Where is the marble palace. Russian Museum
Recently I read the diary of Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov, "Questions of Life", published in "Russian Antiquity" for 1884-1885 and 1887. In addition, there with great pleasure I read the essay by Protodeacon V. Orlov "The Marble Palace", dedicated to the centenary of the completion of the palace construction (May issue of 1885). The essay gives the history of the construction of the palace, it is indicated what and how much money was spent, the names of the masters who were involved in the work are listed. Also given detailed description two house churches and kept in shrines that were in the palace. I could not find this information on the Internet. A copy of the sketch is available in full in the album http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/amsmolich/album/313723/.
And suddenly an excursion! Of course, we signed up right away. During the excursion, we were told what is already available on all sites, including the site of the Russian Museum. This explains our disappointment with my mother from what we heard, but what we saw left the best impressions.
The tour consisted of two parts. The first part is historical, with a visit to three ceremonial halls. There used to be 70 ceremonial rooms in the palace (but they don't talk about that!). And only the Marble Hall has survived, the other two halls have been rebuilt from old photographs and drawings. Parquet was also dismantled everywhere. There was practically nothing left in the palace. Everything was destroyed by the communists.
The second part was dedicated to V. book Konstantin Konstantinovich and his work, with a visit to seven rooms in which for some reason it is forbidden to take pictures. These premises were also restored from photographs, as the communists believed that nothing should remain in the palace that would remind of the royal family. Therefore, everything was destroyed.
Below are a few lines from the sketch "The Marble Palace". My photographs plus a set of postcards purchased at the palace.
Under Peter the Great, on the site of the present-day Field of Mars, “bestial persecution” was usually carried out, and where the Marble Palace was subsequently built, there was a post office, near which in 1711 a “beast house” was arranged and in it were placed: a large elephant, lions, tigers, sent as a gift from the Persian Shah. “The post yard,” says Ruban in his “Description of Petersburg”, “was a hut and stood on the spot where the great peace of the marble house is now being built. At this post yard, Tsar Peter I repeatedly sent celebrations to certain holidays and victories. "
Bashutsky, describing the postal yard in his Panorama of St. Petersburg, notes that “the capital has long felt a lack of such an institution, for there has not yet been a house where visitors could stay without wasting time looking for an apartment throughout the city. This house was in charge of a special caretaker, who had the rank of an army ensign, with a very moderate content, which was later increased by allowing him to open another special hotel, to prescribe a certain amount of wine and other products duty-free. In addition, he was allowed to use part of the collection from letters sent, but this income was very insignificant, since no more than two kopecks were paid for delivering a letter, for example, from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Under Peter I, the Mya (Moika) river was deepened and cleared, from which two canals were drawn: one near the present Marble Palace, after being filled up, and the other still exists under the name of the Winter Canal. Under Catherine II, this place was called "Tsaritsyn Meadow"; in 1818 the name "Field of Mars" was given.
So, on Tsaritsyno Meadow, Catherine II decided to build a house of marble, and the following legend exists: having conceived the construction, the Empress invited one of the foreign architects and, showing him a drawing of the palace she herself had thrown over, asked his opinion about this plan. Knowing that the project belonged to the monarch, the architect was scattered with enthusiastic praise, listening to which the empress said: "If it is so good, then take over its construction." The agreement, of course, immediately followed, but the architect, in fulfilling the imperially sketched plan, was put in great difficulty, even in the outlines of the capital walls, and this is how they explain, if you go around the rooms of the palace, it becomes noticeable that there are no right angles in it either in no chambers, no embrasures of windows and doors.
The builder of the Marble Palace was Antonio Rinaldi.
F.Ya. Alekseev. View Palace Embankment... 1790th. 
The entire course of the construction of the Marble House from the very beginning to the end was of particular interest to Catherine II; She repeatedly personally visited the building and ordered to award the participants with money, as can be seen from the reports, and in general nothing happened in it without her orders. A handwritten note by Catherine II (1781 or 1782) has survived: “With extreme surprise I hear that in the Marble House Micah. Yves. Mordvinov gives Gampel the will to break down walls and rearrange doors as he pleases; ask in which and which rooms such a breakdown occurred and tell Micah. Iv., So that he does not break anything in that house without reporting me. Bring me a plan with the meaning of that reckless withdrawal. As Gampel knows better than Rinaldia. Doesn't he scrape the walls and cut down the bricks in the pipes, as in Tsarskoe Selo, in order to start fires?
The empress was entrusted with the direct supervision of the construction of the Marble Palace, Colonel of Artillery Micah. Yves. Mordvinov. Mordvinov kept detailed reports, where all costs were taken into account with an accuracy of ¼ a penny.
Obren and Jacotte. Marble palace. 1840-1850. Lithograph after drawing by Charlemagne and Durui. 
At the Sestroretsk factories, a factory was set up in 1772 for forging copper sheets on the roof. The marble was obtained from Yekaterinburg from the office of building houses and gardens.
In 1772 Gr. Gr. Orlov retired. Catherine, with her own handwritten draft of the decree, among many precious gifts, appointed Orlov and the Marble Palace. As a result, Mordvinov, on September 25th, was given a decree: “when you will finish building the stone house under your supervision at the postal pier, as ordered from us, and when it is completely removed, and in such a state will be brought so that the owner entered it and could live, then give the keys to gr. Gr. Gr. Orlov, because we grant him this house with all the furniture in it for eternal and hereditary possession. "
F.S. Rokotov. Portrait of Catherine II. 1779
S. Torelli. Portrait of Count G.G. Orlova. 1763 
But the construction of the palace took a long time, and Orlov was not destined to read the inscription on the frieze of the palace, at the behest of Catherine: “building of gratitude”, he died without moving to this house, in Moscow, on April 13, 1783.
After Orlov's death, Catherine turned to the relatives of the deceased with a proposal to redeem the property of Grigory Orlov, since in her opinion “this is superfluous for you; Gr., But also to your own benefit all of you will turn. " She made an inventory and appraisal of this property, which, according to her calculations, was "about a million and twenty thousand rubles." And with the installment plan for ten years, the interest on her calculations will amount to "up to five hundred thousand rubles." When consent was received, she ordered "not to take any duties on this sale."
After the death of Mikhail Ivanovich Mordvinov in 1782, Colonel Buxgewden was in charge of the construction of the palace. Such detailed reporting as in Mordvinov's was not carried out in subsequent years, but only brief notes and reports exist.
In total, 1,219,677 rubles were spent on the construction of the palace from April 1768 to May 1785. 46 ¼ K. But this is without cost for three years, from 1778 to 1780, since these reports of Mordvinov have not been preserved in the archives.
In terms of exterior decoration and interior decoration, the Marble Palace serves as a wonderful monument to Catherine's generosity. The lower floor is all overlaid with hewn wild stone, the upper two are multi-colored, polished Finnish and Siberian marble.
A rich gray marble grand staircase with niches for statues and vases, designed by Rinaldi, leads to the middle and upper floors.
Sculptures by F.I. Shubin after a drawing by architect Rinaldi. Night, Morning, Noon, Evening. 
The plafond of the main staircase. I. Christ. "The Judgment of Paris". 
On the day of the wedding c. book Konstantin Pavlovich (which took place on February 15, 1796), which took place in the church of the Winter Palace, after the dinner table in the St. George Hall and at the end of the ball, the newlyweds were received in the Marble Palace. A few days later, Catherine dined with her grandson, and this is what she wrote about the Marble Palace in a letter to Grimm: “Je pense qu'il est difficile de trouver une plus belle maison, plus richement meublee et avec plus de gout, de commodite, de richesse ; nous sommes amuses avant et après le diner a parcourir toute la maison, et j'en suis tres contente, et le sieur Constantin aussi. "
Soon after the partition of Poland, in 1797, the King of Poland Stanislav-August Poniatowski arrived in St. Petersburg, who from the palaces offered for him and his retinue: Stone, Tauride and Marble, chose the latter, why Konstantin Pavlovich had to temporarily settle in the house of the former chief marshal Shepeleva.
In February 1798, Poniatovsky died in the Marble Palace and was buried on February 18 under the Catholic Church on Nevsky Prospect.
Marcello Bachiarelli. Death of Stanislav-August Poniatowski. 
After the death of Konstantin Pavlovich (June 27, 1831), the Marble Palace was empty, most of the furniture and things were moved to other palaces, and on March 6, 1832, the palace was assigned to the Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich.
Since 1849, within 4 years, the palace underwent major repairs. Restored by Alexander Pavlovich Bryullov.
On December 10, 1849, the Marble Palace was presented as a gift, in hereditary possession to His Imperial Highness Konstantin Nikolaevich. In 1888, the palace passed to his son, Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich.
Interestingly, only the Constantines owned the palace.
In 1919-1936, the building housed Russian Academy history of material culture (in fact, a museum of local lore), and after its liquidation - a branch Of the Central Museum Lenin. To accommodate the exposition, the palace was redesigned by architects N.E. Lanceray and D.A. Vasiliev, which led to the loss of the architectural decoration of the halls. In 1992, the Marble Palace was transferred to the Russian Museum.
White hall. A.P. Bryullov
The hall is designed in the Gothic style. At one time there was an arsenal here - a collection of weapons was kept. 
All the chandeliers from this room were destroyed by the communists. They were melted down because they needed non-ferrous metal.
Bryullov's drawings of these chandeliers have not survived, so it is not possible to restore them.
Therefore, the restorers made new chandeliers from the surviving drawings of Bryullov.
The fireplace in the White Room is authentic: 
Winter Garden. A.P. Bryullov
The marble hall. A. Rinaldi. A.P. Bryullov 
Plafond S. Torelli. "Wedding of Cupid and Psyche" 
All chandeliers in the Marble Hall are genuine: 
Eagles in honor of the one to whom the grateful Catherine built the palace: 
The sculptor Mikhail Kozlovsky made a bas-relief for the Marble Hall, representing Regulus returning from Rome to the Carthaginian captivity, and Camille liberating Rome from the Gauls.
Regulus - Roman consul in 256 BC, who transferred the war with Carthage to Africa, won two victories over the Carthaginians; when they began to ask for peace, Regulus offered them extremely difficult conditions. The Carthaginians then gathered an army, inflicted a terrible defeat on the Romans and took Regulus prisoner. He was in captivity for 5 years, after which an embassy was sent to Rome to negotiate a peace advantageous for Carthage. According to legend, together with this embassy, Regulus was sent to Rome on the condition that he return to Carthage if he fails to persuade the Romans to peace on Carthage's terms. Regulus acted in Rome in favor of his compatriots, setting them up against Carthage, and since the embassy was unsuccessful, he returned to Carthage, where he was executed.
It is believed that this allegory was a hint from Ekaterina Orlov, who gave her his word not to divulge some secrets known to both of them. Allegory means loyalty to the given word.
The second bas-relief is of Camille liberating Rome from the Gauls.
In the 390s BC. after a seven-month siege, both the besieged and the besieged began to starve, and among the Gauls an infection opened up. Consequently, the parties were inclined to enter into negotiations. The leader of the Gauls, Brennus, agreed to withdraw with his army for a thousand pounds of gold. They brought gold and began to weigh it. The Gauls wanted to deceive the Romans and get more precious metal. At first slowly, and then openly, they began to pull down the scales with weights. The outraged Romans protested. Then Brenn took off his heavy sword and threw it on the scales where the weights were. "What does it mean?!" - exclaimed the Romans. “Woe to the vanquished — that's what that means!” Brenn shouted. At that moment Camille appeared with his army, declared the treaty invalid, drove the Gauls out of the city and defeated them in a great battle eight miles from Rome.
What Catherine wanted to say with this allegory, I do not know. During the excursion, they did not tell us a word about this bas-relief.
Interestingly, in Soviet times, October children were admitted to the pioneers in this hall.
To be continued.
Other names: Konstantinovsky Palace, V.I.Lenin Museum.
The Marble Palace is one of the most interesting palaces in St. Petersburg; during its construction, for the first time in Russia, natural stone was used: more than thirty varieties of marble and granite. The Marble Palace became for many years the residence of one of the branches of the Romanov family - the Konstantinovichs, although it was originally intended for a completely different owner.
The history of the creation of the Marble Palace
The palace project was commissioned by Catherine II by the Italian Antonio Rinaldi, who served as an architect at the Russian court for over thirty years. By order of the Empress, a bas-relief with his image was installed in the Marble Palace (the only surviving portrait of the architect, made in 1782 by Fedot Shubin).
The palace was built for Count Grigory Orlov, who had many services to Russia and who was also the lover (and according to some modern sources, the morganatic spouse) of Catherine II. Above the entrance to the Marble Palace, at the behest of the Empress, the inscription "The building of gratitude" was made.
The construction of the building began in 1768 and lasted 17 years - the construction of palaces in Russia in the 18th century was not a quick matter ... Grigory Orlov did not live to see the end of the work - he died in 1783, after which Catherine bought the palace from his brothers for 200 thousand rubles and In 1796, on the occasion of the wedding, she presented it to her second grandson, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich. During his tenure as the owner of the palace, he was rebuilt many times, including altering the interiors of the palace by A. Voronikhin, who was the court architect of the Grand Duke in 1803-1810. After the death of Konstantin Pavlovich in 1831, the palace was redeemed from his heir, the illegitimate son of Paul, to the treasury and in 1832 was donated by Emperor Nicholas the First to his second son Konstantin Nikolaevich, who at that time was only five years old. The noble owner of the palace continued to live with his family, while the courtiers continued to live in the palace. The situation changed in 1849, after the wedding, Konstantin Nikolayevich and his wife moved to live in the Marble Palace, re-finished for them by the architect Alexander Bryullov.
Architecture of the Marble Palace
The Marble Palace occupies an entire block between the Neva River and Millionnaya Street, in the plan it has a complex shape, from the side of Millionnaya Street the courtyard is closed by a wrought-iron fence. The main entrance to the palace is in the courtyard, the eastern facade of the building is crowned with an elegant clock tower, lavishly decorated with columns, pilasters, bas-reliefs with military fittings and allegorical figures. Since the palace is an example of the construction of early classicism, the features of the Baroque are still noticeable here: the graceful and pretentious shape of the clock tower, the intricate contour of the roof created by vases, the complex shape of the grand staircase ...
The copper window frames of the second floor and balustrades of the balconies retained the gilding of the late 18th century.
Interiors of the Marble Palace
More than any other premises, the spirit of the time of Catherine II was preserved by the main staircase and the ceremonial halls of the palace. The main staircase is faced with marble, the monolithic columns and pilasters are amazingly picturesque, the "Judgment of Paris" plafond, which crowns the staircase, was painted in 1784 to decorate one of the halls of the palace, and in the 19th century, during the reconstruction of the building, it was moved to its present location. Recall that it is on the stairs that you can see the only portrait image of the architect Antonio Rinaldi. All the sculptures that adorn the staircase were created from Italian marble by F. Shubin specifically for the Marble Palace and now occupy their historical sites.
The Marble Hall of the palace is absolutely unique, it has preserved its decoration from the end of the 18th century. Decorating the hall, Rinaldi used a combination of multi-colored Russian and Italian marbles; against the background of this multi-colored splendor, the bas-reliefs of the famous Russian sculptor M. Kozlovsky on the themes of the Punic wars, glorifying duty, loyalty to the fatherland, self-sacrifice and generosity of the ancient commanders stand out with the exceptional whiteness. Complement the decoration of the hall amazing beauty colored parquet flooring of the 18th century and a picturesque plafond by master Torelli "The Wedding of Cupid and Psyche", painted especially for the Marble Hall of the Marble Palace. In the middle of the 19th century, the ceiling of the hall was raised by one floor and beautiful bronze chandeliers and marble fireplaces with mirrors in carved gilded frames appeared in it.
The Marble Palace in St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. Its main feature is that the craftsmen used more than 30 different types of marble in the construction of the building. Some of the types of marble used were mined nearby, in the same city. Other grades of material were imported from afar, from Italy itself. The Marble Palace was built in the 18th century, and became the first building constructed from such expensive and beautiful materials.
A little about history
The construction of the Marble Palace took 17 years. This beautiful architectural structure was presented by Empress Catherine the Great to Count Grigory Orlov as a reward for special military services to the Fatherland. How it looks, look at the photo and video in the article. The lengthy construction of the Palace did not allow Grigory Orlov to wait for the gift. He died, and Catherine the Great subsequently bought her own gift from the heirs of the count, and gave it to her grandson. Further, the Marble Palace located in St. Petersburg was passed from hand to hand, the architectural structure changed many owners. V different times on the territory of this palace one could see the library, and the housing of the imperial family, and the art gallery. There was a period when a prisoner was kept here - the leader of the Polish Confederates.
Reconstruction of the palace
In 1832, reconstruction was carried out inside the building of the Marble Palace in St. Petersburg, and this architectural structure acquired one more floor, and besides it, a ballroom, in which parties were held, famous throughout St. Petersburg, see the video and Photo. At the time when the Marble Palace was owned by Konstantin Romanov (son of Prince Nikolai Romanov), literary evenings, plays and performances were often held in the building. different topics... During the October Revolution, the building of the marble palace housed various offices associated with the Ministry of Labor, created by the provisional government. The works of art collected in this Palace were then transferred to the Hermitage.
Description
The interior decoration of the Marble Palace amazes visitors with its splendor. Every detail of the interior is permeated with the spirit of courage and courage. Indeed, the idea of Empress Catherine the Great was originally just that. She wanted to show the courage, bravery and courage of the owner of the palace. In the palace halls there are various bas-reliefs and statues that recreate various heroic events that took place in the life of Count Grigory Orlov. The construction of this architectural object was headed by an architect from Italy - Antonio Rinaldi, and with him the construction was carried out by about four hundred more masters. Empress Catherine even came to see how the construction was being carried out, and upon completion she personally awarded the workers who took part in the creation of this architectural masterpiece.
The ground floor of the palace is decorated with gray marble, while the upper floors are decorated with beautiful pink marble. The halls are also decorated with marble from the inside, and one of them has a name similar to the name of the Palace - Marble. Its walls are faced with Karelian, Italian, Greek marble, as well as with Baikal lapis lazuli.
Main staircase
The main staircase of this palace is decorated with grayish-silver marble, and the sculptural accompaniment of this staircase is represented by niches in which themed sculptures are placed, personifying day, morning, evening, night, spring and autumn equinox. Bas-reliefs, figures of eagles, trophies - all these elements are made of white marble and are the decor of the main staircase of the Marble Palace.
Now the Marble Palace receives visitors every day, despite the reconstruction. Various thematic exhibitions are held inside the building. Visitors will be able to see paintings by foreign and domestic artists in this building. Getting to the architectural structure is not difficult. It will be enough for a traveler to drive to Millionnaya Street, 5. The entrance to the Marble Palace is paid, and its doors are open to visitors on all days except Tuesday. Discounts are valid for families and excursion groups.
A beautiful and picturesque view of the Neva River opens from the windows of the Marble Palace. You can get here by metro, getting off at the station "Nevsky Prospekt" or by taxi, standing at the stop "Suvorovskaya Ploschad". Rooms route taxis- K76 and K46.
What can tourists see
Now, in the Marble Palace in St. Petersburg, tourists can see many interesting compositions and exhibits. Many of them reflect the role of Russian art in the global context. On the territory of the palace there is a permanent exhibition about foreign artists in Russia in the period of the 18th-19th centuries. By visiting it, you can find out useful information about the relationship between European and Russian artists. Another exposition entitled "The Museum of Ludwig in the Russian Museum" allows you to trace how Russian art is developing in close relationship with the artistic culture of the world.
One of the last owners of the Marble Palace was Konstantin Romanov, and in his chambers there is now an exhibition that tells visitors about one of the poets of the Silver Age, Konstantin Romanov, who lived in this room. This exhibition is also worth visiting for everyone who came to the Marble Palace on a tour.
Video
This is a short film that immerses you in the atmosphere of the Marble Palace. After watching this video, you will have a clear idea of what the Marble Palace is, which is located in St. Petersburg. You can also subscribe to our channel and see other sights of our vast Russia.
Marble palace.
V historic center Petersburg, on the Palace Embankment, there is an amazing building - the Marble Palace, a masterpiece of architecture of the 18th century, where for the first time natural stone - granite and marble - was so widely used in external and internal decoration.
For a quarter of a century, the building has been part of the building, which in its halls has launched activities to popularize contemporary fine art, highlighting the role of compatriots' creativity in world culture.
History reference
In the times of Peter the Great, this was the site of the Postal Yard. A wooden two-story building completely burned down during a fire in 1737, and the resulting area for a long time was empty until Catherine II ordered to build a palace here for her favorite Grigory Orlov. Filled with gratitude to the Orlov brothers, with whose help she ascended the Russian throne, the empress showed truly royal generosity, sparing no expense to create a beautiful palace, personally tracking the progress of the work and sketching out sketches.
The development of the project was entrusted to the Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi, who also supervised the construction. To embody an unusual idea, marble of different shades and varieties was delivered from Italy, Greece, Russia, after which painstaking and lengthy processing was required. The construction, which took almost two decades, was completed only in 1785, after the death of Orlov.
Catherine II, having bought the palace from the heirs of the Most Serene Prince, presented it to her grandson Konstantin, who settled in it 10 years later - only after marriage. Soon, the grandmother evicted her grandson for bad behavior: the 16-year-old owner of the house fired rats from a cannon right in the room, frightening his wife.
In 1797, the palace became the home of the last king of Poland and his retinue. Having lost power in his country, Stanislav II August spent the last two years of his life here.
Konstantin Pavlovich returned to the palace again, having received the title of Tsarevich (heir) in 1799, and after his abdication, the palace went to the treasury.
Until the end of the imperial rule of the Romanovs, the residence belonged to two more grand dukes named Constantine: the son of Nicholas I - Konstantin Nikolaevich (admiral and one of the authors of the peasant reform), and then his grandson - Konstantin Konstantinovich (president of the Academy of Sciences and poet of the Silver Age). Not surprisingly, the palace was officially renamed Konstantinovsky.
In Soviet times, the building housed a branch of the Central Lenin Museum, and an armored car was installed in front of the eastern facade, similar to the one in which Ilyich spoke on arrival in Petrograd. Later, the armored car was transferred to the artillery museum, and the pedestal in 1994 was occupied by the equestrian statue of Alexander III, made by Paolo Trubetskoy at the beginning of the 20th century - this largest and most monumental work of the famous Italian impressionist sculptor completed his ten-year stay in Russia. Having caused contradictory assessments in society (many saw it as a caricature of the tsar), the monument was nevertheless erected on the square in front of the Moscow railway station, and since 1937 it has been kept in the storerooms of the Russian Museum. After the Marble Palace became a branch of the Russian Museum in 1992, and a new concept for its use - "Russian art in the context of the world," was adopted, Trubetskoy's work was considered appropriate to be included in the exposition.
Building architecture
All facades of the building, made in the style of early classicism, are tiled at the bottom with dark red granite. In the upper part, against a light gray granite background, quaternary columns of pink marble stand out, which alternate with window openings.
Facade of the Marble Palace from the side of the Neva embankment.
The window frames in gray marble contrast with the white marble garlands between the rows of windows on the second and third floors. Vases of gray dolomite are installed along the entire perimeter of the attic. The design of the building, which has come down to us in its original form, is of great artistic value.
The main eastern facade is crowned with a tower with chimes. On both sides there are figures symbolizing Generosity and Loyalty. The statues were made by the outstanding Russian master F.B. Shubin, more than 40 works of the sculptor adorn the interior of the palace.
As conceived by Antonio Rinaldi, inside the building, the idea of stone decoration of the facades is continued by the grand marble staircase, executed in a restrained range of gray tones, austere and majestic at the same time. Its allegorical sculptural ensemble is unique, as it is the only work of its kind in the 18th century in St. Petersburg that has survived to this day. In the niches between the first and second floors, there are four white marble statues - morning, afternoon, evening, night - representing the age categories: childhood, youth, maturity and old age. On the next floor, in rectangular niches, the female and male figures symbolize the spring and autumn equinox. The entire ensemble is dedicated to Grigory Orlov and glorifies his exploits.
In the middle of the 19th century, the palace was overhauled and reconstructed under the direction of the architect A. Bryullov. He created designs for new interiors for ceremonial and living quarters, applying different styles, using a variety of materials.
Exposition and attractions
On the ground floor of the main building of the Marble Palace, there is a wardrobe, a cash desk and other auxiliary premises (by the way, we note that at the time of this writing, there was no café for visitors to the palace - keep this in mind if you are planning a long inspection).
State halls
The state rooms and a significant part of the permanent exhibition are located on the second floor. The main room of the palace is the Marble Hall, which amazes with the splendor of decoration with the use of Greek and Italian, Karelian and Ural marble of different colors, as well as the Baikal lapis lazuli.
The marble hall.
Originally one-story, after the reconstruction of A. Bryullov, who increased the space by removing the ceilings, the hall became two-story. Light entering through two rows of windows bounces off the walls, creating an indescribable effect of the stone's inner glow. The hall is decorated with numerous bas-reliefs and a plafond "Cupid and Psyche".
The "Oryol" hall is of great interest to visitors, through which one must pass to get to the aforementioned Marble Hall.
"Oryol" hall.
His magnificent stucco ceilings, richly painted plafonds, intricate pattern of inlaid parquet evoke constant admiration.
Ceiling in the "Oryol" hall of the Marble Palace.
The walls of the Oryol Hall are also decorated with stucco and high reliefs.
High relief in the "Oryol" hall of the Marble Palace.
The ceremonial rooms of the second floor - Lakovoy and Chinese, the Greek Gallery, the Winter Garden and the Tsar's drawing room were renovated in 2002-2010.
"Ludwig Museum in the Russian Museum"
Historical interiors have been restored only in a few halls of the palace - restoration work in other halls continues to this day. Most of the rooms are a white cube, which is quite consistent with the paintings of Roy Lichtenstein, Ilya Kabakov or Igor Makarevich placed in it.
The work of Igor Makarevich.
Modern sculpture, represented by the works of Claes Oldernburg, Grisha Bruskin, Vladimir Yankilevsky and other authors, also looks advantageous in a simple frame.
Vladimir Yankilevsky. "Triptych No. 14".
The museum owes the appearance of such works to collectors Irene and Peter Ludwig. In 1994, they donated part of their magnificent collection to the Russian Museum as a gratuitous gift. A large sign at the entrance to the exhibition contains a complete list of artists and sculptors whose works are exhibited: Warhol, Picasso, Burroughs, Boyes, Rauschenberg, Lupertz, Wesselmann and many other equally famous names.
Tom Wesselmann. "Drawing from steel".
Here American pop art coexists with Russian impressionism, all conceivable and inconceivable genres of contemporary art are presented in several exhibition halls.
This is the only permanent exhibition of works of the second half of the 20th century in Russia, which makes it possible to trace the trends in the development of Russian contemporary art and the place it occupies in the context of the world.
Exposition at the Ludwig Museum.
In addition, numerous other temporary exhibitions are devoted to informal art, which are regularly held in the halls of the museum. Let us remind you that the exposition "Ludwig's Museum in the Russian Museum" is also located on the second floor.
Collection of the Rzhevsky brothers
Another permanent exhibition on the second floor of the Marble Palace is the collection of the St. Petersburg collectors of the Rzhevsky brothers, also donated to the Russian Museum. Most of the collection consists of paintings by venerable artists of the 18th - 20th centuries, among them: I.K. Aivazovsky, I.I. Mashkov, B.M. Kustodiev. In addition, there are graphics, sculptures, furniture and interior bronze, wonderful porcelain. Of particular interest are the rare examples of clocks included in the collection - floor, mantel, and travel clocks. They are made by masters of the late 18th - early 19th centuries, they are distinguished by refined decor, have unique mechanisms, fight with the performance of various melodies.
As for the main building of the Marble Palace, all permanent exhibitions are listed above. Note that temporary exhibitions are regularly held on the third floor.
Exposition "Constantine Romanov- poet of the Silver Age "
The memorial exposition "Konstantin Romanov - the poet of the Silver Age", located on the first floor of the left wing of the palace in the former chambers of the Grand Duke, deserves a separate mention. They come here only as part of thematic excursion held by the staff of the palace.
One of the most prominent representatives of the era at the turn of the XIX - XX centuries, K.K. Romanov - a public and statesman - considered music and poetry his main love. Diversified gifted, he wrote poems, plays, critical articles. His lyrics inspired the best composers, and Romanov himself wrote romances to the verses of Russian classics. His translation of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" is considered one of the most successful, published in 1899, he was reprinted several times.
The authentic interiors of the private apartments have been perfectly preserved and immerse visitors in the atmosphere of the owner's aesthetic preferences. The study and the music room are made of mahogany in the Gothic style, where every carved detail is unique. There are secret doors. A mysterious and enigmatic atmosphere of solitude reigns here, which the author of lyric lines so appreciated, hiding behind a laconic signature - “K. R."…
Where is it and how to get there
The museum is located on the same line with the Winter Palace (Hermitage) in front of the Champ de Mars, in the area of the Trinity Bridge, at the address: Millionnaya Street, 5/1, which overlooks south facade building.
The nearest metro station is "Nevsky Prospekt", but from it you need to walk about ten minutes along the embankment of the Griboyedov Canal and then along the Field of Mars towards the Neva.
Marble palace
The Marble Palace is the oldest building on the Champ de Mars, one of the most beautiful palaces in St. Petersburg, built in 1768–1772 on the site of the Petrovsky post office yard, designed by Antonio Rinaldi for the favorite of Catherine II, Count Grigory Orlov. It was named "Marble" because different types of marble were used in its interior and exterior decoration. For a long time, the palace housed the V.I.Lenin Museum (now a branch of the Russian Museum).
It would seem - a well-known building with a well-known history. When I proposed this topic to Viktor Mikhailovich, he doubted. But we decided to take the risk. And this is what happened.
Antonio Rinaddi, builder of the Marble Palace, was born in 1709 near Naples. Studied with Luigi Vanvitelli, one of the greatest architects of the late Italian Baroque.
In 1752 Rinaldi came to Russia. Rather, to Little Russia - that was how Ukraine was called then. He was invited by Kirill Razumovsky, the then all-powerful hetman of Little Russia. He became the hetman at the age of 22, and at the age of 18 he was appointed president of the Academy of Sciences. Everyone knew that such a high appointment was connected with the fact that his brother Alexei Razumovsky was the favorite of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and, according to rumors, her morganatic husband. The Razumovskys came from Ukraine, in childhood they grazed oxen. Alexei had a wonderful voice, he was noticed, they took him to the capital as a singer - and there the empress drew attention to him. At one time, Alexei Razumovsky - "the night emperor of Russia," as he was called - was omnipotent. But he left about himself good memory: he did not climb into politics, did no harm to anyone, did not suffer from the love of money and, they say, until his death he kept in the closet in his office the shepherd's scroll, in which he once appeared in St. Petersburg. And he did not forget his relatives. Cyril received a decent education and, becoming hetman, decided to make the city of Baturin the capital of Little Russia. And what a palace, stone houses, a university ... And Antonio Rinaldi is building a hetman's palace in the Baroque style in Baturyn. When in 1764 Catherine II abolished the hetmanate, Baturin remained in the possession of the Razumovskys. Later, Charles Cameron rebuilds the palace, taking into account Rinaldi's plans.
Antonio Rinaldi
The first building by Antonio Rinaldi in the St. Petersburg province was the Cathedral of St. Catherine in Yamburg (Kingissepp). The graceful, lightweight building is a bit like a whipped cream cake and is still the symbol of this small town.
Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, Antonio Rinaldi called himself "the architect of the Grand Duchess." This is essential. After all, Peter III was officially his customer. Apparently, Rinaldi was a supporter of the future Empress Catherine II. Therefore, it is not surprising that when she ascended the throne, and Peter III died "from an attack of hemorrhoidal colic" in Ropsha, it was Rinaldi who became the leading architect of St. Petersburg. Oranienbaum - Roller Coaster, Chinese Palace. Gatchina - the Grand Palace. Tsarskoe Selo - monuments military glory... Prince Vladimir Cathedral on Petrogradskaya ... The name of Rinaldi is associated with the Myatlevs' mansion on St. Isaac's Square and - what is most interesting - with house number 12 along the Moika River embankment. This is the last Pushkin address. Rinaldi himself, of course, did not build this house. But at the beginning of the 19th century, the house, still old from the time of Peter the Great, was rebuilt by an unknown architect. And he took the Marble Palace as a prototype, although, of course, house number 12 on the Moika Embankment did not turn out to be so luxurious. Some experts believe: "by the general character of the outline of the building, a certain similarity with the general architectonic structure of the Marble Palace is noticeable."
The Marble Palace from the side of the Palace Embankment. year 2014
It is also known about Rinaldi that he was a romantic, a dreamer, an enthusiast of his craft - for example, he personally searched for some special marbles for decoration in Italian quarries.
Alas, in 1784 an accident occurred: the architect fell from the woods while inspecting the Bolshoi Theater (in the place where the Conservatory is now). He went to Rome, but until his death in 1794 he received a pension, 1000 rubles. a year, appointed to him by Empress Catherine II.
But back to the Marble Palace. It was called the "House of Gratitude" - after all, the favorite of Catherine II, Grigory Orlov, was an active participant in the coup of 1762, which elevated her to the throne. At one time there were even rumors that Catherine was going to marry him. But she, apparently, was told that it is unlikely that "Mrs. Orlova" will be able to remain the Empress of All Russia.
Marble Palace from the side of the Neva
The Rinaldievsky facades of the Marble Palace have come down to us almost unchanged. The main façade is east, the one that now opens onto the garden. He is noticeably more elegant than the others. The garden originally extended to the Red Canal, which connected the Moika with the Bolshaya Neva in the 18th century. (It ran along the western edge of the Champ de Mars and was buried in the 1770s). The Manege building (A. Bryullov, 1840s) on the opposite side of the modern garden did not exist at that time. The northern facade is perceived across the Neva, therefore it is more restrained, without small details. The main feature here is the combination of marble overflows and Neva water. The sculptural decoration of the palace was made by the wonderful master Fedot Shubin.
The Manege, built by A. Bryullov, is a rather modest service building. But from the side of the garden, it is decorated with a long bas-relief "The adoption of a horse into service by a man." It features 33 horses - the largest herd in the city! The author of the bas-relief is the incomparable Pyotr Klodt.
The service building of the Marble Palace and a fragment of P. Klodt's bas-relief. year 2013
I have already mentioned that Grigory Orlov did not manage to live in the palace. After his death, the palace was taken into the treasury. At one time an exile lived in it - the king of Poland Stanislav-August Poniatowski, once a favorite of Catherine (he was even considered the father of Paul the First). King Stanislav died in the Marble Palace. He was buried in the Church of St. Catherine on Nevsky (a joint creation of Antonio Rinaldi and Jean-Baptiste Valen-Delamot), then in 1938 the king's ashes were transported to Poland and buried in the former family estate of the Poniatovskys 35 km from Brest. Later, these lands were annexed to Belarus, the tomb of the king was plundered. Only in 1988, in the wake of perestroika, at the request of the Polish government, the Soviet archaeological expedition began searching for the remains of King Stanislav's burial. Alas, only a little survived, and what remained was transported to Poland and finally rested in the Church of St. John in Warsaw. And about the Marble Palace has long been said: "For one favorite was built, the other died here."
Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich
The next owner of the palace, the second son of Paul I, Grand Duke Constantine, left an unkind memory of himself. He was a rude, hot-tempered man, a real soldier. His wife Anna Fyodorovna, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg, hid in a huge vase when Konstantin Pavlovich was having fun, firing blank charges from a cannon along the corridors of the palace. In the end, the poor Grand Duchess fled to her parents. The Grand Duke also stained himself with outright criminality - he and his drinking companions kidnapped and dishonored a certain Mrs. Araujo, a mother of two children. "It was the most vile story that darkened the beginning of Alexander's reign." The unhappy woman died, unable to withstand the humiliation and shame. Since Mrs. Araujo was a foreign citizen, and not a powerless Russian, Emperor Alexander I ordered to pay her relatives 20 thousand rubles. and sent brother Constantine away from Russia - as governor to Poland.
The Polish beauty Zhanetta Grudzinskaya, who became his morganatic wife, managed to calm down the Grand Duke somewhat. Emperor Alexander bestowed upon her the title of Princess Lowicz. Konstantin had no legitimate children, and the Marble Palace passed to the Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich.
Konstantin Nikolaevich, the second son of Nicholas I, by family tradition preparing for naval service. He commanded the frigate "Pallada" (later Goncharov made a round-the-world trip on it). He founded the Russian Geographical Society, "Morskoy Sbornik" - a magazine in which Goncharov, Stanyukovich and other famous writers were published. Konstantin Nikolaevich was seriously involved in the affairs of the Naval Department, and the Russian fleet owes a lot to the Grand Duke. In family life, at first he was very happy, he married the beautiful Duchess of Saxe-Altenburg, who took the name of Alexandra Iosifovna at baptism. But then he fell in love with the ballerina Anna Vasilievna Kuznetsova, the bastard daughter of the great tragedian Vasily Andreevich Karatygin.
Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich
Many knew about the second family of the Grand Duke. Emperor Alexander III had a sharply negative attitude towards his uncle's behavior, but despite his dislike of Konstantin Nikolaevich, in 1883 all his illegitimate children were given the patronymic "Konstantinovichi", the surname "Knyazevy" and personal nobility, and in 1892 - hereditary. Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich ended his life as a paralyzed helpless old man who had lost his speech. He was devotedly courted by his unloved wife.
The Marble Palace was inherited by the eldest son of Konstantin Nikolaevich, also Konstantin. Konstantin Konstantinovich entered the history of Russian literature as a poet of the Kyrgyz Republic.
In those carefree years
we did not know everyday prose,
how good then
how fresh the roses were.
Marble palace,
Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich
In terms of character, inclination to mysticism and melancholy, of course, Konstantin Konstantinovich would have preferred another life, far from drill and shooting. But - the Romanovs had to serve the Tsar and the Fatherland primarily in the military field. This was not discussed. Therefore, from birth, the poet of the Kyrgyz Republic had to become the chief of the 15th Tiflis Grenadier Regiment, young men - to begin service in the Naval Department, which was led by his father, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, and later - to command the Preobrazhensky Regiment, be the chief, then - the inspector general military educational institutions. Of all the Romanovs, only the son of Konstantin Konstantinovich Oleg entered a higher civilian educational institution, the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, before military service, and successfully graduated from it. By the way, it was Oleg Konstantinovich who published Pushkin's manuscripts at his own expense, wrote poetry himself (albeit rather weak ones), in a word, he tried to move away from the obligatory canons of behavior of the Romanov family. At the beginning of the First World War, Oleg Konstantinovich died at the front.
Konstantin Konstantinovich died in 1915. I did not see how the building of the Russian Empire collapsed, how the imperial family died. Konstantin Konstantinovich did not have a chance to find out that his sons Ioann, Igor and Konstantin, together with Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich and Prince Vladimir Paley, were thrown alive into a mine near Alapaevsk. Of all the male “Konstantinovichs”, only Gabriel was able to escape (he was literally snatched from the clutches of the Chekists by the ballerina Nesterovskaya, whom Prince Gabriel later married in exile), and fifteen-year-old George.
And one more poetic page from the history of the Marble Palace:
A wind full of Baltic salt
Ball of blizzards on the Champ de Mars
And the invisible ringing of hooves ...
And immeasurable anxiety
Who has little left to live
Who only asked God for death,
And who will be forgotten forever.
Anna Akhmatova.
"A Poem Without a Hero"
Assyrologist Vladimir Kazimirovich Shileiko lived in the Manezh after the 1917 revolution. In 1918 he married the poet Anna Akhmatova, with whom he had long been in love. By the way, Shileiko himself wrote good poetry:
In the bitterness of the year
With the last sound of heights
With a short swan song,
You are one star.
The marriage quickly fell apart. Shileiko, in the words of Akhmatova, was a person "unsuitable for living together," but the echoes of a short life on the Champ de Mars remained in Poem Without a Hero.
“Corner of the Field of Mars. House built at the beginning of the 19th century by the Adamini brothers. It will be hit by a direct bomb in 1942. A high bonfire is burning. The sound of the bell ringing from the Savior on Spilled Blood is heard. On the Field behind a blizzard, the ghost of a palace ball. In the interval between these sounds, Silence itself speaks. "
For a long time the Museum of V.I.Lenin was located in the Marble Palace. They say that this actually saved the palace from being plundered. And they probably did not spare money for the repair and restoration of such a museum. Now it is a branch of the Russian Museum. And in the garden in front of the palace for a long time there was an armored car "Enemy of Capital", from which, allegedly, Lenin spoke. Meticulous historians question the very fact of the performance (few), the type of armored car (a little more) and whether it is the same armored car in general or just similar (many). Now the armored car has moved to a museum by profile - to the Military-Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps. And its place "temporarily" (there is nothing more permanent than temporary) was taken by the monument to Alexander III by the sculptor Paolo Trubetskoy. In 1899-1909, when Trubetskoy was working on the monument, a special workshop-pavilion made of glass and iron was built for this on Staro-Nevsky Prospekt, not far from the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. According to Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, Trubetskoy created a caricature of his brother. However, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna liked the sculpture, and her opinion was decisive.
... on a hard-to-reach horse,
Squeezed into the ground, the emphasis of the hooves,
Half asleep, inaccessible with excitement,
Motionless, clenching the bridle, stands.
This is how V. Ya. Bryusov expressed his impressions of the monument in the poem "Three idols".
Monument to Alexander III at the Marble Palace. year 2013
The monument is far from simple - it can personify the strength of foundations, the inviolability of laws, firmness of views - and stupidity, stubbornness, slow-wittedness - depending on how you relate to the personality of Emperor Alexander III.
Spawned a monument and numerous epigrams:
There is a chest of drawers in the square,
There is a hippopotamus on the dresser
On a hippopotamus, a moron
There is a hat on the flap.
(There is a hat on the wrap,
What a fool is this daddy?)
There is another epigram
Third Wild Toy
for a Russian slave:
There was a Tsar Bell, Tsar Cannon,
and now also the Tsar- ...
(substitute the rhyme yourself).
During the revolution, Znamenskaya Square is a place of rallies. The monument, apparently, greatly annoyed the protesters - either a red bow would be attached to the tsar, or a placard would be hung with poems by Demyan Bedny:
Later, these "immortal lines" were knocked out on the pedestal of the monument.
In 1937, in connection with the reconstruction of Vosstaniya Square and the laying of tram lines along Nevsky Prospekt, the monument was removed and transferred to the Russian Museum. It was kept in the courtyard of the museum and during the Great Patriotic War almost died. At the beginning of the war, museum staff dug a deep hole, but could not lower a heavy bronze sculpture into it. I had to carry buckets and sacks of sand from the barges on the Moika. As a result, the statue was still covered with sand, sheathed with boards and covered with logs on top. Nevertheless, the monument to Alexander III turned out to be the only sculpture in Leningrad that received a direct hit from an artillery shell. However, the shelter still held out.
Now Alexander III "registered" in the courtyard of the Marble Palace. The high pedestal created by Fyodor Shekhtel, unfortunately, has been lost. There is a proposal: to return the monument to the square, and to transfer the stele located there ("The Terrible Dream of a Parachutist", "The Bayonet in the Throat of Nevsky Prospect") to be moved to the Square of Muzhestva.
This text is an introductory fragment. From the book Another Petersburg the author Rotikov Konstantin KonstantinovichChapter 13 Millionnaya Street. Marble palace. Field of Mars. "Halt of Comedians" and "Stray Dog" by Telamon of the Hermitage. - Knight on Winter palace... - Nice personality of Peter III. - Hermitage employees. - Lenya Kanegisser as a tyrannicide. - Count A.I.Sollogub. -
From the book Museums of St. Petersburg. Big and small the author Elena PervushinaMenshikov Palace 15, Universitetskaya Embankment Tel .: 323-11-12. Metro station: Vasileostrovskaya. Opening hours: Tuesday - Saturday - 10.30–18.00, Sunday - 10.30–17.00, day off - Monday. Ticket offices close one hour before closing of the museum. History of the museum The building was built in 1710-1714
From the book The Palace in the History of Russian Culture. Experience of typology the author Nikiforova Larisa ViktorovnaMikhailovsky Palace, Inzhenernaya street, 4. Tel .: 318-16-08. Metro station: "Gostiny Dvor." earlier.For visitors with reduced mobility. For questions
From the book Riddles of Old Persia the author Nepomniachtchi Nikolai NikolaevichKonstantinovsky Palace in Strelna: Palace of Congresses as a topos of civil society Congress Palaces appeared in European countries in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Congress as a form of scientific communication is both organization and self-organization
From the book Alexander III and his time the author Tolmachev Evgeny Petrovich From the book The Other Side of Moscow. The capital city in secrets, myths and riddles author Grechko Matvey From the book Two Petersburgs. Mystical guide the author Popov Alexander From the book Folk traditions of China the author Martyanova Lyudmila MikhailovnaSlobodskoy Palace The neighboring palace, usually called Slobodskoy, began to be built in the middle of the 18th century by Chancellor Bestuzhev-Ryumin for himself, in order to comfortably settle down next to Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, if she happened to live in the Lefortovsky palace. To finish
No. 17/46 Stroganov Palace 1753-1754, F.B. Rastrelli; 1788-1800s, internal restructuring, F.I. Demertsov, A.N. Voronikhin The ancient and famous family of the Stroganovs (Strogonovs), the largest industrialists and landowners in Russia, made a huge contribution to the development of domestic
From the author's book№ 39 Anichkov Palace 1741-1754, M.G. Zemtsov, G. D. Dmitriev, F.B. Rastrelli; 1776–1778, perestroika, I.E. Starov The vast territory between Sadovaya Street and Fontanka belonged at the beginning of the 18th century to a close associate of Peter I, the first Chief of Police of St. Petersburg
From the author's bookThe Marble Palace The Marble Palace is the oldest building on the Champ de Mars, one of the most beautiful palaces in St. Petersburg, built in 1768–1772 on the site of the Peter's post mazankovy yard designed by Antonio Rinaldi for the favorite of Catherine II, Count Grigory Orlov.
From the author's bookThe prince's palace The oldest information about the prince's palace is reported by Ibn Fadlan, who says that the prince's palace is a huge room, where up to 400 people can simultaneously stay. There is a throne in it, on which, towering over his servants, sits