Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace. Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace Mirror Hall of Beloselsky Belozersky stage size

In the very center of St. Petersburg, at the intersection of Nevsky Prospekt and the embankment of the Fontanka River, there is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city - the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace. It received such an unusual name from its founders. It is thanks to the love for the luxurious life of this family that every resident and guest of the city can enjoy the beauty and sophistication of this example of 18th-century architecture.

Today, within the walls of the palace, the cultural life of St. Petersburg is vibrant: performances are played in its halls, orchestras thunder, and holidays are held for adults and children. From the very beginning of its existence, the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace was doomed to become a part of social life. Elena Pavlovna, the wife of Prince Esper Alexandrovich, loved to hold various balls and celebrations here. And the location not far from the Anichkov Palace, where the royal family often vacationed, was conducive to this.

The history of the princely family of the Beloselsky-Belozerskys begins with Gabriel Fedorovich, the owner of the Beloe Selo volost. Neither he, nor his sons, nor his grandchildren became famous in the military field or in the service of the sovereign. Many of them were either land surveyors or occupied the positions of a steward, a courtier, whose status was lower than that of a boyar. Only Nikifor Ivanovich became a governor in defense of the Great Kurgan near Belgorod.

History of the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace

The development of the Fontanka River embankment began in the first half of the 18th century, when these lands came into the possession of St. Petersburg nobles. The corner plot, which has access to Nevsky Prospekt, wandered from hand to hand until Princess Anna Grigorievna Beloselskaya-Belozerskaya acquired it in 1797.

By the beginning of the 19th century, a small, rather modest palace, three floors high, had already been erected on the territory. Its façade was decorated in a classic style without frills or lush decorations, so it quickly became boring to the luxury-hungry owners. At the direction of Prince Esper Alexandrovich, significant reconstruction of the building began already in the mid-19th century.

The main designer was Andrei Ivanovich Stackenschneider, a famous St. Petersburg architect, whose creations were many of Peterhof’s pavilions: Pink, Holguin, His Majesty’s Dacha. Andrei Ivanovich also had a hand in creating the interiors of the Mikhailovsky Palace and designed the Mariinsky Palace.

Under his leadership, the buildings facing Nevsky Prospekt and the embankment were completely rebuilt: now they shone with colonnades and sculptures in the Baroque style. Outbuildings appeared on the side of the courtyard. The architect drew ideas from the design of the Stroganov Palace, also located in the center of St. Petersburg.

The Rococo style reigned inside the room. Entering the palace from the embankment, guests found themselves in the corner crimson living room, then in the green one, and then in the state room. The entrance from Nevsky Prospekt began with the living room and dining room, where noble guests were received. Next, an art gallery was equipped, combined with a concert hall.

But Esper Aleksandrovich never managed to live in the new Beloselsky-Belozersky palace: in 1846 he died of typhus. His widow did not grieve for a long time and soon found herself a new husband - Prince Vasily Viktorovich Kochubey, state councilor and chamberlain. However, he soon died too. This happened in 1850, nine days after Kochubey celebrated his 38th birthday.

The family's money was quickly wasted and by the eighties the Beloselsky-Belozerskys were mired in debt. There was nothing left to do but sell the palace. Its owner was Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, son of Alexander II. And the former residents moved to a mansion on Vasilyevsky Island.

This is how the palace received its second name - Sergievsky. The prince moved to live there with his young wife Elizaveta Feodorovna. But soon they were forced to leave the palace, since in 1891 Sergei Alexandrovich received the post of Governor-General of Moscow. During their stay, the couple only managed to convert the theater hall into a library.

In 1905, an attempt was made on the Grand Duke's life: he died. His faithful wife went to the monastery, assigning her possessions to her nephew, adopted by Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich.

During the First World War, several halls of the palace were given to military doctors so that they could organize a hospital for wounded soldiers. In 1917, Dmitry Pavlovich was sent into exile in Persia for participating in the murder of Grigory Rasputin, and the building became the property of the state.

The district committee of the Komsomol and the district party committees of the Central and Kuibyshev districts opened their offices there. At the same time as their work, Red propaganda courses were conducted here. At the same time, cosmetic repairs began to be made to the building.

During the siege of Leningrad, the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace was badly damaged. It was possible to restore some of its halls only in 1978, at which time the first excursions began to be held there. The restoration was carried out by Irina Nikolaevna Benois, the patriarch of the Leningrad school of restorers. In 1989, the first performances were given in the concert hall, and in 1991 the palace became the official cultural center of St. Petersburg.

The imperial family, headed by Alexander III, loved to visit the Beloselsky-Belozersky house. The young ladies danced all evening, and the men played cards. The emperor's wife, Maria Feodorovna, especially liked to have fun, and in order to take her home she had to use a trick. Finding various pretexts, the emperor lured the musicians off the stage one by one. When the accompaniment died down, Maria Feodorovna agreed to return home.

Classical music evenings were constantly held in the palace. Many famous composers presented their compositions to the guests. For example, one could hear works by Franz Liszt and Anton Rubinstein. Among the listeners one could sometimes meet Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky himself.

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Perhaps every tourist walking along the streets of St. Petersburg pays attention to the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace, located in the very center of the city. And even if guests of the Northern capital did not plan to inspect this building, they still will not pass by it. It's all about the location: the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace is located on Nevsky Prospect next to the famous Anichkov Palace.

The wife of Alexander III was ready to dance at balls in the Beloselsky-Belozersky palace without stopping, and the emperor had to resort to all sorts of tricks to persuade his wife to go home. Usually, under some pretext, he summoned the musicians one by one. When all the musicians were busy with some other activity and there was no one left to play, Maria Fedorovna agreed to leave the palace and go home.

The majestic building was built according to the design of Andrei Stackenschneider. Interestingly, this house was the last private palace built in the 19th century. The history of the palace began in 1797, when Senator Naryshkin sold his plot of land to the Beloselsky-Belozersky princes. The family quickly built a large house for themselves, but after a while large-scale reconstruction began. The owners wanted to live in a real palace, which in all respects would correspond to their high position in society. In 1848, the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace, built in the Baroque style, appeared on this site. It is worth noting that the new beautiful building charmed the St. Petersburg residents of that time. The prototype of the mansion was most likely the Stroganov Palace.

The Beloselsky-Belozerskys were collectors and brought porcelain, paintings, silver and rare books from their trips abroad. All these valuable things decorated the interior of the palace.

Alas, the customer of the house, Esper Aleksandrovich, never saw it. The head of the family died of typhus two years before the completion of construction. The widow Elena Pavlovna soon married Prince Vasily Kochubey. The couple organized magnificent balls in the Beloselsky-Belozersky palace, while they themselves lived in another house. By the way, balls and social evenings in the palace were considered one of the best in St. Petersburg. Emperor Alexander III and his wife were frequent guests of the events. Sometimes balls were held exclusively for the royal couple. Maria Fedorovna loved to dance, and Alexander III loved to play whist. The emperor's wife was ready to dance non-stop, and he had to resort to all sorts of tricks to persuade his wife to go home. Usually, under some pretext, he summoned the musicians one by one. When all the musicians were busy with some other activity, and there was no one left to play, Maria Fedorovna agreed to leave the palace and go home.

The owners of the Beloselsky-Belozersky palace organized musical evenings at which many famous composers played. Pyotr Tchaikovsky was a frequent guest at such events.

However, Vasily Kochubey's affairs went from bad to worse, and in 1884 he was forced to sell the palace to Prince Sergei Alexandrovich, the younger brother of Alexander III. That is why the palace later received the name Sergievsky. But in 1905, an attempt was made on the prince’s life. The mansion was transferred into the possession of his nephew Dmitry Pavlovich. In 1917, he took part in the murder of Grigory Rasputin and was then exiled to Persia. The owner of the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace was a major industrialist Ivan Stakheev.

After the revolution, the building was nationalized. A variety of organizations were located here: red propaganda courses, the district Komsomol committee and others. During the Great Patriotic War, the palace was badly damaged, but was restored and restored. In 1991, the palace received the status of a St. Petersburg cultural center, which now often hosts exhibitions and concerts. Some of the premises are rented out to various commercial organizations.

Practical information

The Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace is located at the address: St. Petersburg, Nevsky Prospect, 41, Mayakovskaya and Gostiny Dvor metro stations. A tour of the main halls of the palace will cost 300 RUB.

Prices on the page are as of September 2018.

in 2004, I had the good fortune to see the interiors of Maria Nikolaevna’s palace (Mariinsky), created by the favorite of the royal family, Andrei Ivanovich Stackenschneider. and finally, I got to another of his creations, the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace. The new building was created on the site of the old palace, the land for which was bought by the Russian writer, philosopher and diplomat Prince Alexander Mikhailovich Beloselsky-Belozersky. Stackenschneider carried out the project of this miracle of the “second Rococo” in 1847-1848. by order of Esper Alexandrovich and his wife Elena Pavlovna Bibikova for the further life of Prince Konstantin Esperovich Beloselsky-Belozersky, nephew of Zinaida Volkonskaya. There is an opinion that the prototype of the building was the Stroganov Palace, built according to the design of the architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli. the family became noticeably impoverished and in 1884 the owner of the palace became Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich (younger brother of Alexander III), who bought it as a wedding gift for his beautiful wife Ella (Elizabeth Fedorovna). True, the couple lived in the mansion for only 7 years: in 1891, the Grand Duke became Governor-General of Moscow. however, when in 1905 Sergei Alexandrovich was killed by the Socialist-Revolutionary militant Ivan Kalyaev and Elizaveta Fedorovna became the abbess of the Moscow Marfo-Maryinsky monastery, the palace in 1911 fell into the hands of Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich (cousin of Nicholas II) - here he was under house arrest after participation in the murder of Rasputin. During the First World War (1915-1918), the Sergius Palace (as it was called after its acquisition by Sergei Alexandrovich and the monogram with his initials adorns the bars of the main staircase and balcony) housed a British-Russian military hospital. Now the Office of the President of the Russian Federation is located here.

in fact, not much has been preserved here: 6 ceremonial chambers, as well as the personal interiors of Dmitry Pavlovich (the Sobchak Museum is now located there, where I have not been yet). all the living quarters were destroyed by bombs and no one plans to restore them. however, I personally was satisfied with what I saw. You enter the palace through the main staircase in the form of an open fan.

view of the Anichkov Bridge and the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace. By the way, the palace was originally the color of terracotta, so at the moment it stands in its original appearance.

The sculptor David Jensen took part in the interior decoration; his sculptures were made of plaster and Atlases and caryatids throughout the palace.

We go up the stairs and find ourselves in the green State Dining Room, the purpose of which can be understood by the inserts on the walls: cupids with fruit. It should be noted that fruit for dinners was brought from the greenhouses of the Beloselsky-Belozersky palace on Kamenny Island. the guide said that it has now been restored, although you can only look at it from a distance (like everything nowadays - this is a private building). In addition, four paintings on mythological subjects hang in the corners:

painting on an antique subject.

Cupids with fruits.

decorative element

from the Main Dining Room we immediately find ourselves in a passage hall with walls the color of a “faded rose”, decorated only with chandeliers, stucco moldings and the painting “The Abduction of Elena Toryanskaya” from the collection of A. M. Belozersky. Now the main part of the paintings has been transferred to the Hermitage, and the remaining paintings have been transported to the Beloselsky-Belozersky mansion on Krestovsky Island. here, when the owners held receptions, they set up card tables, and the old people, after the first dance, could thoroughly enjoy the game.

in the middle of the living room there is a door to the Hall of Mirrors for receptions, balls and dances, which lasted from 21.00 to 5.00. By the way, Emperor Alexander III himself liked to come to the palace. Empress Maria Feodorovna was ready to dance until the morning. In order to go home early, Alexander III, who was playing whist or having a casual conversation during the ball, asked his adjutant, under various pretexts, to call musicians from the orchestra. when only one musician remained - he stood up from his seat and, bowing, spread his arms, showing that he was unable to play anything - the emperor approached his wife and left the ball. In general, acquaintances with the “right people” were often made at balls, and a career was often made with their help. True, carefree young people came here for the sake of dancing and only dancing. often guests dressed up in theatrical costumes. Once a year a large court ball was given. About 3,000 people were invited to it.

The hall is decorated with “discreet mirrors” (expensive, made on silver), so called because they gave the face of those looking in them a pleasant peach tint. In addition to mirrors, there are several chandeliers in the hall - bronze and “paper” (made from papier-mâché). “There was a spirit of antiquity here,” contemporaries recalled about receptions in the palace. Alexandra Panaeva sang here, Liszt and Tchaikovsky played.

papier-mâché chandelier.

The truth is, of course, that what is most striking is the library of Prince Sergei Alexandrovich. wooden decoration for which was made at the factory of the famous Meltzer. The stained glass windows are especially good using a rare technique - made from moon glass. Previously, there was a home theater for the Belozerskys, where at one time the premiere of Gruboedov’s “Woe from Wit” took place. Among the documents I found a lithograph of Zinaida Volkonskaya in the role of the miller's wife (from Paisello's opera "The Beautiful Miller's Wife") by C. Agricola.

musical compositions of Zinaida Volkonskaya

yes, I also mentioned that there was an infirmary here during the First World War. The memorial plaque appeared quite recently. she was hanged with the money of the descendants of those English doctors who worked here.

the most beautiful hall, the Golden Drawing Room of Elizabeth Feodorovna, could only be viewed. You can't take pictures there - after all, it's a reception room for Presidential affairs. inside it is simply wonderful: with walls upholstered in crimson-silver damask, a crystal chandelier, gold openwork cornices and a beautiful view of the Fontanka and Nevsky Prospekt. I also discovered a secret door there. the guide said that it was for servants - soft drinks and delicacies were brought out to guests. and sometimes the mistress of the house eavesdropped on the conversations of the guests, tuning into the right mood. By the way, even though Stackenschneider created the interiors in imitation of French Rococo, he still made his own contribution - the floral ornament was made up of the flora of our region.

Dmitry Pavlovich and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.

Story

In 1797, Princess A. G. Beloselskaya purchased from I. A. Naryshkin a small stone house on the corner of Nevsky Prospect and the Fontanka embankment. The house was demolished, and in its place at the end of the 18th century, the architect F. I. Demertsov built the first three-story palace with a modest facade in the classical style. The appearance of this house was preserved in a drawing by M. N. Vorobyov.

Construction of a modern palace

In 1848, the palace was rebuilt by the architect A. I. Stackenschneider, acquiring a modern look. After reconstruction in the New Baroque style, the building began to resemble Rastrelli’s palaces. Stackenschneider completed the project commissioned by Prince E. A. Beloselsky-Belozersky. As part of this work, not only were the buildings facing Nevsky Prospekt and Fontanka completely rebuilt, but new outbuildings were also erected in the courtyard of the house. Not only the external appearance was created anew, but also the interior decoration of the building. There is an opinion that the prototype of the building was the Stroganov Palace, built according to the design of the architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Artistic techniques of the Russian Baroque of the 18th century were widely used in the decoration of the palace facades.

Sculptor D.I. Jensen was invited to decorate the palace. Based on his models, figures of Atlanteans and caryatids were created. The interior decoration of the palace was done by Stackenschneider; striking examples of such decoration were the wide main staircase and marble fireplaces. Along the staircase there were caryatids and sculptures supporting gilded candelabra, and in the openwork lattice of the railing the author placed elegant monograms of the owner’s initials. The Beloselsky-Belozersky library was magnificently decorated: the walls were covered with carved wooden panels and covered with silk, the fireplace was decorated with a relief pattern, and a huge mirror in a gilded frame.

Hosts

The name “Beloselsky-Belozersky” is conditional: one of the heirs of the Myasnikovsky millions, the general of the retinue, Prince Esper Beloselsky-Belozersky, ordered a building in the spirit of Rastrelli to Andrei Stackenschneider, but died when the foundation of the mansion was being dug, in 1846. His wife Elena Pavlovna (née Bibikova) moved to his mansion on Liteiny Prospekt after marrying Prince Vasily Kochubey. She did not leave the palace on Nevsky, using it to hold balls and social evenings. It was located next to the imperial Anichkov Palace, and royalty often came here.

In 1865, Nadezhda Dmitrievna (nee Skobeleva) married Konstantin Beloselsky, an aide-de-camp, the son of Elena Pavlovna (in her second marriage, Princess Kochubey) from her first marriage and settled in the palace. The palace in that era continued to be considered the most secular place in the capital; the owners spoke Russian with a slight English accent - in the latest fashion of the 1880s. At this time, a crisis occurred - the capitalization of the metallurgical enterprises of the Urals - the main assets of the owner - was rapidly declining: the reason for this was unsuccessful management and lack of investment in the main production. Prince Kochubey tried to rectify the situation, for this he took out loans from the state, but could not save the situation, and in the end he was forced to pay off the treasury with this palace.

Since 1884, the palace has been associated with the name of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, the younger brother of Alexander III, becoming in some way a wedding gift for his marriage to Elizabeth of Hesse-Darmstadt (Elisaveta Feodorovna). The palace received a new name - “Sergievsky”.

Since 1891, the Grand Duke became Governor-General of Moscow and the palace was empty.

In 1905, Sergei Alexandrovich was killed by the Socialist Revolutionary militant Ivan Kalyaev, and everything changed in the mansion: Elizabeth became a nun, abbess of the Moscow Marfo-Maryinsky Convent. Since she was childless, her husband’s nephews, Dmitry and Maria, became her adopted children. Their mother died in childbirth, and their father, Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich, took the beautiful wife Olga from General Erich von Pistelkors and married her. After this, the Grand Duke was expelled from Russia for a long time.

Maria Pavlovna married a Swedish prince, and Dmitry Pavlovich received her St. Petersburg palace on Nevsky from her aunt. Dmitry was the favorite of the last sovereign and the conqueror of women's hearts. A master of horse riding and dressage, he led the Russian equestrians at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, and was a racing driver. In the last years of the empire, he lost interest in the sovereign and empress, and together with Felix Yusupov he carried out an attempt on the life of Grigory Rasputin. After the murder of the “elder,” the famous tsar’s resolution followed: “No one is allowed to kill in Russia,” and he parted with the palace: Dmitry Pavlovich was exiled to Persia. There is an assumption that he managed, while in exile, to sell the palace to Ivan Ivanovich Stakheev, the owner of a large financial and industrial monopoly, but there is no documentary evidence of this.

During the First World War, the Sergius Palace housed the Anglo-Russian Military Hospital, which was inaugurated by the British Red Cross in the presence of the Empress on January 30, 1916 and existed until January 1918. The hospital was staffed by English personnel under the leadership of Dr. Flemming. During its work, about 6,000 Russian soldiers were treated at the hospital.

After the October Revolution of 1917, the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace, like many others, was nationalized. Since 1920, the district committee of the Central Party was located here, later - the Kuybyshevsky district. The palace parted with the collection of paintings collected by the Beloselsky-Belozerskys: it was transported partly to the Hermitage, and partly to a mansion on Krestovsky Island, which also belonged to this family.

After the failure of the August 1991 putsch, the district committee of the CPSU ended its existence and in 1992, the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace was transferred to the Committee for Culture of the St. Petersburg City Hall and the state cultural institution “Petersburg Cultural Center” was located there.

From the mid-1990s until 2004, the palace housed the Historical Wax Museum.

Since January 2003, the building has been transferred to the jurisdiction of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation. Much attention is paid to its technical condition. The latest restoration work was carried out in 2015. During the restoration, the Mirror (Concert) Hall and the State Dining Room were returned to the original color schemes in the design, conceived by A. I. Stackenschneider, and all the paintings and panels built into the walls of the State Dining Room were restored.

The palace has preserved original interiors, among which the state rooms on the 2nd floor stand out: the Oak Hall (former library), used as a small concert hall, the Art Gallery, the State Dining Room, the Beige Living Room, the Mirror (Ballroom) Hall with excellent acoustics, as originally intended for concerts and is still used as such, the Golden Raspberry Lounge. In all these and other rooms, the artistic decoration of the mid-late 19th century has been preserved: fireplaces, lamps, stucco moldings, paintings, mirrors, furniture and much more.

Palace of Beloselsky-Belozersky.
Sergievsky Palace is a former palace in St. Petersburg, on Nevsky Prospekt at its intersection with the Fontanka River.
The author of the project is the architect A. I. Stackenschneider, who carried out construction in the style of the so-called “second Baroque”.

Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace from Nevsky Prospekt

The site where the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace is located, as well as other sites on the banks of the Fontanka River, was transferred to noble nobles for development at the beginning of the 18th century. At first it was owned by the senator, Prince A.I. Shakhovskoy. Under Catherine II, its owner was the director of the Assignation Bank, Senator P.V. Myatlev. For some time, the owner of the site was Senator I. A. Naryshkin.

View of the Fontanka. To the left of the bridge is the house of I. A. Naryshkin. 1820s

In 1797, Princess Anna Grigorievna Belselskaya-Belozerskaya purchased the plot from Naryshkin. She was the second wife of Prince Alexander Mikhailovich Beloselsky-Belozersky, with whose dowry this family purchased a house from Naryshkin, and in 1803 from the descendants of the Razumovskys - Krestovsky Island. In 1800, according to the design of F.I. Demertsov, a new house was built here in the classicist style, the main facade of which faced Nevsky Prospekt.

Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace from the Fontanka side

View of the palace from Anichkov Bridge

Pediment of the facade from the side of the Fontanka River

attic window

Lion mask on the facade

Admiralty Tower (Belosselsky-Belozersky Palace)

Atlantean boy. Fragment of the attic. Sculptor D.I. Jensen. 1847-1848

Luchkovy pediment from Nevsky Prospect

Masks in the windows of the second floor

Sculptural decor of a second floor window

Atlas figure at the main entrance

Vase on the parapet

Masks in the windows

Decorative design of basement windows

Over time, this mansion ceased to suit the owners of the mansion. It began to seem uncomfortable, and the modest classical façade began to seem inappropriate to their high position in society. The new Beloselsky-Belozersky palace was designed by the architect Andrei Ivanovich Stackenschneider.

The development of the project was carried out in 1840-1841. Construction was carried out in 1846-1848, as a result of which the buildings facing Nevsky Prospekt and Fontanka were rebuilt, and two new outbuildings were erected in the courtyard.

Palace of Beloselsky-Belozersky. Facade from the Fontanka River. Design solution (Belosselsky-Belozersky Palace)

The facades of the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace were made in the Baroque style, which was the first example of the use of this style in St. Petersburg in the 19th century. Apparently, the prototype of the building was the Stroganov Palace, located on the corner of Nevsky Prospect and the Moika River.

Figures of Atlases supporting a balcony

The terracotta figures of Atlases on the façade, the Atlanteans and caryatids inside the premises were made according to the models of the sculptor D. I. Jensen.

Main staircase

Most of the halls were decorated in Rococo style. The suite of halls on the second floor along the Fontanka begins with the Raspberry Living Room.

Its windows overlook both the river and the avenue. Next are the Green Living Room and Reception Room. The reception room is decorated with a picturesque panel “Feast of Venus” and furniture made at the F. Meltzer factory. The suite along Nevsky Prospekt began with the Living Room and the State Dining Room.

Oak Hall

Next was an art gallery, which in the 20th century was adapted into the foyer of a concert hall. Under the first owners, the double-height concert hall consisted of two separate rooms. From the foyer you could get into the Theater Hall.

On the ground floor the Reception Room, Study Room and Dining Room are partially preserved. The Grand Staircase is well preserved.

The customer of the construction, Prince Esper Alexandrovich Belselsky-Belozersky, died of typhus on June 15, 1846. He never settled in the new palace. His widow Elena Pavlovna was engaged in the reconstruction of the state halls and courtyard outbuildings. At this time, water supply was installed here. The wooden end pavement opposite the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace was replaced with a pavement made of “Brusninsky stone”, and a cast-iron canopy was installed at the front entrance.

Elena Pavlovna soon enough after the death of her husband remarried Prince Vasily Viktorovich Kochubey. The Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace was being rebuilt at that time, the family lived in a mansion on Liteiny Prospekt.

Elena Pavlovna used the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace to host balls and social evenings. Because of its proximity to the imperial Anichkov Palace, royalty often attended the balls. Sometimes they were arranged only for the emperor's family.
These events were especially liked by Alexander III, who did not favor official balls. The emperor's wife was ready to dance until the morning, and at that time he himself played whist.
In order to complete the ball, Alexander III, under various pretexts, called the musicians one by one until there was no one left to play. Only after this did he approach his wife and leave the palace with her.

The Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace was famous not only for balls, but also for musical evenings. Franz Liszt and Anton Rubinstein performed here. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky attended the evenings as a listener.

In the 1880s, the capital of the Beloselsky-Belozersky princes was rapidly declining, their enterprises were operating at a loss. To distribute debts in 1884, the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace was sold to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. He purchased this building on the occasion of his marriage to Elizabeth of Hesse-Darmstadt (Elizabeth Feodorovna). Prince Kochubey moved to his mansion on Krestovsky Island, where he transported some of the valuables from the palace on Nevsky Prospekt.

Since then, the Beloselsky-Belozersky palace began to be called Sergievsky. A number of premises have been remodeled for the new owners. The theater hall, designed by R. F. Meltzer, was converted into a Library.

Alexander Karlovich Beggrov (1841-1914) View of the Anichkov Bridge in St. Petersburg

In 1891, Sergei Alexandrovich became governor-general of Moscow and moved there with his wife. The palace was empty for a long time. On February 4, 1905, the Grand Duke was killed as a result of an assassination attempt. His widow, using her own funds, organized the Martha and Mary Convent in Moscow and became its abbess. The St. Petersburg Palace was transferred by Elizabeth Feodorovna to the nephew of the Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich. Elizaveta Fedorovna and Sergei Alexandrovich did not have their own children.

Parade on Nevsky Prospekt. 1850s

During the First World War, Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich provided the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace to the Anglo-Russian hospital. The five largest halls (including a concert hall and an art gallery) were allocated for its needs. In 1917, due to his participation in the murder of Rasputin, the Grand Duke had to leave Russia.

"Anichkov Bridge and the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace." Lithograph by J. Jacotte and Regame from the original by I. I. Charlemagne. 1850s

In 1918, the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace was nationalized. The palace housed Red propaganda courses. At the end of 1919, part of the premises was transferred to the district committee of the Komsomol, and in 1920 - to the district party committee of the Central, and then the Kuibyshev district. The committees occupied only part of the building. Other premises were rented to various organizations. At the end of the 1920s, cosmetic renovations were carried out here.

During the Leningrad blockade, the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace was significantly damaged.
In 1948-1949 and 1954 it was restored and restored. In 1960-1988, the interiors were recreated. Excursions began here, which since 1978 can be visited by anyone. Since 1989, concerts have been given in the palace.

Since the 1990s, the palace premises have been rented out to commercial organizations. In 2002-2003, the facade of the building was restored. In 2004-2005 - the main staircase, art gallery and oak hall.

After the 1917 revolution, the Beloselsky-Belozersky palace, like many others, was nationalized. Since 1920, the district committee of the Central Party was located here, later - the Kuybyshevsky district.
The Soviet era passed less painfully for it than for most other objects: the Sergievsky Palace regained the name of its first owners, the interiors of the monument were almost undamaged in the 20th century. The palace parted with the collection of paintings collected by the Beloselsky-Belozerskys: it was transported partly to the Hermitage, and partly to a mansion on Krestovsky Island, which also belonged to this family.

After the August 1991 putsch, the district committee of the CPSU ended its existence and in the 1990s the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace was transferred to the Committee for Culture of the City Hall of St. Petersburg, it also housed a city cultural center, and at the beginning of the 21st century the Historical Museum of Wax Figures was opened. More than two hundred exhibits in this collection depict people who have gone down in history since the time of Ivan the Terrible.
The cultural center holds all kinds of exhibitions, conferences... There is a concert hall in the palace, and various musical performances are periodically held there.

Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace and Anichkov Bridge over the Fontanka. Saint Petersburg. Russia. Photolithography.

Legends and myths

This area on the left bank of the Fontanka has long acquired the mystical aura of the “District of Doubles”:

* On the site of the Trinity-Sergius courtyard, which is located next to this palace, there was once a palace where Empress Anna Ioannovna saw her double just before her death.
* Pyotr Andreevich Vyazemsky lived not far from here, and one day, when he came home, he saw in his office “himself, sitting at the table and writing something.”

St. Petersburg and suburbs