampshade by I. Chris “The Judgment of Paris”, which was later transferred to Grand staircase.

"The Gathered Hall" dedicated to Catherine the Great. The velvet walls are decorated with the empress's monograms. Under a carved canopy with a crown there is a ceremonial portrait of the empress, in front of which there is a pedestal with a vase decorated with war trophies.

Art Gallery located in the southeastern part of the palace. 206 works are presented here, including paintings by Rembrandt, Titian, and Raphael. The portrait room contained 91 portraits of all representatives of the House of Romanov and the ruling European monarchs of that time. In addition, there were equestrian portraits of the Orlov brothers.

Chinese hall It was decorated in a fashionable style at that time and served as a formal dining room.

- the most luxurious room of the Marble Palace. According to the project of A. Rinaldi, it was one-light, but was rebuilt into two-light by A. Bryullov. Its walls are decorated with various types of marble and decorated with bas-reliefs, originally made for St. Isaac's Cathedral. The ceiling is decorated with a picturesque ceiling “The Wedding of Cupid and Psyche” by S. Torelli.

The Marble Palace is one of the most beautiful in St. Petersburg. Life in it, however, did not bring happiness to any of its owners. Its walls remember thefts, violence, and even the shooting of live rats from a cannon.

During the excursion you will be told that the palace (on the site of the former Postal Yard, destroyed by a huge fire in 1737) was ordered to be built by Catherine II - it was a gift from the Empress to Grigory Orlov, her associate and long-time favorite. Orlov was supposed to live on the same street as the Empress, very close to Winter Palace. Writer and historian P.I. Sumarokov in his “Review of the reign and properties of Catherine the Great” mentions that the empress herself drew up a project for the future palace; and she entrusted the implementation of it to the court architect Antonio Rinaldi. The architect had to work hard to implement the plan sketched by the royal hand - it is believed that this is why the building is irregularly shaped in plan (it has no right angles). No expense was spared for the construction of the palace - Rinaldi was provided with a variety of types of stones: granite, agate, lapis lazuli and 32 types of marble from different parts of the world, with which the palace was decorated not only inside, but also outside.

By the way, where did the idea to decorate the facades of the palace with marble instead of plaster come from? This is probably due to the fact that it was during this period that marble began to be mined in Russia (until the mid-18th century, this material was exclusively imported, expensive and rarely used). The birthplace of the first Russian marble is the Karelian village of Tivdiya. Beautiful pale pink Tivdian marble began to be supplied to St. Petersburg, it was used to decorate St. Isaac's Cathedral and other buildings; but it was this palace that was first decorated with marble on the outside. Unfortunately, marble tends to fade and deteriorate, especially under the influence of high humidity (and in St. Petersburg, as you know, it rains almost all the time), so now the palace does not look as impressive as it did in the 18th century.

The marble quarry in Ruskeala is one of the places where Karelian marble is mined.

History of the Marble Palace in St. Petersburg

The palace for Grigory Orlov took 17 years to build. During this time, his romance with the empress ended; civil service also stopped - Orlov resigned for health reasons; and at a very respectable age for that time, 43, Orlov unexpectedly got married. His wife was the 18-year-old maid of honor Ekaterina Zinovieva, who was also his cousin. There were rumors in the world that Orlov was forced to marry because the girl was pregnant; other contemporaries claimed Orlov's mad love for his cousin. Be that as it may, the marriage was illegal - Orthodox Church prohibits marriages between close relatives. A scandal broke out, Orlov’s case reached the Senate, which decided to divorce the spouses and imprison them in monasteries; but then Catherine II stood up for her former favorite and overturned the decision of the Senate, thereby showing truly royal generosity. True, the marriage did not last long - Princess Orlova died at the age of 23 from consumption; and Orlov, after the death of his wife, went crazy from grief and died two years later on his estate near Moscow. He never managed to live a single day in his luxurious residence - at the time of his death, the decoration of the interiors (also marble, of course) had not yet been completed.

After Orlov's death, Catherine II bought the palace for the treasury. Coincidentally, all subsequent owners of the palace bore the name Constantine. First, the Empress gave it to her grandson, six-year-old Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich. The fate of this member of the Romanov family was peculiar. He could become an autocrat twice: Catherine II assumed after the conquest Ottoman Empire to make his second grandson the Byzantine emperor (which is why the boy received the name Constantine), but the “Greek Project” was not implemented. Subsequently, Constantine was supposed to take the Russian throne after the death of the childless Alexander I, but he himself abandoned this prospect.

Shooting rats from a cannon

Konstantin Pavlovich took after his father. He looked like Paul I in appearance - short, snub-nosed.

Like his father, he was interested in military affairs, and was also distinguished by his eccentric, eccentric character and unpredictable behavior. At the age of 16, he, like other great princes, entered into a dynastic marriage with a German princess (in Orthodoxy - Anna Fedorovna). The young couple settled in the Marble Palace, and this life could hardly be called happy. Maid of honor and memoirist Varvara Nikolaevna Golovina testifies: “Konstantin’s behavior, when he felt like a master in his own home, showed that he still needed strict supervision. By the way, some time after his marriage, he amused himself in the arena of the Marble Palace by shooting from a cannon loaded with live rats.<…>The bad treatment that Grand Duchess Anna had to endure from her husband from the first day of her marriage was also mixed with his infidelity and self-will. Konstantin made connections unworthy of his rank, and gave dinners to actors and actresses in his chambers.” At the same time, Konstantin was jealous of his wife even towards his brother Alexander, did not let her go to balls, etc.

At the beginning of the reign of Alexander I, another story happened that tarnished Constantine’s reputation. The Grand Duke became infatuated with the wife of the court jeweler, the Frenchwoman Madame Araujo, who did not respond to his advances. Then she was brought by force to the Marble Palace, where Konstantin raped her, after which his drinking buddies, the guards, did the same. Madame Araujo died from shock that same day. The case was hushed up, but rumors about the participation of the emperor's brother in it quickly spread throughout St. Petersburg. There is no documentary evidence of this story, but given the personality of Constantine, it cannot be called incredible. The family life of the Grand Duke ended with Anna Feodorovna running away from her husband to Germany, which, however, the Grand Duke was not particularly upset about. After some time, the Synod filed for divorce.

Liberal not only in politics

In 1814, Konstantin Pavlovich became the governor of the Kingdom of Poland and left St. Petersburg forever. For some time the palace did not have a permanent owner, until, finally, Nicholas I handed the palace over to his second son - who was also named Konstantin and who was also a very bright personality.

Konstantin Nikolaevich, a convinced liberal, was one of the leading figures of the “era of reforms.” He was one of the developers of the abolition of serfdom, one of the authors of judicial reform, and a reformer of the fleet. However, he was a liberal not only in the public sphere, but also in family life. At first, his life with Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna was happy; six children were born in the marriage. But in adulthood, as often happens, the Grand Duke fell in love. His chosen one was the ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater Anna Kuznetsova, for whom he rented a mansion on Anglisky Prospekt. Konstantin Nikolaevich actually lived in two families, and he also had children from Kuznetsova. The “official” family of the Grand Duke continued to live in the Marble Palace.

One of the most serious scandals in the Romanov family happened here. In the Marble Palace there was an icon presented to Alexandra Iosifovna by Nicholas I, in a frame made of precious stones. One day, several diamonds disappeared from the setting. The investigation established that the theft was committed by the eldest son of the Grand Duke, Nikolai. The parents were shocked. However, holding a trial against a member of the imperial family was unthinkable for the prestige of the dynasty; and as a result, Nikolai was declared crazy and expelled from St. Petersburg.

Sinful Poet

The “jewel thief” was disinherited, so the Marble Palace after the death of Konstantin Nikolaevich went to the next oldest son, Konstantin Konstantinovich.

By duty he was a general and inspector of military educational institutions, and by vocation he was a poet. He published under the transparent pseudonym “K.R.” his poems, which were highly valued by his contemporaries (including P.I. Tchaikovsky, who wrote several romances based on his poems). The Grand Duke was an attractive person in all respects - talented, intelligent, possessing a fine spiritual organization and deeply religious (in his youth he dreamed of becoming a monk); Moreover, he treated his wife well and had nine children. But from the surviving personal diaries of K.R. it is known that all his life he unsuccessfully tried to get rid of interest in the male sex. Although in that era, unconventional orientation was no longer perceived as something out of the ordinary; but K.R. He sincerely considered himself an unworthy sinner and was tormented by pangs of conscience all his life. The prince-poet died shortly before the revolution and did not know how tragically the history of the Romanov family ended and how his three sons (for whom Konstantin Konstantinovich once lovingly decorated children's rooms in the Marble Palace) were thrown alive into a mine near Alapaevsk in 1918 ...

In 1937, a branch of the V.I. Museum was located in the Marble Palace. Lenin. The creators of the museum did not stand on ceremony with the historical interiors - the marble decoration was dismantled, the paintings were painted over, and the sculptural decorations of the early 18th century were removed. And at the entrance to the palace an armored car “Enemy of Capital” was installed - supposedly it was from this vehicle that V.I. Lenin spoke in April 1917; although many historians doubt that the armored car is the same one.

From personal experience: For me, as a St. Petersburg resident, the Marble Palace has always been a symbol of the rapid changes through which our country was going through. A childhood memory, for some reason vividly etched into my consciousness: a marble car standing in the yard. Few people remember her now, but she was there! The sculpture of Ha Shulta appeared in 1992 and, of course, immediately received the nickname “friend of capital.”

A marble Mondeo Foundation instead of a Lenin armored car - imagine how symbolic it was at that time! I also remember that someone on this occasion suggested installing a marble T-34 in Berlin. However, Ford did not last long. I was unable to find out where he was taken (another St. Petersburg mystery!), but his place was taken by Emperor Alexander III. It is also symbolic - a return to origins, reconciliation with the past. Now they are talking about how it would be nice to return Alexander to its original place, to Vosstaniya Square. I wonder who will move into the yard after him? And will our country ever calm down?

That's all for today. Come to St. Petersburg!

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The construction of the Marble Palace lasted 17 years. The building harmoniously complemented the ensemble of the Neva embankment. Granite and multi-colored marble of various types have become the main materials for construction and interior decoration. The stone originality of the structure was eventually expressed in the name “Marble”.

In the three-story building, built of variegated stone, pilasters and columns alternate evenly with windows. The clock tower, attic, and pilasters of the two upper floors of the palace are made of pink Tivdian marble. The decor of the windows on the first and second floors is made of white Ural. The basement of the building is made of Vyborg pink granite – rapakivi – with a rough structure. The copper frames of all floors are gilded. The appearance of the times of Catherine II has been preserved in the interiors and decor of the central hall. Ural gray-silver marble dominated the design of the main staircase. The steps are made of Brusna sandstone in the color of an amulet. In the niches are marble sculptures by Fedot Shubin, embodying the autumn and spring equinoxes, as well as the times of day: morning, afternoon, evening, night.

Along the walls there are stucco high reliefs: “games of cupids” and four female figures on the sides, symbolizing “strength of spirit”, “justice”, “prudence” and “moderation”.

The marble hall has almost completely preserved its original stone decoration. Its walls are divided by fourteen pairs of vertical projections, on which are oblong gutters with gilded capitals and bases. On the white marble wall garlands are eagles, symbolizing the first owner of the palace. Rounded marble bas-reliefs are placed in lunettes and located along the walls of the hall. The decor is elegantly complemented by reliefs by the sculptor M. Kozlovsky - “The Return of Regulus to Carthage” and “Camillus Delivers Rome”.

White marble reliefs stand out in the bulkheads and above the vaults. The color variations of the marble around the panel are complemented by the dazzling lapis lazuli. The ceiling lamp by S. Torelli “The Wedding of Cupid and Psyche” decorates the upper part of the hall.

During the reconstruction, the interfloor covering of the second and third floors was dismantled. Daylight began to penetrate into the hall from the windows on both sides. The ceiling was raised to the height of the third floor and bronze chandeliers with crystal were placed. The decorated stucco ceilings of the second floor remained from the time of reconstruction according to the design of A.P. Bryullov. Sculptures of knights and two-headed eagles were combined with national Russian motifs.

Received major changes - interior and architectural updates - the large White Hall. The arched openings and cross vaults were completely covered with ornaments sculpted in the Gothic style. Columns made of artificial white marble were installed. Six tall Palladian windows appeared above the attached Oak Gallery. From the Greek Gallery hall passes to winter Garden.

In the ornamental sculpting of the White Hall, Bryullov managed to combine Gothic and original Russian motifs. The architect managed to leave the outer part of the building in the style of mature classicism of the 18th century and at the same time created the interiors in the neo-romantic style of those years.

The Marble Palace was built as a gift from Empress Catherine II to one of her favorites, Grigory Orlov. But the count died before finishing the decoration of the premises and was not able to see the palace in its full glory.

Under Emperor Nicholas I, the palace building was in disrepair. The major reconstruction was entrusted to the court architect A. Bryullov. He not only restored the building, but also partially remodeled it. Mostly the layout of the premises and the design of the facades have been preserved. The remaining decoration, including door panels and parquet, was dismantled. The interiors of the halls were decorated in different styles: classicism, rococo, gothic and late renaissance.

During the ownership of the palace by Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, several new rooms were created on the ground floor: a musical living room in the Gothic style, a lower library, and an English study. The Grand Duke, being a famous translator and poet of the Silver Age, turned the palace into the center of the cultural life of the capital. Intellectuals discussed books by Russian and foreign authors, musical evenings were held in the halls, and performances were staged in which the princely couple and their children participated.

The greatest damage was caused to the Marble Palace during the years when the exhibition of the branch of the Museum of V.I. Lenin. Architect N.E. Lanceray prepared the halls for museum premises and largely preserved the decorative decoration of historical interiors. But during operation, the architectural design of the second floor suffered the most. Wall paintings and artificial marble were painted over, unique fireplaces were broken, and finishing fabrics were destroyed.

Since the transfer of the Marble Palace as a branch to the Russian Museum, a detailed restoration of the interiors has been carried out, recreating the original layout and appearance of the premises. The color variety of perfectly crafted marble and the favorable location of the halls allow the palace to maintain the status of the most noble building of the 18th century.

Now permanent and temporary exhibitions of world artists are held here. The halls of the “Ludwig Museum in the Russian Museum” display paintings by contemporary artists donated to the Russian Museum by German collectors Irena and Peter Ludwig. In the halls of the second floor there is a large collection of the brothers Joseph and Yakov Rzhevsky.

Based on materials from www.culture.ru

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The Marble Palace, located in the center of the Northern capital, is considered one of the most majestic and striking buildings in the city. This architectural monument of the 18th century is truly unique. The fact is that this is the first building in St. Petersburg, the facade of which used natural material - marble. It is worth noting that 32 types of marble brought from different countries were used for construction.

The Marble Palace became a gift for the queen's favorite, Grigory Orlov. Catherine decided to generously thank Grigory Grigorievich for helping her become empress.

Initially, on the site of the Marble Palace there was a two-story building of the Postal Yard, built according to the design of Domenico Trezzini. Here Peter I held his assemblies and festive events. There was also a restaurant, hotel and post office in the building. It's interesting that in good weather Peter came here on foot from Summer Garden. In winter, hotel guests lived like powder keg. If the Tsar unexpectedly came to the Postal Yard, then all the residents were immediately evicted. After a while, a Manege was built here, and the post office moved to another place. But the new Manege building burned down already in 1737.

In 1769, by decree of Catherine II, large-scale construction of the Marble Palace began here under the leadership of the architect Antonio Rinaldi. This majestic building became a gift for the queen's favorite, Grigory Orlov. Catherine decided to generously thank Grigory Grigorievich for helping her become empress. Of course, Orlov could not help but make a return gift and chose the luxurious Nadir Shah diamond as a present. The cost of the stone was 460 thousand rubles - fabulous money for that time. By the way, approximately the same amount of money was spent on the construction of the Marble Palace itself.

There is a version that Catherine II personally sketched the design of the Marble Palace.

Marble for cladding the building was brought from Italy, Greece and Russia.

Interestingly, a large box of coins, also made of marble, was laid in the foundation of the building. About 300 people worked daily at the construction site of the Marble Palace. The Empress personally monitored the progress of work and encouraged the most active builders.

The interior decoration of the Marble Palace amazes with its splendor. Everything here has been thought out to the smallest detail. The main staircase was decorated with statues of Morning, Day, Evening and Night, as well as sculptural groups representing the spring and autumn equinoxes. In addition to luxurious halls, there was a library, a large art gallery, bedrooms, living rooms, an office, Turkish and Greek baths. The construction of this huge house was delayed. Count Orlov died without ever seeing the palace in finished form. True, in those years he was no longer the empress’s favorite.

Later, the Marble Palace belonged to the grandson of Catherine II, Konstantin Pavlovich Romanov, and his children. After the revolution, the building was nationalized, and all the rich collections were transferred to the Hermitage. At various times, the palace housed such organizations as the People's Commissariat of Education, the Administration of Palace Museums, the Central Bureau of Local History and others. In 1992, the house was placed under the jurisdiction of the Russian Museum. An equestrian monument to Alexander III was erected in front of the building.

Practical information

The Marble Palace is located at the address: St. Petersburg, Millionnaya street, 5/1, Nevsky Prospekt metro station.

The ticket price for adult visitors is 350 RUB, for schoolchildren and students - 170 RUB. Can be purchased complex ticket to visit the Marble, Mikhailovsky, Stroganov palaces and Mikhailovsky Castle for 650 RUB. Preferential price such a ticket costs 300 RUB. You will have to pay an additional 500 RUB for photography.

Address: Millionnaya st., 5/1

Prices on the page are as of September 2018.

Among the many architectural and historical monuments of the world, there are special ones that embody a whole layer of architectural trends, the names and fates of famous personalities of past centuries. A striking example of this is the Marble Palace in St. Petersburg - a colossal, majestic structure, a real “marble fairy tale”. Now it is one of the famous tourist sites of the “Venice of the North”, striking in its grandeur of size, splendor and virtuosity of decoration. The rich history of the palace, associated with the Romanov royal dynasty, cannot but excite and interest people of the 21st century.

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Arrangement of the office

The interior design of the office mainly uses natural wood and leather. The walls, decorated with highly artistic canvases and portraits, are covered with gilded leather wallpaper, illustrated with royal coats of arms. The ceiling is covered with mahogany, the furniture is made from different types of wood, and oak parquet covers the floor. The prince's chair, resting on the front “legs” in the form of gilded swans with raised wings, is a special rarity of the office.

Other rooms of the apartments

In the interiors of other rooms, wood is also present in the design. The owner’s special love was the Musical “Gothic” living room, decorated in an unusually picturesque Gothic style with wooden openwork panels at the bottom and covered with gray leather wallpaper with gilded ornaments. An elegant model of a Gothic temple mounted on a panel adorns one of the walls of the living room. An antique black lacquered grand piano symbolizes the purpose of the room.

Owners

The change of owners of the Marble Palace, dictated by time and circumstances, can be arranged in a symbolic series.

The first owner of the palace, Catherine G. Orlov’s closest favorite, adjutant general and holder of many other ranks and titles, became the owner of the palace before 2 years before its official opening (he died in 1783).

• The second owner, Catherine’s grandson Konstantin Pavlovich, was the owner of the palace until 1831. Moreover, in 1797-98 the building was given over to the residence of the last Polish king S.A. Poniatowski, who died suddenly in 1798).
• The third owner, another grandson of the Empress, Konstantin Nikolaevich, was granted the palace in 1832, when he was 5 years old. Until the prince came of age, numerous court servants lived in the building. Having become the prince's wife, the owner of the palace along with him was Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna, a bright, outstanding personality of her time. During the life of K.N. (1827-92) the palace was called Konstantinovsky.
• The fourth owner was the next grandson of Catherine I, Crown Prince Konstantin Konstantinovich, who owned the building until 1915, making the palace a kind of temple of art. The magnificent halls hosted dramatic performances, musical concerts of great musicians and composers, and creative meetings of writers and poets.

Exhibitions and expositions

IN Soviet time A branch of the Central Museum of V.I. was organized in several halls of the Marble Palace, which was the first example of using an architectural monument in a new capacity that corresponded to the needs of society. The work on the reconstruction of the premises was led by the architect N. Lansere, and the museum was opened in a sadly memorable year for the country - 1937. The museum's exhibitions introduced visitors in detail to the life and revolutionary activities of the leader of the proletariat.

Modern concept – promotion of art

The most beautiful building today northern capital, transferred to the Russian Museum - a center for displaying works of “Russian art in combination with world trends. Paintings, sculptures and other genres are widely represented here through permanent and temporary exhibitions. Various thematic exhibitions are regularly organized:

• Collection of the Rzhevsky brothers (masterpieces of graphics, painting, sculpture, objects of applied art - 503 copies in total).
• Konstantin Romanov - poet of the Silver Age (in the authentic setting of his office and Musical Living Room).
• Ludwig Museum (works of German classical art of the 19th-21st centuries).
• Dialogue between German sculptors E. Barlach and K. Kollwitz with Russian contemporaries (220 works of modernists and works of Russian masters).

In addition, temporary exhibitions showcasing world art are constantly held.

Legends and traditions

Like all significant architectural monuments, the history of the Marble Palace is surrounded by myths. One of the legends says that when the foundation was laid, a box filled to the top with royal coins was walled up in it. Although there is no exact information about this, rumors about the mysterious box continue to live. There is a legend about why the empress took away the palace donated to Konstantin Pavlovich. Allegedly because he, being 16 years old, shot live rats from a cannon, scaring his young wife. One of the legends tells of a secret door through which Catherine entered on a date with Orlov when the construction of the palace was still underway.