What's in Anichkov's palace now? Anichkov Palace - a symbol of royal love for Russia (1) - Questions of history. Let's turn the pages of history

In one thousand seven hundred and forty-one, Empress Elizabeth, who had just ascended the throne, issued a decree on the construction of the Anichkov Palace. Petersburg was rapidly expanding. The new architect of the northern capital, Mikhail Zemtsov, created the project for a multi-storey building in the shape of an elongated letter “H”, and the grandiose construction was completed by the famous architect B. Rastrelli.

In those distant times, Fontanka was the outskirts of the city, and on the site of modern Nevsky Prospekt there was a clearing. According to the author of the project, the Anichkov Palace was supposed to decorate the entrance to the city. A canal was dug to it from the Fontanka itself, which ended in a small harbor. The completed palace, which somewhat resembled Peterhof, was donated by Elizabeth to her favorite Razumovsky. Later, the building was donated several times, mostly as a wedding gift. After Catherine the Second came to power, she bought the Anichkov Palace from Razumovsky’s relatives and presented it. In addition, the favorite was given one hundred thousand rubles to reconstruct the palace according to her own taste. As a result, in two years the architect I. E. Starov rebuilt the building in the classicist style. The multi-story structure characteristic of the Baroque disappeared, the magnificent stucco molding was destroyed, and the harbor was filled up. As a result, the Anichkov Palace became more strict and cold.

At the end of the eighteenth century, the building was purchased by the treasury, and for a short time the Emperor's Cabinet was located in it. Later, a separate room was built for him by the architect Quarenghi. Anichkov gave the palace as a wedding gift to his sister, the Grand Duchess, his beloved Ekaterina Pavlovna, who became the wife of Prince George of Ordenburg.

In 1817, the future emperor settled in the palace. During his reign, the architect Rossi changed the interiors of some of the palace halls. When Nicholas moved to the Winter Palace, he came to the Anichkov Palace during Lent, and luxurious court balls were regularly held here.

There are monuments without which it is difficult to imagine St. Petersburg. Anichkov Palace has always been a decoration of the northern capital. He is closely connected with the lives of great people of Russia.

In 1837, after a severe fire in the Winter Palace, the august family of Nicholas the First lived for some time in the famous palace. The emperor's son Alexander was also brought up here, one of whose teachers was the greatest Russian poet. He was provided with separate apartments in the palace.

After the revolution of one thousand nine hundred and seventeen, the Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg was for a short time a museum of the history of the city. In 1937, the Palace of Pioneers was opened here. But the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War made its own adjustments to the history of the legendary palace. On October 1, 1941, a surgical hospital was opened in this historical building, in which, during its existence, thousands of lives of the heroic defenders of besieged Leningrad were saved. In the spring of 1942, the hospital was transferred, and in May the Palace of Pioneers began operating here again.

Where is it located now? Anichkov Palace, at the beginning of the 18th century belonged to A. M. Devier, the first chief of police of St. Petersburg. In 1727 he was sent into exile, the land was given to the timber merchant D.L. Lukyanov. In his yard, closer to the Fontanka, by 1738 the regimental yard of the Preobrazhensky Regiment was located. The property of Dmitry Lukyanov is mentioned in the report of the Commission on Buildings, which in 1738 recommended building up this section of Nevsky Prospect with stone philistine houses.

The fate of this territory was dramatically changed by the palace coup on November 25, 1741, when the daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth, ascended the throne. She came to power with the help of the Preobrazhensky people. In memory of this, she ordered to build her own palace on the site of their regimental yard. Officially, it was built for Elizaveta Petrovna. But it was no secret to anyone that her favorite, Count Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky, would live in the palace.

The design of the imperial palace in 1741 was drawn up by M. G. Zemtsov, who also began construction. The first construction order was issued to the architect by the quartermaster Shargorodsky on April 6, 1742. Since 1743, after the death of Zemtsov, construction was carried out by the “Gesel architecture” G. D. Dmitriev. He managed to bring the walls of the building only to the cornice, dying in 1746. F.B. Rastrelli completed the construction of the Anichkov Palace. The Italian adjusted the initial project, replacing the completion of the side projections in the form of filiments with two multifaceted domes framed by numerous decorative vases. He wrote about the Anichkov Palace:

“I repaired the large Anichkov palace and added to it a chapel with a dome, as well as a large hall with a main staircase, richly decorated with statues and sculptural ornaments, and all the main chambers and the chapel were decorated with rich plafonds” [Cit. by: 5, p. 316].

Anichkov is the first palace on Nevsky Prospekt. It got its name from the Anichkov Bridge, located nearby. Unlike other buildings on the avenue, the main facade does not face it. This location of the building clearly shows that in the early 1740s, Nevsky Prospekt was not yet perceived as the main street of the city.

The main side of the building faces the Fontanka, which at the time of the palace’s construction was the border of the city. Many guests arrived here by water. A harbor was dug on the river side where visitors left their rowing and sailing vessels. According to the ideas of Grigory Dmitriev, open galleries were built along the bank of the Fontanka.

The composition of the building consisted of three-story central and side buildings, in which the main two-story halls were located, with lower two-story volumes connecting them. This multi-story structure of the Anichkov Palace is characteristic of the “pre-Rastrelli” baroque. Another feature of the early Baroque, manifested in the facade of the Anichkov Palace, was the use of pilasters, while columns were used only on the main portico. At the same time, the building is equipped with a much larger volume of sculptures and other decorative elements than the buildings of the Peter the Great Baroque era.

The building on the side of Nevsky Prospekt was crowned with the dome of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. In 1746, a cross was installed above the church dome, and on the other - a star (a ball with 43 rays). For the temple, Rastrelli designed a three-tiered gilded iconostasis (transferred to Vladimir Cathedral). The house church of the Anichkov Palace was consecrated on March 17, 1751.

The Anichkov Palace estate was separated from Nevsky Prospect by a solid stone fence with three gates. Initially, the side three-story buildings were connected by a two-story passage to the central three-story building. A garden with pavilions, gazebos and sculptures was built up to Sadovaya Street. To establish it in 1743, the Empress ordered the English gardener Ludwig Kinder Taper to be transferred here from Strelna.

Anichkov Palace in Tsarist times

Construction of the building was completed in 1756. In 1771, the writer A.P. Sumarokov lived with Count Razumovsky, who served as his adjutant. In the same year, the count died, the Anichkov Palace came into the possession of his brother, the president of the Academy of Sciences, Count Kirill Grigorievich Razumovsky.

In 1775, the estate was rented by St. Petersburg merchants, who staged a large masquerade in the palace. About 2,500 people attended this event.

The treasury bought the palace from Razumovsky Anichkov in 1776, after which Catherine II donated the estate to Count G. A. Potemkin. For him, the palace was rebuilt in 1776-1778 according to the design of I. E. Starov. Since then, the palace has had a classical rather than baroque appearance. During the reconstruction, the height of the building was leveled, the havanese was filled in, the galleries along the Fontanka were dismantled, and the garden was redesigned.

In 1779, a gallery planted with tropical plants was created in the garden. In the gallery, the prince organized masquerades, at which up to a hundred musicians played. Later this premises was rented by the Italian Musical Society. In 1780, such a masquerade was attended by Empress Catherine II, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich and his wife Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna. From 1786 to 1790, the gallery was rented by entrepreneur Joseph Lyon. In 1786, a new musical instrument was demonstrated here - the piano.

Prince Potemkin sold the Anichkov Palace to the merchant Shemyakin. Deciding that it was not appropriate to refuse royal gifts, Catherine II again bought the palace and gave it to Potemkin. However, in 1785 the estate was sold again, this time to the treasury.

In 1794, the building housed the Office of His Imperial Majesty. Anichkov Palace began to be used as the personal office of the Tsar. For new purposes, the building was redesigned according to the design of Egor Timofeevich Sokolov. In 1795, the book collection of Joseph Załuski was temporarily stored in one of the palace pavilions, which became the basis for the creation of the Public Library. In 1799, the western part of the estate was transferred to the Theater Directorate.

According to the design of the architect D. Quarenghi, shopping arcades were built in the territory of the front courtyard in 1803-1805. An open arcade ran along their first tier. Initially, the rows consisted of two L-shaped buildings connected by an open colonnade. The territory of the estate from Sadovaya Street was also “cut down”. A building for the Public Library was built here. One of the garden pavilions was converted for performances by the Italian theater.

In 1809, Alexander I gave the Anichkov Palace to his sister, Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna. The palace was given to her on the occasion of her marriage to Prince George of Oldenburg. The building was rebuilt by L. Ruska for their family. The Dance Hall and the Great Dining Room remain from his work to this day. Ruska adapted the shopping arcades to the needs of the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty, which moved here from the premises of the palace. At the same time, the architect added buildings to the existing Trade Rows on the western side. It was probably at that time that a fence with a gate was built between the Cabinet and the palace.

Georg of Oldenburg died in 1812, and in 1816 Ekaterina Pavlovna married Crown Prince Wilhelm of Württenberg and left for the homeland of her new husband. Before leaving, the palace was sold to her to the treasury for 2,000,000 rubles.

Since the 1810s, the poet V. A. Zhukovsky lived in the Anichkov Palace. He was the tutor of the heir to the throne, the future Emperor Alexander II. Here A.S. Pushkin read the completed poem “Ruslan and Lyudmila” to Zhukovsky.

In 1817, Alexander I gave the Anichkov Palace to his brother Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich (future Emperor Nicholas I) for his upcoming wedding. For the new owner, the building needed to be rebuilt again, which was done by C. Rossi in 1817-1820. He built the Service Building, two garden pavilions, and redesigned the garden (with the participation of A. A. Menelas and I. A. Ivanov). The estate was included in the unified ensemble of Teatralnaya Square (now Ostrovsky Square) designed by Rossi. In 1818, Rossi fenced off the estate from the square with a cast-iron fence. The project for reorganizing the square according to Rossi's drawings was carried out a little later. And then, during the reconstruction of the Anichkov Palace, the former territory of the manor garden was simply put in order. It was cleared of unnecessary temporary buildings.

In the Anichkov Palace, Karl Rossi redesigned the Dance Hall, Music Room, Sofa Room, Study Room, Boudoir, and Bedrooms. In 17 halls the lampshades were re-painted, the walls were covered with damask, satin and velvet. In other rooms, the walls were painted to resemble marble, new stoves, fireplaces, fireplaces, chandeliers, sconces and floor lamps were installed. Absolutely all interior items were made according to Rossi’s drawings. As a result, the interiors of the Anichkov Palace became a single integral ensemble.

Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich was extremely pleased with the work in the Anichkov Palace by the architect of Russia. In 1825 he became emperor, and the next year he gave the Anichkov Palace imperial status. He continued to live here for months. The palace was called "His Imperial Majesty's own."

In 1822, Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna was born here. In 1830, a large costume ball was held at the Anichkov Palace to mark the conclusion of peace with Turkey. It was under Nicholas I that the Anichkov Palace hosted balls that A.S. Pushkin disliked so much, and which his wife Natalya Nikolaevna loved so much. In April 1838, a lottery was held here, the winning prize was K. P. Bryullov’s painting “V. A. Zhukovsky.” The proceeds from the lottery went to ransom the serf T. G. Shevchenko.

The next owner of the Anichkov Palace in 1841 was Grand Duke Alexander Anikolaevich (the future Alexander II). In 1853, water supply and sewerage were installed here. In 1855, the palace began to be called Nikolaevsky.

After the death of Nicholas I in the 1855-1860s, the estate was divided by the Dowager Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, who had his own palace built.

In 1865, the architect Zhiber worked on the Anichkov Palace for the heir to the throne, the son of Alexander II, Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich. But Nikolai Alexandrovich died unexpectedly. In 1866, the palace became the residence of Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich, the future Alexander III. At the same time, the wedding of the Grand Duke and the Danish Princess Dagmara (the future Empress Maria Feodorovna) took place here. In 1868-1875, I. A. Monighetti worked on the interiors of the palace. Alexander III often lived in the Anichkov Palace, where he spent not only his personal time, but also was engaged in state affairs.

Since 1875, Anichkov Garden has been open for walks for children with their parents or nannies.

The son of Alexander III, the future Emperor Nicholas II, spent his childhood in the Anichkov Palace. In 1874-1875, K.K. Rachau made a new front entrance in the form of an arcade and a winter garden above it. In 1886, the architect M. E. Messmacher worked in the Anichkov Palace. In 1885-1886, the arcade of the first floor of the Cabinet building was laid (architect N. A. Schildknecht).

The last owner of the estate was the mother of Nicholas II, Empress Maria Feodorovna. In 1897, cinema was shown to her here. Since 1899, a school for children of employees operated at the Anichkov Palace.

In 1914, in the church of the Anichkov Palace, the wedding of the niece of Nicholas II, Grand Duchess Irina Alexandrovna, and Prince F. F. Yusupov took place.

In the building of the Cabinet of E. I. V. in 1915-1916, the architect A. Ya. Beloborodov built a state hall in neoclassical forms.

Anichkov Palace - Palace of Pioneers

Immediately after the revolution, the Anichkov Palace was nationalized. The Ministry of Food worked there. In 1918-1935, the city museum operated in the palace. Precisely cities, that is, Moscow and other cities, not just Leningrad. The museum preserved the imperial atmosphere and occupied several buildings along the Fontanka. Its director was an architect

I already once talked about an interesting place in our Northern capital, which is called “”.

I hope that the story about the palace of the same name will also attract your attention. Moreover, this is one of the oldest buildings located near Nevsky Prospekt. And this palace preserves its history for you and me, dating back to the distant 18th century.

But you must admit that sometimes everyone really wants to travel into the past, at least for a moment, with the help of a fantastic time machine.

So I offer you a small similar excursion, the main character of which today will be this magnificent building.

Let's turn the pages of history

The hero of my story is located between the Fontanka River and Sadovaya Street.

The appearance of the first palace near Nevsky Prospekt

Initially, this place in young St. Petersburg was in the possession of a certain General A.E. Devier.

After the owner was whipped for political offenses and expelled from the Northern capital to Siberia, the territory in 1727 passed to the timber merchant D.L. Lukyanov. Since 1738, it has housed the courtyard of the same Preobrazhensky regiment, with the support of which in 1741, during a palace coup, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna ascended the throne.

It was she who decided to celebrate the event of her triumph by building a palace in this place (officially for herself, but in fact for her favorite, Count A.G. Razumovsky). I have already hinted to you that the history of the building preserves many St. Petersburg secrets and legends, as you will see for yourself in the course of my story.

Building a palace

The design of this imperial building in the form of the letter “H” was created by the famous architect M. G. Zemtsov.

His death in 1743 influenced the transfer of the “reins of government” first to the architect G. D. Dmitriev, and then (also after his death) to the famous F. B. Rastrelli, who made his own adjustments to Mikhail Zemtsov’s project. Rastrelli wrote that he added to the palace “a chapel with a dome, as well as a large hall with a grand staircase, richly decorated with statues and sculptural ornaments”...

The building gets its name from the one located nearby. Its main entrance faces the Fontanka River. At that time, the city border ran along it, and Nevsky Prospekt had not yet acquired the status of the capital’s central street. I was interested to know that at first guests could get here directly by water. By the way, there was even a Havanese (a small harbor in the shape of a bucket), where the townspeople left their vehicles (a kind of parking lot for ships).

In parallel with the Fontanka, open galleries were installed according to G. Dmitriev’s plan. The architectural design of the palace was a composition of three-story buildings connected by two-story lintels. A similar feature of buildings is characteristic of early Baroque buildings.

Above the building from Nevsky Prospekt stood the dome of the Church of the Resurrection, for which the iconostasis was also created by the master Rastrelli. Today this masterpiece is located in the Northern capital. The illumination of the house temple of the Anichkov Palace took place in March 1751. I will note one more detail: between the building and Sadovaya, at the behest of the Empress, a garden for walking, similar to Peterhof’s, was built.

The work on its creation belonged to the “Aglitsky” gardener L.K. Taper. Construction of the palace was completed in 1756.

Palace in imperial times

The appearance of the palace ensemble that has come down to us was formed under the influence of changing “architectural fashions,” which were also preferred by changing owners. The building itself, if you look back at its history, has always acted as an expensive gift. Who among you and I would refuse such a present?!

It was in this capacity that it most often passed from one high society hand to another. And this gift was wonderful, because at different times such prominent masters as I. E. Starov, L. Rusca, G. Quarenghi, K. I. Rossi, A. I. Stackenschneider and others worked on the palace. And now I’ll tell you about who lived and lived here and made good. As I already noted, the first actual owner of the Anichkov Palace was Count Razumovsky.

With him was the famous writer A.P. Sumarokov, who was in the service of “His Lordship.” This multi-genre writer is sometimes called the “father of Russian theater.”

After the death of the first owner, Anichkov, the palace went to his brother, and not just anyone, but the President of the Academy of Sciences himself, Count Kirill Grigorievich Razumovsky. In 1776, the building was bought from him by Catherine II and immediately donated to her favorite G. A. Potemkin.

The new owner, apparently, longed for change and invited the architect I. E. Starov for this purpose. The palace was transformed according to the canons of the classical style, the “Havanese parking lot” for ships was filled in, the galleries on the Fontanka were abolished and the garden was modernized, in which in 1779 a greenhouse with overseas plants appeared. I think that all people are greedy for curiosities, but for the nobility they are, moreover, affordable. How can you not get one?

In his new gallery, Potemkin threw masquerade balls, during which the ears of those present were sometimes delighted by up to a hundred orchestral musicians. This tropical gallery also boasts plenty of gossip overheard.

But we will leave the yellow tales aside, but I will mention that in 1786 an unusual musical instrument, the piano, was first presented here. (In general, I’ll note in passing that it appeared in 1709). The cunning Potemkin resold the palace to the merchant Shemyakin. Catherine II did not like the refusal of her gift. She bought it again and again handed it to Potemkin.

I don’t know for what reasons, but he sold it again (this time to the state treasury). After such a leapfrog, arranged with the palace by the empress and her favorite, here in 1794 the Imperial Cabinet was located, where at one time the works of Joseph Załuski were preserved. They served as the basis for the organization of the Public Library of Northern Venice.

I find it interesting to unravel historical knots and sometimes suddenly find interesting analogies for myself. Once upon a time, the “father of the Russian theater” Sukhorukov lived in the Anichkov Palace, and in 1799 one of the parts of the building was given specifically for the needs of the Theater Directorate of St. Petersburg. At the beginning of the 19th century, Master Quarenghi built Trading Rows in front of its main entrance.

And on the side of Sadovaya Street he added a building for the Public Library. As for the “gift relay” of handing over the palace, it never stops.

In 1809, Emperor Alexander I gave the building to his sister, Grand Duchess Catherine, as a present for her wedding to Prince George of Oldenburg. For the young couple, the palace is being modernized again (architect L. Ruska). Today, the master’s works are preserved in the appearance of the ballroom and dining room.

The space of the Trading Rows was transferred to the needs of the Imperial Cabinet. Ruska added western buildings and a fence with gates between the Cabinet and the palace to them. I note that at that time the famous poet Zhukovsky, the educator of the future Tsar Alexander II, lived in the palace. It was within these walls that he presented his poem “Ruslan and Lyudmila”.

Soon, in 1816, the palace again became the property of the treasury. Then it was presented to the future Emperor Nicholas I for his upcoming wedding. Now K. Rossi has worked on the building. According to his design, the estate joined the architectural complex of Teatralnaya Square (today Ostrovsky Square), from which it was separated by a cast-iron fence.

Also, the interior of the premises, redone according to Russian ideas, began to represent a single ensemble.

Nicholas I loved this palace and held many high society receptions, balls and lotteries there. The next owner of the building, now given the prefix to the name “His Imperial Majesty’s Own Palace,” became the future Tsar Alexander II in 1841.

In the middle of the 19th century, the palace was equipped with water supply and sewerage. The years passed, and along with them, high-ranking owners changed. The wedding of Alexander III and Princess Dagmar took place here.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the palace witnessed a historical event - the wedding of the niece of Nicholas II, Grand Duchess Irina Alexandrovna, to Felix Yusupov.

It was a wedding with the same prince who participated in the murder of the well-known Grigory Rasputin.

The legend of Anichkov Palace

In the form of a woman in a white robe, it repeatedly appeared to our monarchs, who lived in the palace at different times, and even conducted monologues with them. Whether this is true or fiction is impossible to know today, since the emperors did not publicly talk about this. But a school for servants' children actually existed here since 1899.

After the revolution, the palace was privatized by the state. At first, the Ministry of Food was located here. Further, from 1918 to 1935, an exposition of the city museum was equipped.

I note that not specifically St. Petersburg (Petrograd-Leningrad), but cities, as such, in general. It was headed by the architect L. A. Ilyin. In the halls of the former Imperial Cabinet there functioned “offices” of communal and social hygiene, as well as the library of the City Museum. The period of church repression also affected the palace’s house church. As a result, in 1926 its domes were demolished and melted down. As for the museum, it was closed in 1928. The property was sold and distributed for other exhibitions.

Education of the Palace of Pioneers

And again - a historical zigzag. I already told you that the royal heirs were raised within the walls of the Anichkov Palace, and at the end of the 19th century there was even a school for the children of employees. This seemed to mark the beginning of the country’s grandest Palace of Pioneers and Schoolchildren, which appeared here in 1937.

For this purpose, the Anichkov Palace was remodeled again (according to the sketches of A. I. Gegello and D. L. Krichevsky). Two rooms of the building were decorated with Palekhov paintings based on the works of A. S. Pushkin and A. M. Gorky.

More than a hundred sections and circles immediately opened in the Palace.

I am sure that everyone knows the names: Viktor Korchnoi, Stanislav Zhuk, Alisa Freindlikh, Lev Lurie, Elena Obraztsova...

The professional journey of these people began precisely in this Leningrad Palace of Pioneers.

Anichkov Palace during the Great Patriotic War

I will now tell you about the fate of the palace during that tragic time for the whole country.

Already from October 1941 to May 1942, a surgical hospital operated on its territory. The Palace itself did not close its doors to children during all the terrible days of the siege! Despite everything, it was here that the graduation ceremony for Leningrad schoolchildren was held in 1942. In addition, New Year trees and creative Olympiads were held here.

And the concert brigades of the artistic circles of the Palace of Pioneers, overcoming weakness from hunger, performed for soldiers in hospitals and military units.

It is not without reason that 70 young artists were awarded medals “For the Defense of Leningrad”. By 1945, the palace complex, damaged by shelling, had already been restored.

Anichkov Palace today

It seems symbolic to me that the first palace on Nevsky Prospekt, which was owned by the most brilliant people in Russia, the building where the emperors spent their adolescence, where the poems of Pushkin and Zhukovsky were heard, today belongs to the heirs of the country - our children.

Now it is called the St. Petersburg City Palace of Youth Creativity. Here for the children there is a real kingdom of joy! I would like to note that today every child, starting from preschool age, in the Anichkov Palace can find something to their liking in technical, creative, sports, choreographic and other clubs and sections.

Competitions, conferences, seminars and festivals are held here annually. By the way, it is within these walls that the final round of the All-Russian competition for teachers of additional education “I Give My Heart to Children” is being held.

And I am happy that my friend was also among the winners as an art studio teacher.

By the way, balls, concerts and assemblies are also held here.

The Palace of Creativity is proud of its unique library, experimental site, and museum, to which I invite you too.

Anichkov Palace Museum

If you wanted not just to look at this architectural monument from the outside, but to attend the excursion “Palace of the Tsars - Children’s Palace”, then, I believe that you will have 1.5 hours of fascinating immersion in the past together with an acquaintance with the modern life of the Anichkov Palace .

Detailed information, including a schedule of excursions, can be obtained. My advice to you is to be sure to find out about the plan for these sightseeing events in advance, since visiting the Palace is not possible without a guide. I note that excursions are conducted only in accordance with the specified schedule of the current month for individual visitors.

I will add that you will also visit the exhibition “Living Art of Palekh”, which is included in the general sightseeing tour.

An adult ticket will cost 200 rubles, and for schoolchildren and students – 80 rubles. Tickets can be purchased at the palace box office (39 Nevsky Prospekt, at the entrance to the Anichkova estate). Shoe covers or replacement shoes are required.

How to get there

As I already noted, the building that interests us is the first palace erected near Nevsky Prospekt. Therefore, it is located in the city center.

The best way to get here is by metro, getting off at Mayakovskaya or Gostiny Dvor stations. From both, along Nevsky Prospekt you will only have to walk a few minutes to the Palace. I don’t consider other public transport, since this method is the most convenient in every sense (close to the attraction, there are no traffic jams, and a walk along Nevsky Prospekt is already a small event for travelers). The exact address is Nevsky Prospekt, 39.

More details about each option:

From the Gostiny Dvor metro station (1) to the Anichkov Palace (2) it takes only 5 minutes to walk. But even walking this short distance, you will pass the Russian National Library (5), the wonderful Catherine Garden (3), in the center of which you can admire the magnificent monument to Empress Catherine the Great (architect David Ivanovich Grimm), behind it you will see the building of the Alexandria Theater (I recommend visiting his performances on occasion).

On the contrary, across Nevsky Prospekt is the St. Petersburg Comedy Theater (6).

The second route from the Mayakovskaya metro station (1) will take you across the same Anichkov bridge (3), the name of which gave the name to the palace (2).

In my opinion, in any case you will enrich your journey with new interesting fragments.

Finally

So you and I made, with the help of a time machine, which everyone has and is called imagination, a short trip to the famous St. Petersburg Anichkov Palace.

We learned about the history of its appearance and listened to stories about the inhabitants of this amazing estate. I think that you also walked along the bridge, after which the Palace is named, and admired the “Taming of the Horse” sculptural group.

Such acquaintance with architectural monuments allows us to learn more about the past of the country itself. After all, they were created by the most talented craftsmen for famous historical figures, whose fates we cannot do without when telling the history of buildings.

And while we preserve our palace-museums, the memory of the people connected with them in one way or another is preserved. By the way, in front of the main building of the Anichkov Palace you will be greeted by a birch tree, which was planted by our cosmonaut heroes German Titov and Komarov.

The first building made in the Baroque style in St. Petersburg was Anichkov Palace on Nevsky Prospekt 39, on which, in addition to Dmitriev and Zemtsov, the famous Rastrelli worked. The building is three floors high with onion-shaped domes and two wings with a main entrance facing the Fontanka River. Among the owners of the building were Potemkin and Razumovsky. This building was also the emperor's office, that is, the room where the property of the royal family was located. During its existence, the building has greatly changed its internal and external appearance. All halls, except for the Yellow Column and White, are decorated in a classical style and have survived to this day with virtually no changes.

The palace served as a royal residence until the nineteenth century. When the revolution ended, the Museum of Old St. Petersburg was opened inside, and then the Palace of Pioneers. In the early nineties of the last century it was renamed the Palace of Youth Creativity. To find out why is Anichkov Palace called that?, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with its history from beginning to end. Today, there are more than 20 active sections or clubs for children inside the building.

Historical information

Located along Nevsky Prospekt between Fontanka and Sadovaya Streets, the territory is today occupied by the Anichkov Palace. Initially, these lands at the beginning of the eighteenth century belonged to the first general, chief of police A. M. Devier, who was sent into exile in 1727. The territory was transferred to the ownership of D. L. Lukyanov. At that time, the land closer to the Fontanka was occupied by a regimental yard belonging to the Preobrazhensky Regiment. The fate of the estate was dramatically changed by the coup that took place on November 25, 1741. Meanwhile, the throne was taken by Elizabeth, who was Peter I’s daughter. He was able to come to power with the help of the Preobrazhensky people. As he says history of Anichkov Palace that it was built for Elizabeth, but it was no news to anyone that her favorite count named Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky would live there. M. G. Zemtsov worked on the project in 1741. Construction began under his own leadership. After the death of Zemtsov, which dates back to 1743, the architect G.D. Dmitriev took over the construction, but he also died in 1746, having completed the building only up to the cornices.

The construction work was completed by the Italian architect F.B. Rastrelli, who had the opportunity to correct the side projections, completing them with two domes with numerous decorative vases.

Your name Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg received from Anichkov Bridge, located nearby. It differs from other buildings located along the avenue in that its main façade did not look in its direction at all. The chosen location suggests that for those times Nevsky Prospekt was not considered the main street of St. Petersburg. This is due to the fact that most guests arrived at the palace by water, so the main entrance faces the Fontanka. A Havanese was also established here, where Elizabeth's visitors could leave their sailing and rowing vessels. According to the plan of Grigory Dmitriev, open-type galleries were also located along the Fontanka embankment.

The courtyard ensemble consisted of a three-story side and central building, inside of which there were double-height halls. They connected to two-story lower volumes. This kind of architecture belongs to the Baroque “pre-Rastrelli” period. To the Baroque style, as can be seen from photo of Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg, also includes the use of pilasters, while the columns exclusively decorated the main portico. However, for Peter's Baroque an uncharacteristically large number of sculptures and other decorative elements were used. The side of the facade bordering Nevsky Prospekt is crowned with the church dome of the Resurrection of Christ. At the same time, the estate was separated from the avenue by a high stone wall with three gates.

History of the Tsarist period

The construction process took a long time, so it was completed in 1756. The next change of owner dates back to 1771, when Count Razumovsky died, and the estate came into the possession of his brother, the academic scientist Kirill Grigorievich Razumovsky. The year 1775 was the time of a large masquerade for 2,500 people. During this period, the palace was rented by the St. Petersburg merchants. It's not enough to know where is Anichkov Palace To understand the history of this place you need to know its main owners:

1. 1776 - the estate was donated by Catherine II to Count G. A. Potemkin. He rebuilt the palace to suit his own requirements. It was then that the building changed its appearance from baroque to classical. During the reconstruction, the height of the building was leveled, the Havanese was filled in, the open galleries were dismantled, and the gardens were redesigned.
2. The year 1779 was the time of the creation of a gallery with tropical plants, where the prince organized masquerades, at which about a hundred musicians performed simultaneously. Then this premises was rented to the community of Italian musicians. Once the guests of such a masquerade were Pavel Petrovich (Grand Duke) with his wife Maria Fedorovna and Empress Catherine II.
3. 1784 - Potemkin resold the estate to the merchant Shemyakin, but already in 1985 Palace near Anichkov Bridge Catherine II bought it and returned it to the previous owner. The Empress decided that it was inappropriate to refuse royal gifts.
4. In 1809, the building came into the possession of Ekaterina Pavlovna, who was the sister of Alexander I. Such a present was presented to her as a gift on the occasion of her marriage. The family also decided to rebuild the palace. L. Ruska worked on the new layout. Of his works, the Great Dining Room and the Dance Hall have survived to this day.
5. After her husband’s marriage, dating back to 1812, Catherine married again a few years later and moved, selling the estate to the state treasury. From that time on, the famous poet V.A. Zhukovsky lived in the house, being the tutor of the heir to the throne, who eventually became Emperor Alexander II.

If history is to be believed, Anichkov Palace address whose Nevsky Prospekt 39 is oversaturated with literature. It was here that A.S. Pushkin read to Zhukovsky the recently completed poem “Ruslan and Lyudmila.” The next owner of the building was the future Emperor Nicholas I. He also wanted to rebuild the palace in his own way. The redevelopment was carried out by K. Rossi. He rebuilt the service building and two pavilions in the garden, which also underwent changes. Carl Rossi redesigned the Dance and Music Hall, boudoir, sofa room, office and bedroom. Inside the seventeen halls, the lampshades were freshly painted, and the walls were covered with velvet, damask or satin. The walls of the remaining rooms were painted to resemble marble. It is noteworthy that any details were made according to sketches prepared by Rossi. Full-scale construction work allowed the interiors to become a single ensemble.

Find the one in question Anichkov Palace on the map Nevsky Prospekt 39 you can do it in two minutes, however, due to the lack of full-fledged excursions around this place, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with its history in more detail. For example, the next owner of the building in 1841 was Prince Alexander Nikolaevich. The building was modernized in 1853, when sewerage and water supply were installed here. Since 1897, films began to be shown here, and since 1899, a school was opened where the children of employees studied.

Palace of Pioneers

When the revolution ended, the palace was nationalized. The Ministry of Food is located inside it. From 1918 to 1935 the premises were used as a city museum. Not Leningrad, but the city, that is, Moscow and other Russian cities. It was this circumstance that made it possible to maintain Anichkov Palace on the map of St. Petersburg the same as he was under the last emperor. Inside the building, where the office was previously located, since 1918 there has been a branch of social and communal hygiene, as well as a city library. The closure of the museum dates back to 1928. Since then, most of the property has been sold off.

The Palace of Pioneers on the territory of the former estate was opened in 1937 according to the plans of S. M. Kirov. It became the largest on the territory of the former USSR. The architect D. L. Krichevsky and A. I. Gegello worked on the reconstruction of 1936-1937. It was they who closed the office building in a square; their craftsmen painted two rooms based on A. M. Gorky and A. S. Pushkin. Initially, there were more than a hundred children's clubs here. The local chess section was visited by Boris Spassky, Lev Dodin, Elena Obraztsova, Sergei Yursky, and so on. 1941 was a turning point for the structure. Then it was destroyed by an artillery shell, which completely destroyed the winter garden. The walls of the surviving buildings became a military hospital, which operated here for about 18 months. Despite the hostilities, most sections continued their work.

Today, almost every tourist knows where he is on the map of St. Petersburg Anichkov Palace, since by 1945 it had been restored. Opposite the main building, the famous birch tree also grows, planted there by famous cosmonauts Vladimir Komarov and German Titov. The building received its current name, the Palace of Youth Creativity, in 1990.

The name of this architectural masterpiece is associated with the bridge, which is located near the building itself. This bridge was erected by military men who belonged to the admiral battalion under the command of M. Anichkov. Construction of the palace began in 1741 on a hill on the right side of the legendary Fontanka River.

The history of the Anichkov Palace is very rich, it includes the following significant events.

• At the beginning of the 18th century, the legendary Empress Catherine II bought this building and presented it as a gift to G. Potemkin.

• In the 19th century, a new tradition emerged among the imperial nobility - they began to give the Anichkov Palace as a wedding gift.

• At the beginning of the 20th century after the revolution, the City Museum was located here. However, the exhibitions in the museum concerned not only St. Petersburg, but also Rome and Moscow.

• In 1937, one of the largest Pioneer Houses in the entire USSR was opened here. The building survived World War II and remained intact, despite the fact that it was repeatedly planned to be blown up.

• During the period of hostilities, a hospital was located here. After the end of hostilities, the Pioneer House reopened to guests. It was visited by the famous chess player B. Spassky, opera singer E. Obraztsova, famous actress A. Freundlich and others.

Now the building houses the Palace of Youth Creativity and the Anichkov Lyceum. The palace houses more than two dozen sections for schoolchildren and various clubs. However, the palace also welcomes adults; excursions are constantly held here.

Architecture of Anichkov Palace

The project for the building of the Anichkov Palace was laid down by M. Zemtsov, who planned to create it in the Baroque style. However, the architect was unable to realize his plans because he died a year and a half later. Architectural affairs fell on the shoulders of D. Dmitriev and B.F. Rastrelli. However, they radically changed M.G.’s original plan. Zemtsova.

The central part of the building is a three-story structure with a large and bright hall. This part is connected to the wings with a special porch. The central facade faces the Fontanka River, where the main entrance is also located. The opposite façade faces the garden, where pavilions and sculptures are located.

The finishing of all rooms was carried out under the supervision of B.F. Rastrelli. Paintings by A.P. Antropova, I.Ya. Vishnyakov decorate the walls of the premises. On the second and third floors there is a church with an eleven-meter high iconostasis with gilding, which is made in the style of Baroque ornaments.

Anichkov Palace is an architectural masterpiece of the 18th century, striking in its beauty and uniqueness. Today, interesting exhibitions are held here and children's clubs operate here.