Buildings from the time of Elizabeth Petrovna. Panorama of the Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna. Virtual tour of the Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna. Attractions, map, photos, videos. Grand Catherine Palace

In the 18th century, imperial favorites were very significant people in the state; they often influenced politics and participated in palace intrigues. The favorites were given expensive gifts, including palaces built by the best architects of St. Petersburg. "Kultura.RF" remembered the most interesting mansions of the imperial favorites.

Anichkov Palace

Photo: A.Savin

Mikhail Zemtsov began building the Anichkov Palace immediately after the coronation of Empress Elizabeth, and Bartolomeo Rastrelli completed the construction. The empress gave a luxurious mansion in the Baroque style to her favorite, Alexei Razumovsky. There were rumors among contemporaries (however, not confirmed by historians) that Razumovsky was Elizabeth’s secret husband and the father of her illegitimate son. The Anichkov Palace received its name years later, when the Anichkov Bridge was built nearby.

Later, the mansion was given away more than once. And Catherine II bought the building from Razumovsky’s relatives and presented it to her favorite, Grigory Potemkin. She also gave Potemkin 100 thousand rubles for the reconstruction of the palace, which was entrusted to Ivan Starov. The architect made the palace more austere and monotonous, as dictated by the classicism that was fashionable in those years. Later, the building was rebuilt many more times: by Giacomo Quarenghi by order of Alexander I, Carl Rossi - for Nicholas I. Alexander II and Alexander III lived here. Today the Anichkov Palace houses the Palace of Youth Creativity.

Shuvalov's mansion

Photo: Florstein

The mansion of another favorite of Elizabeth Petrovna, Ivan Shuvalov, is located not far from the Anichkov Palace. From both buildings it was possible to quickly reach the Summer Palace of the Empress. Shuvalov's mansion was designed in 1749 by Savva Chevakinsky. He built a three-story baroque building, about which Catherine II wrote: “On the outside, this house, although very huge, was reminiscent of cuffs made of Alençon lace with its decorations, there were so many different decorations on it.”. Subsequently, the building was owned by Prince Ivan Baryatinsky and Prosecutor General Alexander Vyazemsky, who ordered its reconstruction in the classical style. Later, the mansion belonged to various government departments, and today it houses the Hygiene Museum.

Marble Palace

Photo: A.Savin

Grigory Orlov was one of Catherine II's favorites; he became the father of her illegitimate son, Count Alexei Bobrinsky. The Empress gave Orlov many gifts, one of which was the palace. In 1768, Catherine II ordered the architect Antonio Rinaldi to build it near the imperial residence.

Later, the palace received the name Marble: when decorating it, the builders used 32 varieties of this stone - on the external facades and in the interiors. The walls of one of the most beautiful halls were lined with Italian, Greek, Karelian and Ural marble, as well as lapis lazuli. The Grand Staircase was made of silver marble and its decor was sculptures by Fedot Shubin.

Grigory Orlov died before construction was completed, and Catherine gave the palace to her grandson Konstantin Pavlovich. However, one of Catherine’s favorites still lived in this palace, after the death of the empress. In 1797–1798, the former Polish king Stanislaw August Poniatowski settled here.

Today at Marble Palace there is a branch of the Russian Museum.

Gatchina Palace

Photo: Litvyak Igor / photobank “Lori”

It is difficult to name another building that would have existed on the territory of the Imperial Summer Garden for such a short period of time - only fifteen years - and left such a bright mark on history. For eight years Summer Palace Anna Ioannovna remained the imperial residence, where the political pulse of the entire Russian Empire beat.

The summer wooden palace of Anna Ioannovna is part of the group of unpreserved buildings in the Summer Garden. The empress ended her life within the walls of this palace in 1740, and her will was read out here. Here Biron's regency was proclaimed, and high dignitaries and guards swore allegiance to the young Emperor John Antonovich. One of the most dramatic pages of our history is connected with Anna Ioannovna’s beloved palace - the arrest of Duke Biron of Courland, the former favorite of the Empress. It is not surprising that the imperial residence, which received such gloomy fame, was dismantled eight years later.

The Summer Palace of Anna Ioannovna was erected in 1732 on the Neva embankment on the site of the “Hall for Glorious Celebrations,” which was dismantled for the occasion. The architect was Francesco Rastrelli with the participation of his father, Bartolomeo Rastrelli.

It was a one-story palace, significantly elongated in length. The summer wooden palace was very different from the palace of Peter I, which stood on the banks of the Fontanka. Rastrelli highlighted the central part of the building, and from the side wings he arranged descents to the water. An elegant balustrade ran along the edge of the roof, the monotonous rhythm of which was broken by figured carved decorations and decorative sculpture. Columns and frequently located windows decorated with platbands significantly enriched the facades of the palace, giving it the character of a baroque structure. After the completion of the palace, the empress’s new residence acquired the function of a kind of “Neva façade”, through which one could walk to Summer garden.

According to Rastrelli, the palace had twenty-eight apartments. It is known from other sources that in 1741 - after the death of the empress - the palace had the following chambers: “Anticamora”, where ambassadors were received; "Comedy"; Chief Marshal's premises, the empress's bedroom, the large imperial hall, ten chambers of Duke Biron, four chambers occupied by his son Peter. In addition, in the palace there were chambers for ladies-in-waiting and a writing office; state chambers, where chamber clothes were kept, and armory chambers. It is also mentioned that Biron’s bedroom was covered with carpets. This is the most detailed description of the interior apartments of the Summer Palace that we have to date.

The plan of Anna Ioannovna’s wooden palace, made from a copy of a drawing from 1732, clearly shows that the building contained two enfilades of halls. The premises of the northern enfilade overlooked the Neva, and the southern enfilade overlooked the garden. The Neva Enfilade consisted of large halls - this was the front part of the palace. Along the axis of the building there was apparently a throne room; the throne room is shown in it on the plan of the palace. Further to the west, three rooms later, there was a ceremonial bedchamber. In the eastern building of the palace, highlighted by the risalit, there was the largest hall of the palace. Judging by the description, the palace housed a “Comedy”, that is, a hall for theatrical performances. Obviously, this large hall in the eastern part of the building served as the “Comedy”. The garden enfilade consisted of smaller rooms. Perhaps there were living quarters here; they are grouped by apartments, separated by hallways and with access to the garden. Since the ceremonial bedchamber was located in the Neva Enfilade, it can be assumed that in the Garden Enfilade there was a daily bedchamber in which the Empress died. Biron's apartments also overlooked the garden and were adjacent to the imperial ones: this is confirmed by the message of Lieutenant Colonel Manstein, who arrested the Duke.

Anna Ioannovna first moved to her Summer Residence immediately after the wedding of her favorite brother, Gustav Biron, with Princess Menshikova, celebrated in the Winter Palace on the first day of summer 1732.

Anna Ioannovna lived in the Summer Palace according to a strictly established order - from the beginning of May to the end of September (excluding several weeks in June and July spent in Peterhof). The imperial court always moved to the Summer Palace with special pomp. Anna Ioannovna sailed along the Neva under the thunder of cannon shots on a sixteen-oared yacht decorated with gold with a magnificent cabin in the form of a room decorated with green velvet.

2 Pokrovsky Palace of Elizaveta Petrovna

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna is one of those rare post-Petrine Romanovs who loved Moscow. Her sympathy also extended to the village of Pokrovskoye-Rubtsovo, which belonged to her, on the banks of the now non-existent Rybinka River, which flowed into the Yauza. The village itself, with its wooden “pleasure” palace, the Church of the Intercession, a pond and a garden, has been known since the 16th century. Its first owner was Protasy Vasilyevich Yuryev, from whom the Romanovs got it through complicated means. The holdings were large.

Under Anna Ioannovna, removed from the court, Elizaveta Petrovna lived in Pokrovskoye-Rubtsovo. According to legend, it is fun, organizing holidays, dancing and festivities. In 1737, the wooden palace burned down. In 1739, Elizabeth built a new one on the shore of the pond: one-story, on a high basement, with a central double-height hall. The interiors of the palace have not survived, but it is known that they were decorated in Japanese and Chinese styles. A luxurious park with a roller coaster and carousels was built in 1752 by the architect B.-F. Rastrelli. He also made a project for a new palace, which was not implemented.

On the other side of the pond, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ was built, connected to the palace by a passage and a bridge. In 1790 it was abolished.

After the death of Elizabeth, the palace was practically not used. In 1872, the territory was given to the Pokrovskaya community of sisters of mercy. The community made alterations according to the design of P. P. Skomoroshenko: they built on the second floor, built side wings, revived the Church of the Resurrection, but in the central hall, and changed the decor of the facades to the existing ones.

The community was closed in the 1920s, settled in former palace huge communal apartments that existed here until the 1980s. The pond was filled in, and the current Gastello Street was built in front of the palace. Currently, the palace houses the State Research Institute for Restoration.

3 Grand Catherine Palace

Big Catherine Palace in Tsarskoe Selo - the favorite residence of Elizabeth Petrovna and Catherine II. The Catherine Palace is the compositional center of the Catherine Park and one of its main decorations. The majestic building occupies the central part of Tsarskoye Selo.

The history of the palace begins in 1717 with the construction of the “Stone Chambers” for the wife of Peter the Great, Catherine the First. According to Braunstein's design, it was a modest two-story building, the architecture of which was typical of similar buildings in Russia at the beginning of the 18th century. In 1724, construction of the palace was completed. In honor of this, a grand celebration was organized in the new palace.

The first to begin the reconstruction of the “Stone Chambers” was Elizabeth the First after her accession to the throne in 1741. Several architects changed before the construction was headed by the chief architect of the imperial court, Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, at the end of 1748. And by the end of July 1756, instead of a modest building, the empress and her guests were presented with a luxurious palace in the Baroque style, striking in its beauty and size. The azure facade was decorated with white columns, stucco decorations and figures of Atlanteans. The gilded ornament gave the palace an even more solemn appearance. From the central part of the palace there were wings connected by covered galleries. The gilded domes of the five-domed palace church rose above the northern wing. And above the southern wing shone a gilded dome with a multi-pointed star on the spire. The facades of the palace are 300 meters long, and almost 100 kilograms of red gold were spent on gilding the external and internal decorations.

The interior layout and decoration were also modified. The ceremonial rooms were located along the entire length of the building, forming the ceremonial golden enfilade. The Picture Hall and the famous Amber Room appeared. The Picture Hall presents more than a hundred paintings by Western European masters of painting from the 17th - early 18th centuries from various national schools. The best craftsmen from different countries worked on the creation of the Amber Room for more than five years.

The next stage in the design of the palace's state and residential halls dates back to the 1770s. The new owner of the residence, Empress Catherine II, who was passionate about ancient art, wanted to decorate her apartments in accordance with fashionable tastes and entrusted their decoration to a Scottish architect, an expert ancient architecture C. Cameron.

The interiors he created - the Arabesque and Lyon living rooms, the Chinese Hall, the Domed Dining Room, the Silver Cabinet, the Blue Study (Snuffbox) and the Bedchamber - were distinguished by their refined beauty, severity of decorative design and special elegance of decoration. Unfortunately, these halls were destroyed during the Great Patriotic War and have not yet been restored.

4 Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum

The Chinese Palace is part of the grandiose palace and park complex “Own Dacha” of Empress Catherine II. The construction of the palace was carried out by the architect Antonio Rinaldi. According to his design, a large rectangular pond was dug in front of the southern facade of the Chinese Palace, on the left bank of which a Maid of Honor was built, and on the right bank a place was allocated for a coffee house (the project for this building was never implemented). At the eastern facade of the palace, already beyond the border of the Own Dacha, a Kitchen building was built.

The Chinese Palace, a brilliant example of the Rococo style in Russia, is rightfully considered a pearl palace and park ensemble Oranienbaum. Absolute authenticity makes this diverse suburb unique, distinguishing it from all the imperial residences that frame the Northern capital like a brilliant necklace.

Catherine II, while still a Grand Duchess, chose a “cherished” corner for herself in Oranienbaum. In her “Notes,” she recalls the year 1757: “The fantasy came to me to plant a garden for myself... but I knew that the Grand Duke would not give me a single piece of land for this, and therefore I asked the Golitsyn princes to sell or give me 100 dessiatines that had long been abandoned... the land that they owned near Oranienbaum itself... They willingly gave it up to me. I began to draw plans and lay out the garden, and since this was the first time I was working on plans and buildings, everything turned out huge and awkward for me.”

Ekaterina Alekseevna was able to begin implementing her plan only five years later, with her accession to the Russian throne. In 1762, construction began on his own dacha, and, above all, “a stone house and a mountain.” All work was carried out “under the supervision” of A. Rinaldi and according to his drawings. Catherine II sometimes came to Oranienbaum to oversee the construction of the Dutch House, or Chinese Palace. The empress celebrated her housewarming in the Chinese Palace on July 27, 1768. This Sunday was marked by a divine liturgy in the Church of St. Panteleimon, and then a ceremonial meal was held in honor of the completion of the palace: the bishops and archimandrites, together with the nobles, dined and “drank to the health of Her Imperial Majesty.”

In the 1770s, the Empress often visited Oranienbaum and received distinguished guests here: not only “foreign” ministers arrived on visits, but also royalty - King Gustav III of Sweden, Austrian Emperor Joseph II. On July 17, 1780, Catherine II showed the palace to her grandchildren, Grand Dukes Alexander and Konstantin, for the first time. Since 1796, Oranienbaum belonged to Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich (future Emperor Alexander I), and in 1831 the residence became the sole possession of his brother Mikhail Pavlovich. Later, Mikhail Pavlovich’s wife Elena Pavlovna became the mistress of the estate, and then their daughter Ekaterina Mikhailovna, who married Duke Georg of Mecklenburg-Strelitz; their children - Georgy, Mikhail and Elena - owned Oranienbaum until 1917.

The Chinese summer pleasure palace was named due to the luxurious decoration of its four rooms, designed in the spirit of the ideas of the time about the art of the East. There are also other names: “The house in Upper Garden", "The house is small, Her Imperial Majesty's own." And indeed, the loud definition of “palace” is least suitable for it - it rather resembles a park pavilion standing on a low stylobate forming a terrace.

The palace, modest in appearance, amazes with its interior decoration. Gilding and mirrors, shell ornaments, flower garlands, curls, intricately curved frames, stucco patterns whimsically running along the walls, arches and ceilings, exquisite paintings covered with a pearl haze - all this creates an atmosphere of delicacy and comfort. This is the Rococo style, which existed for a short time in the 18th century, but left a bright mark in Russia - the exquisite and intimate Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum. Stylized oriental decorative motifs and many original works of art from China and Japan add special sophistication to Rococo interiors.

The interiors of the Chinese Palace preserve the original decoration of the 18th century: a rare collection of paintings by Italian artists, fine examples of Eastern and Western European porcelain, furniture by Russian and European masters. One of the main attractions of the palace is the unique parquet floors, made according to Rinaldi’s drawings; they have no equal in Russian decorative and applied arts. Initially, the floors in the palace were made of artificial marble. In the 1770s, they were replaced by inlaid parquet floors made of various types of wood (there are up to 36 of them) - oak, maple, birch, rosewood, boxwood, mahogany and ebony, Persian walnut, sacchardan (brown wood), amaranth and others. Parquets, which are not repeated in any room, amaze with their complex patterns and exquisite colors.

The Glass Bead Study, the Damask Bedchamber, the Hall of the Muses, the Blue and Pink Living Rooms... These names themselves speak of the exclusivity of the palace premises and their enduring artistic and historical value. In interior design, Rinaldi used a rich arsenal of decorative forms inherent in the Rococo style, achieving a harmonious relationship between the decoration of the palace and its architecture.

The center of the symmetrical composition of the Chinese Palace is the Great Hall, from which rooms extend along the northern façade in both directions front suite. Two wings, including small enfilades, adjoin the main volume of the building from the south at right angles; in the western suite there were the personal chambers of Empress Catherine II, in the eastern suite there were the rooms of her son, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich.

The Chinese palace is located in the southwestern part Upper Park. In front of the palace there is a clearing with flower beds, and centuries-old oak trees serve as the side scenes and background. In the 18th century, the park was designed in a regular French style, and a swimming pool of regular geometric shape was “inscribed” into its composition. By the middle of the 19th century, the character of the parklands had changed: the layout became free, and the Upper Park acquired a romantic appearance. The reservoir turned into a pond, and its banks took on softer contours.

The Chinese Palace opened as a museum in 1922. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, Soviet troops defended the “Oranienbaum patch”, which did not allow German army occupy Oranienbaum. The damage caused by the war did not distort the appearance of his monuments, and the skillful skill of the restorers only emphasized their highest artistic merits.

With the coming to power of Emperor Peter I in Russia, a grandiose era of transformation began in the state, which became the impetus for changes in urban planning and architecture.

“Golden Mansions” by Catherine

In 1703, the emperor founded new town- St. Petersburg, and already 9 years later the construction of a small house for Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna, the monarch’s wife, begins. It was located on south coast The sinks represented small house with a turret that ended with a gilded spire. The structure was named “Golden Mansions”. Subsequently, this area received the name Tsaritsyn Meadow and became part of the Summer Garden - a large royal estate. On its territory they grew Exotic fruits: pineapples and bananas.

A few years after construction, it was decided to build a grandiose palace, which would be crowned with a tetrahedral dome, but the plan was not realized.

Failed construction

In 1730-1740 in power was Empress Anna Ioannovna, who, several years before her death, instructed the architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli to build a palace on Tsaritsyn Meadow, and this should have been done in as soon as possible. However, the death of the empress did not allow the architect to begin executing her order. Her successor, Anna Leopoldovna, also wanted to build her own palace on this site; the construction was entrusted to the same Rastrelli. The architect prepared the necessary drawings in February 1741, but it was not possible to present them to the empress: in March a coup d'état was carried out, and Empress Elizabeth Petrovna came to power.

Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli

The Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna was created by Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli, the greatest architect of the 18th century. He came from an Italian aristocratic family and held the title of count. His father was the sculptor Carlo Rastrelli, who worked for a long time at the court of the French Sun King Louis, and after the death of the latter was invited by the Russian Emperor to Russia.

From an early age, Bartolomeo was involved by his father in working on various projects, and went to study in Europe. Rastrelli's first documented work in Russia was the three-story palace of Dmitry Cantemir, built in the Peter the Great Baroque style.

In the 1730s, Rastrelli was engaged in the construction of the Rundāle Palace and the Palace in Mitau, which he built on the orders of the Duke of Courland. It was on the recommendation of Biron of Courland that Rastrelli became the court architect.

Architectural style of Rastrelli

Bartolomeo created a unique style in architecture. Thus, he began to use semi-circular window ends on the facades, and usually assembled half-columns in pairs and bundles. External columns usually did not play a constructive role, but were intended only for decoration. His palaces were characterized by huge state halls, covering the entire depth of the floor, and when decorating the interiors, he tried to avoid curved lines. All his buildings are characterized by flashy power, grandeur and solemnity, even pomp. Rastrelli abandoned the traditional for that time strip foundations, preferring platforms made of brick and stone based on piles, which, in turn, allowed partial redistribution of loads, and this was very important for the soft soils of St. Petersburg.

Creations of the great architect

The great architect, in addition to the Rundāle and Mitavsky palaces, built the following structures that became landmarks:

Great Peterhof Palace.
St. Andrew's Church in Kyiv.
Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
Vorontsov Palace.
Hermitage Museum.
Winter Palace.
Royal Palace in Kyiv, etc.

Lost buildings of the architect

Some of his buildings this moment lost:

Kantemirovsky Palace.
Throne room on the Yauza.
Winter Palace of Anna Ioannovna.
Winter Kremlin Palace.
Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna.
Traveling Srednerogatsky Palace.

History of the construction of the Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna

The exact date of laying the foundation of the palace has not been preserved. According to one version, Anna Leopoldovna and her husband Prince Anton Ulrich were present during the laying of the foundation in July 1941; according to another, the laying of the foundation took place a month earlier. However, the spouses were not destined to live in the new palace.

Rastrelli received an order to finish the palace he had begun from Tsarevna Elizaveta Petrovna, who became the empress. Construction was completed in 1743 - this was the first palace of the Empress, built personally for her, and the Empress liked it so much that she doubled the architect's salary - to 2,500 rubles a year.

The Empress used the summer residence from May to September every year; she devoted this time to her relaxation, almost not engaging in important state affairs. In 1754, it was here that Grand Duke Pavel, the son of Ekaterina Alekseevna, was born, and here Elizaveta Petrovna staged celebrations to mark the end of the seven-year war and the conclusion of peace with Prussia. Then the empress began to visit the palace less and less, spending more time in Tsarskoe Selo, and the palace gradually began to deteriorate.

Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna: description

The architecture of the Summer Palace is such that it is simply impossible not to notice that the author of the project was impressed by the French Versailles. The building is characterized by the traditional Baroque closed ensemble of the front courtyard in front of the palace. Detailed description Rastrelli's brainchild was no longer there, but some memories of the imperial estate were found.

Thus, the summer residence of Elizabeth Petrovna consisted of 160 apartments, there were both the queen’s personal chambers and numerous halls, galleries and even a church. In order to enter the palace territory, one had to pass through wide openwork gates made of bars, crowned with gilded eagles. According to the architect, “everything was decorated with mirrors and rich sculpture, as well as new garden, decorated with beautiful fountains, with the Hermitage built on the ground floor level, surrounded by rich trellises, all the decorations of which were gilded.”

The room had two facades. The main one was facing the Moika River; flower beds and neat trees were placed in front of it, turning this area into a park. The second façade faced Nevsky Prospekt, where, by order of Bartolomeo, a wide road was laid along which were located numerous greenhouses with flowers and trees.

The first floor of the Summer Palace of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna was made of stone, but the second was entirely wooden. The building is designed in pink tones, and the basement rooms are in gray. The ground floor was tiled with green granite. Inside the palace, all rooms were decorated with Bohemian mirrors, marble sculptures and paintings by famous artists. At the ground floor level, the Hermitage was built, where paintings of religious and biblical content were kept, some of which have survived to this day.

In the main building there was a Great Ceremonial Hall, against the western wall of which the royal throne was located. In order to get to the Throne Room, it was necessary to pass a series of living rooms and a huge grand staircase decorated with gilded carvings. The throne room was striking in its grandeur, which was further emphasized by the clever arrangement of candelabra and chandeliers, which created the impression of a two-light volume. Several curly staircases also led to the Throne Room from the garden side, each of which was complemented by ramps. The imperial chambers were located in the eastern wing of the palace, and the courtiers lived in the western wing. Each of the palace premises was lavishly decorated with a variety of statues and vases. The façade of the building was crowned with numerous balustrades.

Palace Park

The entire territory of the palace complex was surrounded by a decorative park. The garden also contained magnificent fountains, and the park itself was a complex labyrinth of green spaces. On the territory of the complex, Rastrelli created three unusual fountain pools of complex outlines. Throughout the park there were small gazebos and benches, and in the center there were carousels, swings and slides. Also, according to the architect’s idea, two artificial trapezoidal semicircular ponds were created, which, by the way, have survived to this day.

Subsequent changes

Francesco Rastrelli continued to work on the Empress's summer residence for many years. Thus, he decorated the walls with figured platbands, atlases and lion masks; 9 years after the completion of construction, he added a new gallery hall to the north-eastern side of the palace. The Empress was only pleased with such constant changes, while the owner the architectural integrity of the building was of little interest. The main thing is that new buildings should be as luxurious as possible.

In 1745, by order of the Empress, a covered gallery was built for the passage from the palace to the Summer Garden; its walls were lavishly decorated with artistic canvases. In 1747, the architect created a terrace with a fountain in the center, located on the same level as the Hermitage pavilion. It was fenced along the entire perimeter with gilded bars.

A little later, a church appears on the territory of the summer palace, which expands the palace complex from the Fontanka side, and bay windows appear on the western side of the façade.

On the territory of the palace, Rastrelli also built water towers with aqueducts, which were also lavishly decorated with paintings.

Catherine's period

The Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna in St. Petersburg became the site of the triumph of Catherine II. It was here that she arranged an official reception for foreign diplomats after her accession to the throne, and here she learned about the death of Peter III. Without living in the residence, Catherine granted it first to Grigory Orlov, then to Grigory Potemkin.

In 1777 there was a flood, which greatly damaged the already dilapidated palace. No one began to restore the damaged water cannon, and the aqueduct was dismantled.

The Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna was demolished in 1797 by order of Emperor Paul I. A few weeks after his accession to the throne, he gave the order to build a new building on the site of an already dilapidated building impregnable castle-fortress, since the emperor did not want to live in the Winter Palace at all. There is a legend according to which the Archangel Michael appeared to one of the guard soldiers and ordered that the Tsar be told about the need to build a church on the site of the palace, which became part of the Mikhailovsky Castle complex. Exactly so in the place of the Elizabethan summer residence in 1800 the Mikhailovsky Castle was built. The decorations of Elizabeth's summer residence were neatly folded and taken to other royal estates.

How to get to the Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna? Unfortunately, it has not survived. On the site of the Summer Palace of Elizaveta Petrovna (address: St. Petersburg, Sadovaya Street, 2) the Mikhailovsky, or Engineering Castle, is currently located. To get to the castle, you just need to use the metro and get off at the Nevsky Prospekt or Gostiny Dvor stations.

A large number of palace buildings, the wealth and luxury of their decoration transform architectural appearance St. Petersburg for many years. After all, this city is famous for its unique palaces of major officials, aristocrats and other noble persons. The Summer Palace of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna is worthy of attention.

With the accession of the new empress to the throne, the next stage in the formation of cultural spheres began in the state. This period of prosperity also had an impact on the capital. The city has changed significantly. During the era of cultural development of St. Petersburg, preference was given to the construction of architectural monuments. The Summer Palace deserves special attention.

During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna (1741 - 1761), the construction of palaces was of particular importance. Then the construction of real masterpieces was carried out by Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, one of the best architects in the history of the state. His works also include the Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna. It cannot be ignored as better job architect.

The Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna in St. Petersburg was built by B. F. Rastrelli between 1741 and 1744. According to the architect, the building included about 160 apartments, including a church and galleries. The palace was decorated with numerous sculptures, fountains and a garden. Over time, the residence experienced a number of changes related to the architect's dissatisfaction with his work. Construction activities continued here for several years.

In the first half of the 18th century, the territory on which the Mikhailovsky Castle is located belonged to the Summer Garden - the royal estate of Peter I. Empress Anna Ioannovna ordered the construction of a palace to begin on this site. The construction was entrusted to the architect Rastrelli Jr. But the architect did not have time to start work during the life of the empress. In 1740, power passed to Anna Leopoldovna, who decided to implement the project founded by her predecessor. But after some time, a palace coup occurs, as a result of which imperial power passes to the youngest daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth. The Tsesarevna gives F.B. Rastrelli the order to build the Summer Palace. The Empress liked the result of the architect's work so much that she doubled his salary. The exact date of foundation of the building is still controversial. According to some historians, this event falls on July 24, 1741. Moreover, the beginning of the laying took place in the presence of Empress Anna, her husband, as well as some courtiers and members of the guard.

The Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna belongs to the Russian Baroque style. This was the name of a set of architectural trends that formed on the territory of the Russian Empire and the Russian state in the 12th – 13th centuries. The buildings of this period were characterized by:
the splendor and intricacy of architectural forms;
luxurious finishes;
using modeling;
the use of painting and gilding.

Among the styles of this era, the Petrine Baroque is distinguished, which arose thanks to the buildings of not only compatriots, but also architects from Western Europe. They were invited by Peter I to ennoble new capital, Saint Petersburg. The most characteristic features of Petrine Baroque were:
rejection of the Byzantine manner;
simplicity and practicality;
facades in red and white shades;
presence of symmetry of forms;
mansard roofs;
arched window openings.

Many of the engravings and drawings that have survived from that era depict almost exactly the appearance of the palace. Stone was chosen as the basis for the first floor, wood for the second. The building was painted in light pink shades, which is remarkable for the Baroque style. The ground floor was made of granite in gray-green color. The Summer Palace of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna had two facades: the main facade overlooked the Moika, towards the Summer Garden, and the other faced the Nevsky Prospect. Service buildings were located along the entire perimeter, which imitated a kind of isolation. A wide road was laid along the Fontanka, which was accompanied by greenhouses and fruit trees. Part of this territory was occupied by the Elephant Yard, the inhabitants of which swam in the Fontanka if they wished. The entrance to the palace was fenced with wide gates, on which gilded double-headed eagles shimmered. The gate was decorated with an openwork lattice. Behind the fence there was a large front yard. The view of the main façade was blocked by large flower beds and trees, which formed a kind of park. The central building occupied the Great State Hall. It was decorated with Bohemian mirrors, marble sculptures and paintings by famous artists. At the western side of the hall stood the royal throne. The living rooms, decorated with gilded carvings, led directly to the main hall. From the outside, shaped stairs approached the room.

Within a year, a covered gallery was completed, through which one could take a walk to the Summer Garden. Paintings by famous painters were hung on the walls of such a gallery. A terrace with hanging garden, running at the mezzanine level where the Hermitage and fountain were located. The contour of the terrace was fenced with a gilded lattice. Later, a palace church was added to this site. After some time, a decorative park was planted near the palace. A huge labyrinth, bosquets and gazebos passed through it. Swings and carousels were placed in the center of the park. On the territory adjacent to the palace, a complex of water towers was built, since the previous water supply to the fountains did not have the necessary pressure. Similar water towers were ennobled with the help of palace painting.

The architect Rastrelli was not satisfied with his work. For this reason, a decade later, he brought the wooden Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna to a real masterpiece. Rastrelli regularly remodeled some parts of the building. So, later the walls were transformed with the help of figured window frames and atlases. Lion masks and mascarons also served as their decoration.

The summer residence is Elizabeth’s first own home. Before the empress, no one lived in this building. The Tsesarevna occupied the eastern wing of the residence. The West Wing was reserved for courtiers. Queen Elizabeth admired the luxury of the Summer Palace. Every year in April the Empress left Winter Palace to settle down for a while in the summer. The whole yard moved with her. This event turned into a real ceremony, accompanied by an orchestra and artillery fire. In September, Elizabeth moved back.

In 1754, the Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna in St. Petersburg became the birthplace of Paul I, who soon came to power. In 1762, feasts were held here on the occasion of the peace agreement with Prussia. As soon as the new Emperor Paul I came to power, he immediately gave the order to demolish the structure. In its place a castle was erected, known today as Mikhailovsky. It was in this residence that the life of Paul I ended. According to one of the legends, Mikhailovsky Castle was not built by chance on the site of the Summer Palace. The emperor wished to spend the rest of his life in the place where he was born. Another legend says that the Archangel Michael appeared to the guard and ordered the construction of a temple on the territory where the Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna was located. After this incident, the emperor ordered the construction of a new palace and church in the name of Archangel Michael to begin. Thus, St. Michael's Castle got its name by analogy with the Church of St. Michael the Archangel.

In 1741, as a result of another palace coup, the youngest daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth, became the Russian Empress. Many contemporaries perceived the accession to the Russian throne of Elizabeth Petrovna as a guarantee of a return to the traditions of domestic and foreign policy her father. The country has begun new stage development of culture, science, art.

The capital of Russia was also experiencing a new period of prosperity. The city was quickly built, new official residences, palaces, cathedrals, and theaters appeared. The reign of Elizabeth was a period of dominance in European architecture of the Baroque style, which was characterized by splendor and whimsicality of architectural forms, luxury decoration using stucco details, gilding, sculpture, and painting. At this time, the most talented architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli was working in St. Petersburg, and it was he who created the masterpieces of Russian Baroque, reflecting the idea of triumph and power of the country, which became one of the largest world powers.

Rastrelli received the order to build the first building for Elizabeth when she was not yet empress. The Tsesarevna ordered the construction of a Summer Palace for her on the territory of the Third Summer Garden (the modern territory bounded by Fontanka, Moika, Italianskaya Street and the Catherine Canal).

Thanks to surviving engravings and drawings, today we can imagine what Rastrelli’s creation looked like. The first floor of the palace was made of stone, the second - wooden. The palace was painted light pink, the ground floor was gray. The palace had two facades: one was facing the Nevsky prospect, the other - the main one - was facing the Moika River, towards the Summer Garden. A wide road was laid from the Nevskaya prospect along the Fontanka; greenhouses stretched along it, fruit trees grew, there was also an Elephant Yard, and its inhabitants could swim in the Fontanka in the summer.

The palace grounds could be accessed through wide gate with an openwork lattice decorated with gilded eagles. In front of the main façade facing the Moika River, huge figured flower beds were built and neatly trimmed trees were planted - it turned out to be a real regular park. Rastrelli himself wrote: “The building had more than one hundred and sixty apartments, including a church, a hall and galleries. Everything was decorated with mirrors and rich sculpture, as well as a new garden, decorated with beautiful fountains...” In 1745, a covered gallery was built for the passage from the palace to the Summer Garden across the Moika.

The queen loved her luxurious Summer Palace very much. Every year at the end of April, she and the entire court moved from the Winter Palace to the Summer Palace. The move turned into a whole ceremony with orchestral music and artillery fire. At the end of September, Elizabeth returned to the Winter Palace again.

In September 1754, the future Emperor Paul I was born in the summer residence of Elizabeth. Fate decreed that it was he who, at the very beginning of his reign, demolished the dilapidated Summer Palace and ordered the construction of a castle in its place, which we know today as Mikhailovsky. And it was here that the life of Paul I tragically ended.

Text prepared by Galina Dregulas

For those who want to know more:
1. Architects of St. Petersburg. XVIII century. St. Petersburg, 1997
2. Ovsyannikov Yu. Great architects of St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg, 2000
3. Anisimov E.V. Elizaveta Petrovna. M., 2000

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