Types of the palace square. How a meadow turned into an architectural ensemble. History of Palace Square. History and architecture
One of the symbols of St. Petersburg and one of the most visited tourist places in this city is Palace Square. This architectural ensemble began to take shape in the second half of the 18th century, its formation was completed in the first half of the 19th century.
The square is formed by several historical and architectural monuments - the Winter Palace (this landmark gave the square its name), the Guards Corps Headquarters Building, the semicircular General Staff Building and, of course, the famous Alexander Column. The area measures approximately five and a half hectares. In some sources you can find information that its size is eight hectares, but this is not true.
The square is under the protection of UNESCO: it was included in the World Heritage List.
Where it all began...
In the first years of the 18th century, a fortress-shipyard surrounded by ramparts was founded in the city. Also, a ditch was dug around the fortress, in front of which there was a space free from any buildings. Its dimensions were enormous. This space was necessary for defense purposes: in the event of an enemy attack on the fortress from the land side, it would help the artillerymen repel the attack.
But a short time after the fortress was completed, it lost its military significance. And along with it, the open space located behind the ditch also lost it. In this empty area, they began to store lumber needed for various construction works. Large anchors and other supplies related to shipbuilding were also stored there. Part of the territory was occupied by a market. By that time, the space that once had defensive significance was overgrown with grass and became a real meadow. A few more years passed and the territory changed again: new streets passed through it in three rays. They divided the territory into several parts.
Then a new period in the history of the future famous square began. At this time it was used as a place for folk festivals. Fireworks sparkled above it, fountains splashed on it, in which there was wine instead of water.
In the 40s of the 18th century, a royal decree was issued, according to which oats should be sown in the future square (which at that time was still a meadow). Later, court cattle grazed in the meadow. Sometimes soldiers performed drills here. During that period of time, the Winter Palace was being completed and rebuilt, and the open space in front of it was often used for construction purposes.
In the mid-60s of the 18th century, a kind of knightly tournament took place in this area. It was a grandiose celebration, especially for which a temporary round theater without a roof was built from wood. The attire of the festival participants was strikingly luxurious.
From meadow to parade ground
At the end of the 70s of the 18th century, at the behest of the empress, the process of transforming the square began. A design competition was held, and after the winner was announced, construction work began. At the end of the century, the square looked like this: a huge space was surrounded by houses on three sides and, according to contemporaries, resembled an amphitheater.
At the beginning of the 19th century, architect Anton Mauduit proposed a plan for redevelopment of the square. It is on this plane that the square first takes on the shape that is now so familiar to us. In the first half of the 19th century, the appearance of the square gradually changed and transformed. In the 1930s, the famous column was erected in its center. At the beginning of the 20th century (as well as the 19th century), military parades and reviews were often held on the square.
One of the darkest pages in the history of the square was the event that was later called “Bloody Sunday”. A procession of workers carrying a petition with economic and political demands to the Tsar was dispersed in the square. During the dispersal of this demonstration, hundreds of people died: firearms were used against unarmed demonstrators.
In the first years of the 20th century, all the buildings on the square were painted brick red, which seemed to become a harbinger of the events of 1917. In the 40s of the 20th century, the buildings were returned to their original appearance: their walls were repainted in light colors. Soon after the revolutionary events, a monument to the writer and philosopher Alexander Radishchev was erected on the square. The bust was made of plaster. After standing for about six months, it was overturned by a gust of strong wind and has not been restored since then.
During Soviet times, parades and festive demonstrations took place on the square. In the first post-revolutionary years, large-scale theatrical performances on revolutionary themes were held on this territory. At the beginning of the 30s, the square was reconstructed: the paving stones were removed, the space was asphalted; the granite pillars that surrounded the famous column have also been removed. In the 40s, the idea of moving the column and device to the airfield area was considered. But this plan was not implemented. In the 70s, reconstruction work was carried out on the square again. The asphalt was replaced with paving stones. Lanterns were installed at the corners of the square.
Square in the 21st century
At the beginning of the 21st century, restoration work took place on the square, during which an archaeological find was made - the remains of an outbuilding that belonged to Anna Ioannovna. More precisely, the foundation of this building was found - once luxurious, consisting of three floors. The archaeological find was carefully studied, many photographs were taken of it, after which it was again covered with earth. A few years later, the Alexander Column was restored.
The square often hosts social and sporting events, and concerts of famous performers are held. In winter, an attempt was made to turn the square into a skating rink with a paid entrance, but this caused outrage from many public organizations and the skating rink ceased to exist. Relatively recently, a pavilion with mirrored walls was installed on the square, which reflected the entire architectural ensemble. This pavilion did not last long: it was destroyed by a gust of wind and then dismantled.
Architectural ensemble of the square
Let's tell you in more detail about those historical and architectural attractions that make up the ensemble of the main square of St. Petersburg:
The Alexander Column was erected in memory of the victory of Russian troops over Napoleon's army. The author of this majestic building in the Empire style is the architect Henri Louis Auguste Ricard de Montferrand. The column project he developed was approved by the emperor in the late 20s of the 19th century, and in the mid-30s the grand opening of the monument took place. The column was made of pink granite in one of the quarries located near St. Petersburg. Transporting the convoy to the city became a difficult task. A special barge was even built for this purpose. Today the column is one of the main attractions of the city. Sometimes, recalling the famous poem by the classic of Russian poetry, it is called the “Pillar of Alexandria,” but this is a wrong name.
The Winter Palace is another important part of the square ensemble. It was built in the middle of the 18th century. The author of the project is Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli. The palace was built in accordance with the canons of the Elizabethan Baroque (the facades and rooms are distinguished by luxurious decoration). Initially, the building was the residence of Russian rulers, where they spent the winter months. In the second half of the 30s of the 19th century, a terrible fire broke out in the palace, which could not be put out for several days. The property salvaged from the palace was piled around the famous column. At the end of the 30s of the 19th century, the palace was restored. During Soviet times, the building housed exhibitions of the State Hermitage.
In the eastern part of the square there is the building of the former Headquarters of the Guards Troops. The author of the project is the artist and architect Alexander Bryullov. The building was built in accordance with the canons of the late classical style. Thanks to its elegance and severity, it fit perfectly into the architectural ensemble, which was very difficult: on one side of the Headquarters there is a Baroque palace, on the other - an Empire style building. The headquarters was built in about six years: construction work began in the second half of the 30s of the 19th century and was completed in the early 40s. Several years before the development of the project and construction of the building, there was an idea to build a theater on this site. This idea was never brought to life.
On the south side of the square rises the General Staff building. It was erected at the beginning of the 19th century. The author of the project is architect Carl Rossi. The three buildings of the building form an arc, the length of which is five hundred and eighty meters. The buildings are connected by a triumphal arch. It is crowned with a sculptural group depicting the chariot of Glory. The architects of this group are Vasily Demut-Malinovsky and Stepan Pimenov. In pre-revolutionary times, not only the General Headquarters, but also three ministries were located in the buildings. In the first post-revolutionary years, the building housed the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs of the RSFSR. Later there was a regular police station here. Currently, the Headquarters of the Western Military District is located here, occupying part of the building. The wing, located on the eastern side, was transferred to the State Hermitage in the early 90s of the 20th century.
Palace Square is the main square of St. Petersburg. Some of the city's famous landmarks are located in and around the square. The most famous museum in St. Petersburg, the Hermitage, is located on Palace Square. Various interesting events are often held here.(View larger photo.)
Palace Square can be included in the list of places in St. Petersburg. As part of the historical center of St. Petersburg, the square is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The most significant buildings on the square are: the Winter Palace, the Guards Corps Headquarters Building, the General Staff Building with its famous Arc de Triomphe, and the Alexander Column. A little north of Palace Square is the “New Hermitage” with Atlantean figures at the entrance. Walking from Palace Square in a southerly direction, you will get to the Admiralty, and then, through the “Alexandrovsky Garden”, to Senate Square and the monument (The distance from Palace Square is approximately 750 meters.) From the Winter Palace you can also walk to the monument and the cathedral along the embankment Not you. High-speed hydrofoil boats depart from a pier located near the square.
After visiting Palace Square, be sure to go to the Neva embankment. From here you have an excellent view of the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island. This is one of the most beautiful places in the city.
You can check the location of Palace Square
How to get to Palace Square
The easiest way to get to Palace Square in St. Petersburg. The nearest metro station “Admiralteyskaya” is located at a distance of approximately 200 meters from the square. Walk from the station along Malaya Morskaya Street to Nevsky Prospekt and turn left in the direction of the Admiralty. Palace Square will be on your right.
You can also get to the square from the Nevsky Prospect and Gostiny Dvor metro stations along Nevsky Prospekt (distance about 800 meters) and from the Vasileostrovskaya metro station across the Palace Bridge (distance about 2.5 kilometers).
Nearest metro station – .
Winter Palace
This is the oldest building on Palace Square. Construction of the palace, designed by B.F. Rastrelli, began in 1754 and was completed in 1762. At that time, the Winter Palace became the tallest residential building in St. Petersburg. At that time there were 1,500 rooms in the palace.
The palace has a simple rectangular shape. The richly decorated facade gives the building solemnity and recognition. The facade of the palace is decorated with columns, carved window frames, and statues. Inside the palace there are richly decorated halls. Currently, the largest is located in the Winter Palace. The Hermitage Theater is also located next to the palace.
Alexander Column
The Alexander Column is one of the most famous monuments in St. Petersburg. It was installed in 1834 in the center of Palace Square by the architect Montferrand. The column was erected in memory of the victory over Napoleon's troops.
Construction of the column took place from 1829 to 1834. The main part of the column was made of a monolithic piece of pink granite. The granite block was quarried in the town of Pyterlahti near Vyborg in Finland, and then transported to St. Petersburg. The total height of the structure is 47.5 m. At the top of the column there is a figure of an angel holding a cross in his left hand.
The General Staff building is located on the south-eastern side of Palace Square. Construction of the building lasted from 1819 to 1829. The construction was supervised by the architect Rossi. The central part of the building consists of two buildings, together forming an arc with a total length of 580 meters.
The General Staff Building is known for its most visible part - the General Staff Arch. Architect Rossi, designing the main square of the city, decided to connect the two wings of the General Staff building with a triumphal arch. The arch was built as the final detail in the composition of Palace Square. At the same time, the Arch is a monument dedicated to the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812.
The arch is decorated with a sculptural composition consisting of a chariot harnessed to six horses. The horses are held back by two warriors dressed in Roman armor and armed with spears. The winged Nike stands in the chariot. In her right hand the goddess holds a laurel wreath. The sculptural composition is a symbol of military glory. The triumphal arch of the main headquarters was opened on October 24, 1828. The height of the General Staff Arch is 36 meters. Through the arch you can go to Nevsky Prospekt (along Bolshaya Morskaya Street).
Address: Palace Square
As they say, all roads in St. Petersburg lead to the main square, which is called Palace Square and which occupies a worthy place on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. The dimensions of Dvortsovaya are more than twice the size of Red Square.
Palace Square is a concentration of several historical and architectural monuments federal scale. This and the colossal semicircle of the building General Staff and his beautiful Triumphal Arch, and the harmonious construction of the headquarters building Guards Corps, and famous Alexander's pillar and, of course, the stunning, world-famous Winter Palace.
Brief history of Palace Square
The emergence and formation of the square is directly related to the history of the construction of the Admiralty, which was created according to wartime laws as a fortress-shipyard. This means that the territory of the Admiralty Shipyard was surrounded by ramparts and ditches, in front of which an open esplanade(flat space) for better observation of the advancing enemy.
But the Admiralty fortress soon lost its military relevance, and part of the flat space began to be used for storing Admiralty equipment, while part was gradually overgrown with grass, turning into Admiralty Meadow.
During times Anna Ioannovna on meadow lands were sometimes carried out holidays for the common people - temporary pavilions for entertainment were built, wine drinking and feeding of roasted bulls to the people were organized. Then, during the construction of the third and fifth Winter Palaces, the meadow space was used for storage building material. It was also sometimes held here military training, and the imperial cattle grazed.
The idea of organizing a square in front of the fifth Winter Palace, which is being completed, belongs to F. Rastrelli. He created first project closed palace territory, with a colonnade surrounding the monument to Peter the Great in its center. In the 60s of the 18th century, an architectural competition was held for the master plan for the development of the city, based on the results of which the architectural design was approved design by A. Kvasov for the improvement of Palace Square.
Starting from the dominant feature of the Winter Palace, in which arched exits to the square, Kvasov gave the main geometric boundary of the square space in the west, rounding it off in the northern direction. Gradually, the space around the palace is formed by the buildings of the Southern Pavilion of the Small Hermitage (architect Felten) and the Free Economic Society (architect Wallen-Delamot), as well as the Glazov House and the mansions of A. Lansky and J. Bruce.
Arches of the Winter Palace
All these structures are distributed along an arcuate line outlined by A. Kvasov, surrounding the Winter Palace like an amphitheater. In the resulting square space, at the end of the 18th century, changing of the guards and folk festivities took place, similar to the festivities under Anna Ioannovna.
Early 19th century the last one happens redevelopment area ( architect A. Mauduit), which has survived to this day. The buildings opposite the Winter Palace are being demolished and replaced Main headquarters, consisting of two buildings (architect K. Rossi) interconnected Arc de Triomphe. This fundamental structure - solemn and monumental - gave the square logical completeness.
Later, the building of the Economic Society will be stylized as the General Headquarters, and the eastern side of the palace space will be closed Headquarters of the Guards Corps(architect A. Bryullov). The overall picture will be completed by the Alexandria Column installed in the center of the square ( architect O. Montferrand). After final design, the palace square became the venue for military reviews and ceremonial military processions.
This square remembers the day of Bloody Sunday 1905 and the night of 1917, when the Winter Palace was captured by armed sailors. She also remembers the ceremonial and demonstration processions held during the Soviet period, as well as theatrical performances of many thousands on socialist and other themes. For example, in 1924 Red Army soldiers played the role of chess here.
Living chess - photo 1924
After the October events 1918 When Uritsky was killed in the halls of the General Staff, the square received his name. In the same year, a monument to A. Radishchev made of plaster, however, it did not last long - it was overturned by the wind and broke.
During the last period of the Great Patriotic War, the square, like many other St. Petersburg objects, received back its historical name. At the end of the 70s, the area was reconstructed and diabase paving stones were laid on it. Recreated lamp posts were also installed.
Today the territory of the square is not only a venue ceremonial celebrations. Various city events take place here - Day of the city, sports marathons, music concerts, Bard Song Days, etc.
Description of attractions
As already mentioned, all the buildings of Palace Square are an integral architecturalensemble, which took shape as a result of the work of many famous architects. But the main attraction of the square, for which many tourists come here, is, of course, the famous Winter Palace.
Winter Palace
A wonderful monument of architectural palace architecture mid 18th century– Winter Palace – the most famous sight Petersburg. This is a wonderful example Russian Baroque, done F. Rastrelli and the main palace of Russian emperors, starting with Catherine the Great.
Winter Palace
Russian tsars are here lived, arranged balls, held official receptions, decided the fate of Russia. In the interiors of the palace, they tried to express the power and heroism of the country, to show its untold wealth and the skill of domestic craftsmen.
The Winter Palace marked the beginning of the famous Hermitage collection, one of the richest in the world, for the storage of which special buildings were built, which together with the palace formed a single architectural composition of Palace Square and Palace Embankment. These are the Small and New Hermitages, the Hermitage Theater.
Southern Pavilion of the Small Hermitage
Today in the palace halls you can see exhibitions and restored residential and front premises of Russian rulers. The most famous and beautiful halls with a recreated interior are located On the second floor. These are the personal chambers of the former empresses Alexandra Feodorovna and Maria Alexandrovna, the Military Gallery, the Armorial and Petrine Halls, the Great Throne Hall of St. George and many others.
On the ground floor you can see Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Scythian and other rarities obtained during archaeological research. On the third - objects of art of Byzantium, the countries of the Middle and Far East.
Facing the Winter Court, in a wavy silhouette of two wings, there are two buildings of the General Staff. The junction of the headquarters buildings was the monumental Arc de Triomphe.
General Staff and Arc de Triomphe
The building structure of the General Staff building was erected in the 20s of the 19th century famous architectural master K. Rossi. As the name implies, these buildings housed the military headquarters. There was also a place for the military, financial and other Ministries. Today West Side the building corresponds to its purpose, it is placed at the disposal of Western Military District. And the territory eastern part has been available since 2013 Hermitage, which placed there collections of modernists and abstractionists of the early 20th century.
The western wing differs from the eastern wing by the presence of a metal-glass domes, built at the very beginning of the 20th century. This dome provided natural light to the headquarters specialized library located below.
Triumphal Arch of the General Staff Building
The famous decoration of the headquarters buildings is the monumental Triumphal Arch, erected by 1828. This is not just a passage from Nevsky Prospekt to the square, but also a sculptural one monument in honor of the victory in the Patriotic War war of 1812. The triumphal arch consists of three parallel arches, decorated with bas-relief drawings and a beautiful sculptural group glorifying Russian military glory.
Expressive composition of triumphal chariots, drawn by six horses, located at a height of 36 meters, was completed S. Pimenov and V. Demut-Malinovsky. It is clearly visible from the square. Beautiful sculptures and two armed warriors in Roman attire, holding back hot horses, and winged Nicky with a banner in his left hand and a laurel wreath in his right.
Leitmotif military glory present in the bas-reliefs and in the ornaments decorating the arch. Wreaths with laurel leaves and military trophies, goddesses of glory with palm branches, sentries in antique armor frozen in a welcoming pose - everything most expressively glorifies the Russian military victory.
The theme of the victorious triumph over Napoleon is completed by the famous Alexander Column.
Alexander Column
In the center of the square there is a unique architectural monument early 19th century, great work O. Montferrand. With this monument alone he has already immortalized his memory. Made in the best triumphal examples of antiquity, the laconic columnar silhouette clearly and rapidly soars upward.
Alexander Column
Alexander Column or, as A.S. Pushkin called it, Alexandria pillar, is also a memorable perpetuation of the victorious triumph of the War of 1812, and a memorial stele AlexandruFirst, and glorifying the heroism of the Russian army. All attributes of the decorative decoration of the pedestal and column completion are filled symbols Glory and Victory.
Bas-relief of the pedestal of the Alexander Column
Four year old History of creation and the erection of a 600-ton column is worthy of separate writing, for this is also heroism - creative and labor heroism. The granite column stands without special fasteners, held only own weight for almost two hundred years, since 1832. The Pillar of Alexandria has stood the test of time, wars, revolutions and regime changes.
Today the Alexander Column is one of the most famous symbols of the city, its calling card, one of the key attractions not only of Palace Square, but of the entire city.
Headquarters of the Guards Corps
A little later than the installation of the Alexandrian Pillar, instead of the former Manege, the eastern outskirts of the square are built up with a headquarters building for the Guards Corps (architect A. Bryulov). This construction was carried out as part of the program for the architectural completion of the ensemble design of the square.
Guards troops, established by Peter the Great at the very beginning of the 18th century, played a significant role in political life Russia. Well known shelves Semenovsky, Preobrazhensky, Izmailovsky, etc. The ruling dynasty relied on them, they repeatedly helped the Russian emperors, and the construction of their Headquarters near the main royal residence was completely justified.
The classic building, located in the letter L, faces the square and the Moika embankment with its facades. Front facade The four-story building overlooking the square is decorated with a twelve-column portico and stucco inter-window bas-reliefs. The building of the Guards Headquarters harmoniously fit into the architectural complex of the square, without pulling the “blanket” over itself, without standing out, but complementing and completing the architectural appearance of the square on its eastern side.
Decor of the Main facade of the Headquarters
The interior decoration of the Headquarters was decorated using guards paraphernalia- these are images of checkers, helmets, shakos and other things, even the wall ornaments resembled the sewing of guards collars.
In the October days of 1917 The headquarters of the Guards Corps was occupied by the headquarters of the Petrograd Military District, which, headed by Lenin, dealt with the defense of the city. A memorial plaque tells about these events.
With the construction of the Guards Staff Corps, the urban planning of Palace Square ended, accepting the final version, which all tourists see today. But Palace Square also includes a small park between the Winter Palace and Palace Passage, about which I would also like to say a few words.
Winter Garden
After the completion of the construction of the imperial palace in its winter version, this small area on its western side served for the deployment of guards, and it was called - Adjustablesquare.
But by the end of the 19th century, Nevsky Prospekt was connected to Palace Embankment by a new street - Dvortsovy Proezd, which soon began to attract the attention of the townspeople, and turned into a busy urban area. The noise of the crowded city passage was not very convenient for the royal family, whose chambers faced towards Palace Passage.
Therefore, it was decided to create a small buffer zone in the form of a square between the imperial residence and the city street. The work on the construction of the garden was supervised by the architect N. Kramskoy, and was directly involved in garden plantings R.Katzer.
garden fence in the style of Rastrell's Baroque was carried out by the architect R. Meltzer. This cast iron fence itself was a work of art. The patterns of the cast iron grating included images of acanthus leaves, monograms of the royal family, and the imperial coat of arms. The fence was closed by a gate decorated double headed eagles and lanterns, and the support pillars were decorated vases. The fence exhibit was a participant in the Paris World Exhibition 1900, where he received his well-deserved The Grand Prix.
After the exhibition the fence was installed on granite foundations in the place intended for it, thereby outlining the territory of the Winter Garden, which by that time was planted with trees, shrubs and flowers. The garden was mounted and fountain. However, the royal family did not have much use of this garden at the beginning of the 20th century. Nicholas II and his family moved to Tsarskoye Selo, but the townspeople were not allowed into the garden.
Under the new government, after some time following the revolutionary events, the Winter Garden practically ceased to exist - fence with royal emblems broke, the flower beds were trampled. There was an attempt to install a plaster bust of Radishchev on one of the fence supports, but it was unsuccessful - the bust fell and broke.
May 1, 1920 the historical “Leninist” took place subbotnik, during which all the decoration of the Winter Garden was literally swept away from the face of the earth. Everything that remained of the fence, support pillars, gates, etc., was removed as garbage from the territory of Palace Square. Only trees and a non-working fountain remained. Only in the first decade 21st century the historical appearance of the square was restored and entered the stone composition of Palace Square like a green island.
Winter Palace on Palace Square - the former royal residence, a symbol of the Elizabethan Baroque architectural style, the largest palace in St. Petersburg. Since the first Soviet years, the most famous museum in Russia, the State Hermitage, has been operating here.
Admiralty Meadow
Palace Square originated as part of the glacis, the open space in front of the Admiralty, founded in 1704. Since then, there has been a meadow here, where cattle were often grazed. They called it Admiralty.
The highest naval ranks immediately began to settle near the shipyard. In 1705, at a distance of 200 fathoms from the Admiralty, according to the design of Domenico Trezzini, the house of Admiral General Fyodor Matveevich Apraksin was built. Two years later, Admiralty Advisor A. Kikin settled nearby. In 1712, Apraksin's house was rebuilt in stone; in 1716, the building was remodeled again, this time according to the design of the architect Leblon.
The western part of the meadow, near the route of the future Nevsky Prospekt, has been occupied by the Marine Market since 1705. It arose at the request of local artisans, who complained to Governor A.D. Menshikov about the absence of an establishment selling food and drink in Morskaya Sloboda. At the market they sold not only food, but also firewood and hay.
Next to the market, on the site of house No. 55 on the Moika embankment, the eminent house of Admiral Cornelius Kruys, President of the Admiralty Board, was built according to a standard design. Different sources say differently about the fate of this house. It either burned down in 1710, or was dismantled for the construction of the Petrovskoye Kruzhal tavern.
After Kikin's execution in 1718, his mansion was occupied by the Maritime Academy.
In the spring of 1721, an alley was planted on Bolshaya Perspektivnaya Road (Nevsky Prospekt). She divided the Admiralty Meadow into two parts. The western one later became Admiralty Square, and the eastern one gradually turned into Palace Square.
In 1728, according to his will, Apraksin’s house was passed to Peter II. The young emperor never settled here; he moved with the government to Moscow. Apraksin's house was empty all this time, but in 1731 it began to be rebuilt as the residence of Empress Anna Ioannovna. It was designed by B.K. Rastrelli and his son. To accommodate new premises, a neighboring plot belonging to the Maritime Academy was purchased. By 1735, the new Winter House of Anna Ioannovna was built here, with the main façade facing the Admiralty.
The square next to the Winter Palace was supposed to be surrounded by a colonnade, in the center of which a bronze statue of Anna Ioannovna by B. K. Rastrelli was to be installed. To do this, the area was cleared of random wooden buildings that had appeared here, right down to the alley. Near the southern end of the Winter Palace on the edge of the Admiralty Meadow, only a few service buildings were left. Among other things, a wooden arena built in 1732 according to the design of F.B. Rastrelli was moved from here. By November 10, 1738, it was opened “at the place indicated by the bereiter Schiederer near the stable mud hut houses” on the bank of the “newly conceived” Catherine Canal (site of house No. 28 on Nevsky Prospekt).
Admiralty Meadow was used as a platform for parades and folk festivals. For example, on January 27, 1740, a review of the imperial guard took place here. The troops marched along Nevsky Prospect to the Winter Palace with music and waving banners. At the same time, a masquerade was held in the palace for the nobility, and for the common people, treats were placed in the meadow - roasted bulls, fountains of red and white wine.
The space next to the imperial residence required appropriate care. In 1750, paving of the Admiralty Meadow with turf and cobblestones began. From that time on, “meadow” in the strict sense of the word disappeared.
The final touch in creating the ceremonial appearance of Palace Square was the refacing of the houses of the "card depot" and the Free Economic Society under a single façade with the General Staff building. This was done in 1842-1845 by the architect Ivan Chernik, who thus completed the plan of Carlo Rossi.
Palace Square was part of the morning walk route of Emperor Alexander II. He alone, without security, walked along Millionnaya Street, Winter Canal and Moika Embankment, and walked along the square to the Winter Palace. This was the case on April 2, 1879. When the Tsar turned from the Moika to the square near the Pevchesky Bridge, a tall man in an overcoat walked towards him with a quick step. Having caught up with Alexander II, he shot him with a pistol. The shot was unsuccessful. The Tsar, deftly weaving and dodging subsequent shots, ran towards the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The terrorist managed to shoot five times, after which he was knocked down by a gendarme who arrived in time. The man who attempted the life of Emperor Alexander II was Alexander Konstantinovich Solovyov, a member of the radical organization “Land and Freedom”.
There is a garden at the western facade of the Winter Palace. In 1900, a highly artistic wrought iron fence was installed around it, which received the Grand Prix at the World Exhibition in Paris. The author of the fence was the architect Robert Meltzer.
On January 9, 1905, in St. Petersburg, including on Palace Square, events took place that went down in Russian history as Bloody Sunday.
The cobblestone paving of Palace Square, of course, caused inconvenience for both passers-by and carriages passing through it. In 1911, the mayor of St. Petersburg invited the senior city gardener to consider establishing a flower garden on it. The following year, Zodchiy magazine published the following article:
“More than 10 years ago, a project for the reconstruction of Palace Square arose in the Administration, drawn up by the architect Meltser. It was supposed to pave this area, plant a line along the sidewalk with linden trees, lay out flower beds, install fountains and, by the way, demolish the boulevard from the headquarters to the Palace Bridge, cutting off the curvature of the Alexander garden, and arrange a passage in this place. The project received the Highest approval, but so far it has not been implemented. Currently, the project is being discussed again in the Council, and the city gardener has drawn up an estimate for the complete reconstruction of the area in the amount of 418 thousand rubles" [Quoted. . from 1, p. 269].
Despite all these plans, under tsarist rule, Palace Square remained a cobblestone street.
Before the First World War, all buildings on Palace Square were painted red brick colors. The events of 1917 took place precisely against such a background. In the 1940s, the buildings were again repainted in their characteristic light colors.
Palace Square after 1917
Immediately after the February Revolution of 1917, the Petrograd Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies approved the decision to "bury those killed during the days of the coup" on Palace Square. The architects were given the task of deciding where exactly the burial would take place in the square and what the monument above it would look like. The funeral was scheduled for March 10. Three days earlier, Alexei Maksimovich Gorky spoke to the Council, who proposed leaving Palace Square alone and arranging a burial on the Champ de Mars. This option caused controversy in the Council, in which the idea even arose to build a new “Freedom Square” on the site of the Alexander Garden, and bury the dead there. But this idea was abandoned immediately; under pressure from the architects, Gorky’s proposal was accepted. An additional argument was that there are many piles driven around the Alexander Column and digging graves there would be extremely difficult.
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin spoke on Palace Square twice. The first time this happened was on May 1 (April 18), 1917, when he, on behalf of the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party, spoke about the significance of the proletarian holiday May Day and the tasks of the Russian revolution. The second time Lenin spoke from the podium was on July 19, 1920, when a rally was held on Palace Square to mark the laying of the monument to Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. This monument was going to be installed in the garden of the Winter Palace, next to the temporary monument to Radishchev already located there.
After 1917, Gvardeyskaya Square became part of Dvortsovaya Square.
On August 30, 1918, the chairman of the Petrograd Extraordinary Commission, Moisei Solomonovich Uritsky, was killed at the entrance to the eastern building of the General Staff building. The killer was the Socialist Revolutionary Leonid Kanegisser, who was taking revenge for the execution of his comrade by the security officers. Already in October of the same year, Palace Square was named Uritsky Square.
In 1918, the fence of the Winter Palace garden was removed from the pedestal. During the May Day cleanup in 1920, 7,000 workers, students and cadets cleared the western part of Uritsky Square from boulders and rubble remaining from the pedestal destroyed a year ago. To help the workers, a narrow-gauge railway was even built here, on which 100 trolleys moved. A fence was later installed around the park named after 9 January.
From then on, the labor motive would become the main one for all demonstrations on the main square of Leningrad. During Soviet times, demonstrations were held here on May 1 and November 7. For speeches at such events by leaders of various sizes, a platform was built at the gates of the Winter Palace. In addition to the already mentioned Lenin, Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev and other Soviet leaders (Zinoviev, Kirov, Popkov, Kuznetsov, Tolstikov, Kozlov, Romanov) spoke from it.
In the summer of 1924, a unique chess game took place on Palace Square. The role of the white figures was played by sailors, the black figures by Red Army soldiers. The horses were real. The moves were carried out according to the commands of I. Rabinovich and P. Romanovsky, who gave them over the phone.
In the spring of 1932, Palace Square was paved. At the same time, new underground communications were laid under it.
On January 13, 1944, on the first day of the operation to lift the Leningrad blockade, Palace Square returned its historical name.
For the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution (in 1977), it was decided to transform the paving of Palace Square. Architects B. N. Buldakov, G. A. Boykova, F. K. Romanovsky and artist V. A. Petrov drew up a project according to which the area was paved with rectangles of paving stones, which were divided by granite slabs. Pink granite was mined in the Vozrozhdenie quarry, and series - from the Kamennogorsk quarry. A “grid” of 460 cells was formed on 17,000 square meters.
In 1994, a decision was made to determine the location of the entrance hall of the Admiralteyskaya metro station. To locate it on the corner of Bolshaya Morskaya Street and Kirpichny Lane, it was necessary to resettle the house located there. Honored Architect of Russia Sergei Shmakov proposed an alternative option. He drew up a project in which the exit from the metro would be organized in the Alexander Garden and on the first floor of the General Staff building, next to Nevsky Prospekt, from the granite portals existing there. It would be much cheaper to rebuild the first floor of this house. But Shmakov’s project was not accepted; the exit from the metro at the end of 2011 appeared where it was originally planned.
Since Soviet times, every New Year, May 9 and City Day (May 27) mass festive events are held on Palace Square. Since the 2000s, the Scarlet Sails holiday began to be held here on a large scale for school graduates.
On December 1, 2007, a commercial ice skating rink began operating on Palace Square. His appearance here caused heated controversy in the public. The main arguments of opponents of the skating rink were: violation of the architectural ensemble of Palace Square and the inability to get close to the Alexander Column. The skating rink existed here throughout the winter season, but did not appear in subsequent years.
Palace Square is the main square of St. Petersburg, formed by iconic landmarks for the city - the Winter Palace, the General Headquarters, the Guards Corps and the Alexander Column.
History of origin
General Staff Building The history of Palace Square begins with the construction of the Winter Palace in 1754-62. The idea of creating a central square belongs to the famous architect B.F. Rastrelli, who designed the Winter Palace and proposed a draft version of the project for the entire Palace.
In the 60-70s of the 18th century, active development of the central square began. During this period, the Southern Pavilion of Maly was created, as well as the Free Economic Society in the area where the square intersects with.
The next important stage in the development of Dvortsovaya occurred in 1819-29, when the Main Headquarters with a triumphal arch was erected according to the design of K. Rossi. In 1834, the majestic Alexander Column was erected, and in the early 1840s, the headquarters of the Guards Corps was erected. Thus, the formation of the modern ensemble of the city’s central square was completed.
Initially, the territory of Dvortsovaya in St. Petersburg was called Admiralty Meadow. The modern name was fixed in 1766. In the period from October 1918 to January 1944, the central square of the city bore the name “Uritsky Square”.
About the composition of the ensemble
Winter Palace on Palace Square More information about the constituent objects of the Palace Square ensemble:
- The Winter Palace is the northern border of the square. The building in the luxurious Baroque style is the creation of the famous architect B. F. Rastrelli. For almost two centuries, the palace had the status of the main imperial residence, and currently the Winter Palace is the main building of the Hermitage, where a significant part of the museum collection is kept.
- The General Staff Building limits the area on the south side. The building is an example of the Empire style and consists of three buildings forming an arc stretching over 580 meters. The buildings are united by a majestic triumphal arch, which gives the square a ceremonial appearance and is located in the center of the architectural ensemble. On the arch itself there is a chariot of Glory, symbolizing the victories of the Russian army. Part of the headquarters building has now been transferred to the Western Military District, and its eastern wing to the Hermitage.
- The headquarters of the Guards Corps is the eastern border of Palace Square. This project is the brainchild of A. Bryullov, who coped with an incredibly complex task - he managed to combine the Winter Palace, made in the Baroque style, and the General Staff, which is a representative of the classical style in architecture, into a single harmonious composition.
- The Alexander Column is one of the most famous monuments in St. Petersburg. It is a symbol of the victory of Alexander I in the war with Napoleonic France. The monolith is supported by its own gravity and has no additional fastenings.
Square today
Today, Palace Square is one of the main symbols of St. Petersburg. Grand concerts and festivals, as well as significant cultural and sporting events, are regularly held here.
In addition to the fact that the central square itself already houses several important city attractions, it offers an excellent view of the city. And also, having passed the Winter Palace, you can get to the Palace Embankment, from which you can see Vasilyevsky Island on your left, and Zayachiy on your right, the same one where it is located.