The Marble Palace is one of the most interesting palaces in St. Petersburg. This architectural ensemble entirely made of natural stone. Facades and interiors are decorated and faced with various types of marble. This is where the name comes from.
History of the Marble Palace
The Marble Palace is one of the most beautiful buildings Petersburg at Palace Embankment
Favorite gift
The palace was created by order of Catherine II for her favorite Grigory Orlov. The Empress presented a gorgeous gift as a token of gratitude for her active participation in the events of 1762, as a result of which she became the rightful mistress of the throne.
Catherine's beloved did not remain in debt, he gave her a huge persian emerald, the value of which was almost equal to the value of the palace.
At her command, an inscription was made over the entrance to the palace, addressed to Orlov - "The building of gratitude." The construction, which began in 1768, lasted so long, 17 years, that Count Orlov died before the completion of the work, not having time to celebrate a housewarming in it.
Palace owners
In 1785, Catherine bought the palace from the heirs for 1.5 million rubles and soon presented it to her 16-year-old grandson Konstantin Pavlovich on the occasion of his marriage.
However, she soon had to deprive the heir of the gift for "unworthy behavior." The young prince, mocking his 14-year-old wife, fired live rats from a cannon in the corridor.
Then in the Marble Palace lived alternately the son and grandson of Nicholas I. So he became for many years the residence of one of the branches of the Romanov family- Konstantinovich, although it was intended for Count Orlov.
During the First World War, the palace was used as a hospital for wounded officers. In Soviet times, the Russian Academy of the History of Material Culture was located there. During this time, many interiors were lost.
Later, the former grand ducal residence turned into the Lenin Museum. Its courtyard was adorned with the "Enemy of Capital" armored car, from which the leader of the revolution delivered his fiery speeches.
Now, on the site of the armored car, an equestrian statue of Alexander III has been placed. Since 1994, the building of the Marble Palace was taken over by the Russian Museum.
Architectural features
The Marble Palace occupies a whole block between the Neva River and Millionnaya Street, it seems that it grew out of Neva granite. Gray-pink granite and the walls of the building echo the color of the St. Petersburg sky. The building was rebuilt in the style of early classicism of Russian architecture of the second half of the 18th century.
External structure of the palace
The palace has a complex shape. The main entrance is in the courtyard and overlooks the garden. Above the entrance there is an inscription: "The building of gratitude".
The eastern façade is crowned with a graceful clock tower adorned with marble vases. It contains the palace chimes. The facade is generously decorated with columns, pilasters - vertical ledges in the wall.
On the sides there are two allegorical marble statues "Generosity" and "Loyalty" by F.I. Shubin. The interiors of the palace are decorated with over 40 works by this architect. The front yard from the south and from the side of the Neva is bounded by a forged lattice placed on granite pillars with marble vases.
In 1780, in the eastern part of the site was built Service building, in which there were stables, arena, coachman, hay sheds. On the ground floor there were kitchens, a boiler room, a church, and a machine for supplying water to the ceremonial baths. On the second floor there is a bathroom, a steam room, a ballroom.
The western part, intended for household needs, was closed by the front facades of the buildings located on Millionnaya Street.
On the fence connecting the service wing with the palace, there are relief friezes "The Serving of the Horse to Man".
External facades
home artistic value palace - external facades, finished with natural stone. The ground floor is faced with pink-red Tivdian granite, which perfectly matches the granite embankment of the Neva. The two upper floors are decorated with light gray granite.
The thickness of the walls of the palace is 1.5-2 meters. The height of the building is from 12 to 22 meters. The columns, made of pink marble, alternate rhythmically with the window openings. Window frames are made of gray Ruskeala marble. Between the windows of the second and third floors - embossed air white marble garlands.
The architecture of the building has baroque features: the graceful pretentious shape of the clock tower, the intricate contour of the roof created by openwork vases, the complex configuration of the grand staircase.
For the decoration of facades and interiors, 32 types of marble were used. Huge blocks of stone were delivered along the Neva from quarries near Ladoga and Onega lakes. White marble was brought from Italy.
The northern and southern facades facing the Neva embankment and the Field of Mars are designed for perception from a long distance.
Balcony rails are made of marble with gilded bronze balusters, low figured columns in the form of miniature columns. Along the entire perimeter of the facades there are vases made of gray dolomite, a durable translucent stone with a glass luster.
Interiors of the Marble Palace
The interiors of the palace are distinguished by rich interior decoration using a rare and expensive stone - agate. All this luxury is designed to emphasize the strength and masculinity of its owner, Count Orlov.
According to Rinaldi's idea, the artistic decoration of the interior was to become a worthy continuation of the stone decoration of the facades. The architect realized his idea when decorating the main staircase and halls of the palace.
A majestic staircase, decorated with various types of colored marble, leads to the second floor in the suite of ceremonial halls. Its monolithic columns are surprisingly picturesque.
Main staircase made according to the project of Rinaldi from marble of gray-silver shades.
The ceiling of the staircase is crowned with the "Judgment of Paris" plafond. Numerous sculptures decorating the staircase were created from Italian marble by architect F. Shubin especially for the Marble Palace.
Opposite the entrance, on the wall, is a marble relief with a portrait of Antonio Rinaldi. He appeared here at the request of Count Grigory Orlov in recognition of the architect's merits. Shortly before the completion of the work, the architect was seriously injured, having fallen from the scaffolding. Without waiting for the end of construction, for this reason he left Russia for Italy.
The basis of the artistic decoration of the main staircase is a sculpture made of Italian marble and installed in special niches. The relief composition on the walls of the third floor and decorative overlap complement the unusual decoration of the main entrance.
The sculptures of the main staircase of the Marble Palace represent an allegorical ensemble. In the niches between the first and second floors, there are four marble statues that represent the time of day and symbolize human life stages.
- Morning is a person's childhood. This is a female figure in the form of the goddess of the morning dawn Aurora. At her feet is a solar disk, and her arms are entwined with garlands of roses.
- Noon is the youth of man. A female figure with an arrow, a symbol of the sun's rays. The sundial shows noon.
- Evening is a mature age. A female figure in the image of the goddess of the hunt, Diana, who goes hunting at dusk, grabbing a bow and a quiver with arrows.
- Night is a person's old age. A female figure with the attribute of the night - an owl.
There are two statues in rectangular niches between the second and third floors:
- The vernal equinox is a female figure with a flower garland in her hands, at her feet is the head of a ram, the zodiac sign of Aries, into which the sun enters after the vernal equinox.
- The autumnal equinox is a male figure with a bunch of ripe grapes in his hand.
On the walls of the third floor there are relief images of four main Virtues:
- Moderation.
- Prudence.
- Justice.
- Strength of mind.
On the western wall there is a composition "The Game of Cupids", which is crowned with a rich clock dial.
Along the entire length of the staircase there are sculptures of nymphs. All the symbols of the main staircase glorified the military valor, fortitude and deeds of Grigory Orlov.
The marble hall of the palace
The marble hall of the palace is unique. Decorating the hall, the architect used various types of Russian and Italian marbles, combining them in various ways.
The walls are faced with Ural, Karelian, Greek, Italian marble. In the decoration of the main premises of the palace, the architect used a rare ornamental stone - lapis lazuli.
The ceiling is supported by pillars in the form of thin columns that turn into fan vaults. On the sides of the doorway, two marble columns were installed, on which the figures of Russian knights were placed.
On the east side of the hall, the sculptor depicted double-headed eagles... Along the perimeter of the walls there are 14 round bas-reliefs on the theme of "Sacrifice".
The window frames and balcony doors are made of gilded bronze. The door leaves and stunning flooring made from complex patterned parquet flooring create a unique atmosphere that characterizes the delicate taste of architects and sculptors.
The hall is decorated with gilded bronze chandeliers with crystal dressing. Two marble fireplaces with mirrors in gold carved frames emphasize the generosity of the Empress, at whose command the palace was built.
Winter Garden
Near - winter Garden, arranged on the terrace of the second and third floors. Its decorative arches are supported by cast-iron columns and semi-columns.
The metal ceiling is decorated with caissons, graceful geometric recesses along its entire surface.
On the east side - balcony with an elegant wrought iron lattice... In the middle of the garden, a marble fountain with three bowls rises on a mosaic stone floor.
A large three-winged glass door opens the entrance to the Flower Garden, in which a marble fireplace with a mirror blends harmoniously into the sea of flowers.
Halls of the Marble Palace
Marble was also used in the decoration of other halls of the palace.
- The white hall looks rich and sophisticated, decorated with slender white columns.
- The lacquer hall is decorated with wood, the walls are decorated with panels with paintings of the exploits of Alexander the Great. Velvet walls are crowned with the monogram of the Empress. In front of her stately portrait there is a pedestal with a vase decorated with war trophies.
- The Oryol and Catherine Halls glorify activity, symbolize the valor and luxury of the Empress and her favorite. The bas-reliefs of the Russian sculptor M. Kozlovsky, glorifying duty, loyalty to the Fatherland, self-sacrifice and generosity of the commanders, stand out for their ideal whiteness.
- The Chinese hall is very beautiful and fashionable. During important receptions, it served as a ceremonial dining room.
- The Art Gallery presents 206 masterpieces of painting.
State of the art
Since 1994, the palace has regularly hosted art exhibitions, meetings, and concerts. Opened here permanent exhibitions:
- Russian art in the context of world art.
- Foreign artists in Russia in the 18-19 centuries.
- Ludwig Museum at the Russian Museum.
- Collection of St. Petersburg collectors of brothers Rzhevsky
- Konstantin Romanov is a poet of the Silver Age.
Also regularly held exhibitions of works by contemporary Russian and foreign artists. Spouses Peter and Irena Ludwig donated to the museum works of Russian and foreign artists of the 20th century from their collection.
In 1998, the Rzhevsky brothers from St. Petersburg, who had preserved works of Russian painting for half a century, donated their collection to the Russian Museum. Among them are works by Aivazovsky, Klever, Dubovsky, Mashkov, Konchalovsky, Kustodiev.
Particularly rare part of the collection - mantel clock, floor and road, made by different watchmakers of the 18-19 centuries. All watches with unique watch mechanisms, with striking, perform several melodies, with an interesting decorative design of the dial and case.
Most of the collection represents graphics, sculpture, furniture, lighting fixtures, and artistic bronze. In 2015, the Bank of Russia issued a commemorative 25-ruble coin dedicated to the Marble Palace.
The Marble Palace is located in the very center of St. Petersburg. Even by standards Northern capital not lacking in beautiful buildings, this monumental structure stands out for its beauty and grandeur.
The Marble Palace is absolutely unique. This building has become the only building in St. Petersburg, the façade of which is completely lined with natural marble. Marble was brought to the construction site from many countries of the world: a total of 32 of its varieties were used.
The palace was built at the behest of Empress Catherine II, who decided to make a generous gift to Count Grigory Orlov, who played a key role in the empress's enthronement.
Previously, on the site of the palace there was a Postal Yard with a hotel, where Peter I repeatedly stayed. In 1769, the Italian architect A. Rinaldi demolished the building of the Postal Yard and began construction of the Marble Palace. The building project was developed with the participation of the Empress.
300 people worked on the construction site every day. Catherine regularly appeared at the construction site, celebrated and encouraged the most skillful builders.
In architectural terms, the Marble Palace is an example of early classicism, one of the brightest in Russia. Colored marble, in a large number used in the facing of the palace, emphasizes its monumentality and luxury.
Years have no power over the building - it has been preserved exactly in the form that it first appeared before the eyes of Petersburgers after the removal of the scaffolding. Rinaldi ordered the upper floors to be faced with grayish marble, the lower - pink.
The empress took an active part in the development of the interior interiors of the palace. Due to the fact that the palace was built for Count Grigory Orlov, the tsarina ordered the architect to make the interior decoration austere like a man. The chambers of the palace are distinguished by restraint and grandeur.
In the Oryol Hall there are busts, statues and bas-reliefs of representatives of the count's dynasty. In the Assembled Hall, the walls are covered with velvet and gold stucco molding. There are huge chandeliers on the ceiling. In the center of the main wall of the hall is a huge portrait of Catherine II.
Today, the Marble Palace houses a branch of the Russian Museum. There are few permanent exhibitions in the palace, as it itself is a kind of museum attraction. In addition to the collection of weapons, tourists will be interested in the extensive art gallery, which includes over 200 paintings by famous artists from Western Europe. The Marble Palace regularly hosts exhibitions of painting classics and contemporary artists, press conferences and master classes.
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The Marble Palace, located in the center of the Northern capital, is considered one of the most majestic and striking buildings in the city. This architectural monument 18th century is truly unique. The fact is that this is the first building in St. Petersburg, in the decoration of the facade of which a natural material was used - marble. It should be noted that 32 types of marble brought from different countries were used for the construction.
The Marble Palace became a gift for the Queen's favorite - Grigory Orlov. Catherine decided to generously thank Grigory Grigorievich for helping her become an empress.
Initially, on the site of the Marble Palace, there was a two-storey building of the Post Office, built according to the project of Domenico Trezzini. Here Peter I held his assemblies and festive events. There was also a restaurant, hotel and post office in the building. Interestingly, in good weather Peter came here on foot from Summer garden... In winter, the hotel guests lived as if on a powder keg. If the king unexpectedly came to the Post Office, then all the tenants were instantly evicted. After a while, the Manezh was built here, and the post office moved to another place. But the new building of the Manege burned down in 1737.
In 1769, by order of Catherine II, a large-scale construction of the Marble Palace began here under the leadership of the architect Antonio Rinaldi. This magnificent building became a gift for the favorite of the tsarina - Grigory Orlov. Catherine decided to generously thank Grigory Grigorievich for helping her become an empress. Of course, Orlov could not help but make a return gift and chose the luxurious Nadir Shah diamond as a present. The cost of the stone was 460 thousand rubles - fabulous money for that time. By the way, about the same amount of money was spent on the construction of the Marble Palace itself.
There is a version that Catherine II personally sketched the project of the Marble Palace.
The marble for facing the building was brought from Italy, Greece and Russia.
It is interesting that a large box with coins, which is also made of marble, was laid in the foundation of the building. About 300 people worked daily at the construction site of the Marble Palace. The Empress personally followed the progress of the work and encouraged the most active builders.
The interior decoration of the Marble Palace is striking in its splendor. Everything here was thought out to the smallest detail. The main staircase was decorated with statues of Morning, Day, Evening and Night, as well as sculptural groups that personified the spring and autumn equinox. In addition to the luxurious halls, there was a library, a large art gallery, bedrooms, living rooms, an office, Turkish and Greek baths. The construction of this huge house was delayed. Count Orlov died without seeing the finished palace. True, in those years he was no longer the favorite of the empress.
Later, the Marble Palace belonged to the grandson of Catherine II, Konstantin Pavlovich Romanov and his children. After the revolution, the building was nationalized, and all the rich collections were transferred to the Hermitage. In the palace in different time there were such organizations as the People's Commissariat of Education, the Office of Palaces-museums, the Central Bureau of Local History and others. In 1992, the house was given over to the Russian Museum. An equestrian monument to Alexander III was erected in front of the building.
Practical information
The Marble Palace is located at the address: St. Petersburg, Millionnaya Street, 5/1, metro station "Nevsky Prospect".
The ticket price for adult visitors is 350 RUB, for schoolchildren and students - 170 RUB. You can buy a complex ticket to visit the Marble, Mikhailovsky, Stroganov palaces and the Mikhailovsky castle for 650 RUB. The reduced price of such a ticket is 300 RUB. You will have to pay extra for photography - 500 RUB.
Address: Millionnaya st., 5/1
Prices on the page are for September 2018.
The Marble Palace is one of the most beautiful in St. Petersburg. Life in it, however, did not bring happiness to any of its owners. Its walls remember the thefts, and violence, and even the shooting of live rats from a cannon.
On the excursion, you will be told that the palace (on the site of the former Postal Yard, destroyed by a grandiose fire in 1737) was ordered to be built by Catherine II - it was a gift from the Empress Grigory Orlov, her associate and longtime favorite. Orlov was supposed to live on the same street as the empress, very close to the Winter Palace. Writer and historian P.I. Sumarokov in his "Review of the reign and properties of Catherine the Great" mentions that the empress herself drew up the project of the future palace; and she commissioned the court architect Antonio Rinaldi to implement it. The architect had to work hard to implement the plan sketched out by the royal hand - it is believed that this is why the building is irregular in shape (there are no right angles in it). They did not spare funds for the construction of the palace - at the disposal of Rinaldi were given a variety of types of stones: granite, agate, lapis lazuli and 32 types of marble from different parts of the world, with which the palace is decorated not only inside, but also outside.
By the way, where did the idea come from to decorate the palace facades with marble instead of plaster? This is probably due to the fact that it was during this period that marble was mined in Russia (until the middle of the 18th century, this material was exclusively imported, expensive and rarely used). The birthplace of the first Russian marble is the Karelian village of Tivdia. The beautiful pale pink Tivdian marble was supplied to St. Petersburg, it was used to decorate St. Isaac's Cathedral and other buildings; but it was this palace that was first marbled on the outside. Unfortunately, marble tends to tarnish and deteriorate, especially under the influence of high humidity (and in St. Petersburg, as you know, it rains almost all the time), so now the palace does not look as impressive as it did in the 18th century.
The marble quarry in Ruskeale is one of the places where Karelian marble is mined.
History of the Marble Palace in St. Petersburg
The palace for Grigory Orlov was under construction for 17 years. During this time, his romance with the empress ended; civil service also ceased - Orlov resigned for health reasons; and at a very respectable 43-year-old age for that time, Orlov unexpectedly got married. His wife was the 18-year-old maid of honor Ekaterina Zinovieva, who was his cousin. There were rumors in the world that Orlov was forced to marry, since the girl was pregnant; other contemporaries asserted Orlov's insane love for his cousin. Be that as it may, the marriage was illegal - the Orthodox Church prohibits marriage between close relatives. A scandal erupted, the Orlov case reached the Senate, which decided to divorce the spouses and imprison them in monasteries; but here Catherine II stood up for her former favorite and canceled the decision of the Senate, thereby showing truly royal generosity. True, the marriage was short-lived - Princess Orlova died at the age of 23 from consumption; and Orlov, after the death of his wife, went mad from grief and two years later died at his estate near Moscow. He never managed to live a day in his luxurious residence - by the time of his death, the decoration of the interiors (also, of course, marble) had not yet been completed.
After Orlov's death, Catherine II bought the palace into the treasury. Coincidentally, all subsequent owners of the palace bore the name Constantine. First, the empress presented it to her grandson, the six-year-old Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich. The fate of this member of the Romanov family was peculiar. He could become an autocrat twice: Catherine II assumed after the conquest Ottoman Empire to make his second grandson the Byzantine emperor (that's why the boy got the name Constantine), however, it was not possible to implement the "Greek project". Subsequently, Constantine was supposed to take the Russian throne after the death of the childless Alexander I, but he himself refused this prospect.
Rat cannon shooting
Konstantin Pavlovich went to his father. He looked like Paul I outwardly - short, snub-nosed.
Like his father, he was fond of military affairs, and also had a flighty, eccentric character and unpredictable behavior. At the age of 16, he, like other great dukes, entered into a dynastic marriage with a German princess (in Orthodoxy - Anna Fedorovna). The young couple settled in the Marble Palace, and this life could hardly be called happy. The maid of honor and the memoirist Varvara Nikolaevna Golovina testifies: “Konstantin's behavior when he felt like a master in his own house showed that he still needed severe supervision. By the way, some time after his marriage, he amused himself in the arena of the Marble Palace by firing a cannon loaded with live rats.<…>The ill-treatment that the Grand Duchess Anna had to endure from her husband from the first day of her marriage was mingled with his infidelity and willfulness. Constantine made connections unworthy of his dignity, and gave dinners to actors and actresses in his chambers. " At the same time, Konstantin was jealous of his wife even of his brother Alexander, did not let her go to balls, etc.
At the beginning of the reign of Alexander I, another story happened that tarnished the reputation of Constantine. The Grand Duke was carried away by the wife of the court jeweler, the Frenchwoman Madame Araujo, who did not respond to his advances. Then she was forcibly brought to the Marble Palace, where Constantine raped her, after which his drinking companions, the guards, did the same. Madame Araujo died of shock on the same day. The case was hushed up, but rumors about the participation of the emperor's brother quickly spread throughout St. Petersburg. There is no documentary evidence for this story, but given the personality of Constantine, it cannot be called incredible. The family life of the Grand Duke ended with the fact that Anna Fyodorovna fled from her husband to Germany, which, however, the Grand Duke was not particularly upset about. After a while, the Synod filed for a divorce.
Liberal not only in politics
In 1814 Konstantin Pavlovich became the governor of the kingdom of Poland and left Petersburg forever. For some time the palace did not have a permanent owner, until, finally, Nicholas I handed the palace over to his second son - who was also called Constantine and who was also a very bright personality.
Konstantin Nikolaevich, a convinced liberal, was one of the greatest figures in the "era of reforms". He was one of the developers of the abolition of serfdom, one of the authors of the judicial reform, a reformer of the fleet. However, he was a liberal not only in the state sphere, but also in family life... At first, his life with the Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna developed happily, six children were born in the marriage. But in adulthood, as often happens, the Grand Duke fell in love. His chosen one was the ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater Anna Kuznetsova, for whom he rented a mansion on Angliysky Prospekt. Konstantin Nikolaevich actually lived in two families, and he also had children from Kuznetsova. The "official" family of the Grand Duke continued to live in the Marble Palace.
Here one of the most serious scandals in the Romanov family happened. In the Marble Palace there was an icon presented to Alexandra Iosifovna by Nicholas I, in a frame made of precious stones... Once, several diamonds disappeared from the salary. The investigation established that the theft was committed by the eldest son of the Grand Duke, Nikolai. The parents were shocked. However, arranging a trial over a member of the imperial family was unthinkable for the prestige of the dynasty; and in the end Nikolai was declared insane and expelled from St. Petersburg.
Sinful poet
The "thief of jewels" was disinherited, so the Marble Palace after the death of Konstantin Nikolayevich went to the next oldest son, Konstantin Konstantinovich.
On duty, he was a general and inspector of military educational institutions, and by vocation - a poet. He published under the transparent pseudonym "K.R." his poems, which were highly valued by his contemporaries (including P.I.Tchaikovsky, who wrote several romances on his poems). The Grand Duke was in all respects an attractive person - talented, intelligent, with a fine mental organization and deeply religious (in his youth he dreamed of going into monasticism); besides, he treated his wife well and had nine children. But from the surviving personal diaries of K.R. it is known that all his life he unsuccessfully tried to get rid of interest in males. Although in that era, non-traditional orientation was no longer perceived as something out of the ordinary; but K.R. he sincerely considered himself an unworthy sinner and was tormented by pangs of conscience all his life. The poet-prince died shortly before the revolution and did not know how tragically the history of the Romanov family ended and how his three sons (for whom Konstantin Konstantinovich once lovingly decorated the children's rooms in the Marble Palace) were thrown alive in a mine near Alapaevsk in 1918 ...
In 1937, a branch of the Museum of V.I. Lenin. The founders of the museum did not stand on ceremony with the historical interiors - the marble decoration was dismantled, the paintings were painted over, the sculptural decorations of the early 18th century were removed. And at the entrance to the palace an armored car "Enemy of Capital" was installed - allegedly from it V.I. Lenin spoke in April 1917; although many historians doubt that the armored car is the same one.
From personal experience: for me, as for a Petersburger, the Marble Palace has always been a symbol of those rapid changes through which our country was going. Childhood memory, for some reason vividly cut into consciousness: a marble car, standing in the yard. Now few remember her, but she was! Ha Shult's sculpture appeared in 1992 and, of course, immediately received the nickname "friend of capital".
Marble "Fund Mondeo" instead of Lenin's armored car - imagine how symbolic it was at that time! I also remember that someone suggested that a marble T-34 be installed in Berlin on this occasion. However, Ford did not stand for long. Where he went, I could not find out (another Petersburg riddle!), But his place was taken by Emperor Alexander III. It is also symbolic - a return to the roots, reconciliation with the past. Now they started talking about how it would be good to return Alexander to his original place, to Vosstaniya Square. I wonder who will drive into the yard after him? And will our country ever calm down?
That's all for today. Come to Petersburg!
Also, do not forget to check out the page dedicated to
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The Marble Palace is one of the most beautiful buildings in St. Petersburg. It completes the composition of the Palace Embankment, which begins at Winter Palace... From a distance it seems that the palace seems to grow out of the granite of the Neva. Gray-pink granite and marble walls echo the colors of the St. Petersburg sky.
Marble Palace, 19th century painting
In the Petrine era, there was a Drinking House here. In 1714, a wooden building of the Postal Yard with a pier appeared on this place. In 1716, it was built on; on the second floor, Peter the Great organized assemblies. The embankment in those days was called the Postal. After a while, the Manezh was built on the site of the Post Yard, which subsequently burned down.
On October 10, 1769, by order of Catherine the Great, they began to build a huge palace. The famous architect was Antonio Rinaldi. However, according to one of the Petersburg legends, the empress personally sketched a sketch of the future building. The sculptures were made by Fedot Ivanovich Shubin. The work was also attended by the Italian master Antonio Valli, the Austrian I. Dunker and many other famous sculptors and painters. More than 100 stonecutters worked daily at the construction site.
Catherine the Great presented her favorite with another palace, also designed by Antonio Rinaldi.
The palace was intended for the count Grigory Orlov(1734-1783) as gratitude for his active participation in the events of 1762. In 1773, in return, he presented his empress with a huge cut diamond of 189.62 carats, which is now kept in the Diamond Fund in Moscow and bears the name "Orlov".
Construction went on for a long 16 years. In 1783, Count Orlov died without waiting for the completion of the work. In 1785, when the Marble Palace was ready, Catherine bought it from the heirs for 1.5 million rubles.
Monument to Alexander III in the courtyard of the Marble Palace
In 1780-1788, in the eastern part of the site, according to the project of the architect P.E. Yegorov, an office building was built, where stables, a riding school, a coachman, hay sheds, etc. were located. On the second floor there were apartments for servants. The new building obscured the palace facade facing the current Suvorov Square. A lattice was installed between the buildings, in its style resembling a fence.
In 1796, the Empress presented the Marble Palace to her 16-year-old grandson, the Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, on the occasion of his marriage to Princess Juliana-Henrietta-Ulrika of Saxe-Saalfeld-Coburg, baptized Anna Fedorovna. However, soon Catherine was forced to take away the gift "for unworthy behavior" - the young prince fired live rats from a cannon in the corridor, and his 14-year-old wife was forced to hide in a vase.
In 1797-1798, the Marble Palace became the residence of the last Polish king Stanislav Ponyatovsky(1732-1798). For him and his retinue, part of the halls was designed by V. Brenna. Then A. Voronikhin continued to decorate the palace.
After the death of Poniatowski, the palace returned to the possession of Konstantin Pavlovich and belonged to him until his departure to Poland as the governor of the Kingdom of Poland. In the future, the palace was owned by the Court Chancellery, renting apartments to court officials, who remodeled the interiors to their liking.
In 1832, Emperor Nicholas I presented the Marble Palace to his second son, the Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich... The palace was dilapidated by that time, and in 1843-49 its reconstruction began according to the project of the architect A.P. Bryullov. Bryullov preserved the appearance of the building and, in general, its layout. He designed a number of rooms in the Gothic, Late Renaissance, Rococo and Classical styles. The Service Building was built on, and its facade was decorated with pilasters. Technical improvements appeared in the palace: air heating, "pneumatic ovens", a prototype of an elevator, machines for supplying water to the top.
After the restructuring, the Marble Palace by the name of its owner began to be called Konstantinovsky, although there was a palace with the same name in Strelna.
In 1888, the son of Konstantin Nikolaevich, the Grand Duke, became the owner of the palace. Konstantin Konstantinovich, highly educated person, president of the Russian Academy of Sciences and poet of the Silver Age. In his chambers on the first floor, the English study, the Gothic and Musical drawing rooms, and the Lower Library were decorated. The palace became one of the centers cultural life Petersburg.
Marble Palace, pre-revolutionary photo
During the First World War, the palace premises were converted into a hospital for wounded officers. After the February Revolution, various services were located in the palace for a short time. In 1919-1936, the Russian Academy of the History of Material Culture was housed within the walls of the Marble Palace. Since 1937 - the Leningrad branch of the Central Lenin Museum. Almost all the halls on the second floor were rebuilt, the interiors were lost. Only the Main Staircase and the Marble Hall have retained their original decoration.
Marble hall, photo from the Internet
In front of the main entrance, an armored car "Enemy of Capital" was installed on a pedestal, from which on the night of April 3 to 4, 1917, Lenin spoke next to the Finlyandsky railway station. In 1990, the armored car was dismantled, and a marble Ford Mondeo, a monument to the Age of Motor, was installed in its place.
In 1992, the dilapidated building of the Marble Palace was transferred to the Russian Museum, and work began to restore the original layout and interiors. The Service Building houses the North-West Correspondence Technical University.
In 1994, in place of the pedestal for the armored car was installed equestrian statue Emperor Alexander III... It was made in 1909 by the sculptor Paolo Trubetskoy and stood on Znamenskaya Square (now Vosstaniya Square). After 1937 it was preserved in one of the closed courtyards of the Russian Museum.
Transportation of the monument to Alexander III in November 1994, photo by Belenky
Exhibitions in the Marble Palace
Currently, the Marble Palace houses permanent exhibitions of the Russian Museum dedicated to Russian art of the 20th century:
♦ "Foreign artists in Russia in the 18th-19th centuries",
♦ "Museum of Ludwig in the Russian Museum" - a gift from collectors Peter and Irena Ludwig: works of contemporary European, American and Russian artists,
♦ "Collection of St. Petersburg collectors of brothers Rzhevsky",
♦ “Konstantin Romanov - Poet of the Silver Age”.
In addition, exhibitions of works by contemporary Russian and foreign artists are held.
Facade of the Marble Palace from the Neva, photo from the Internet
External and internal decoration of the Marble Palace
The marble palace was built in the early classicism style and is distinguished by a rich interior decoration, which was supposed to emphasize the strength and masculinity of its owner.
The combination of decorative stones of different colors and textures gives the palace a special expressiveness. 32 varieties of marble, granite, agate were used for the exterior and interior decoration of the palace. White marble was brought from Italy - it was cheaper than transporting it from Siberia. Other types of marble are mined from the quarries of Karelia and Estonia, white marble for sculptures - from the islands of the Greek archipelago, agate - from the Urals. The copper roof was made in Sestroretsk and was of such high quality that it served without repair for about 150 years.
The basement is finished with pink granite, which perfectly matches the granite embankment of the Neva. The upper floors are tiled in gray. The portico is made of pink Tivdian marble.
Marble Palace from the side of the Neva
The thickness of the walls of the palace is 1.5-2 meters. The total height of the building is 22 meters, the height of the Corinthian order of the upper floors is 12.5 meters.
The main facade of the palace faces the garden, where the Red Canal (later buried) used to pass, connecting the Neva with the Moika. Above the entrance to the palace is written: "The building of gratitude." Above - a turret with a clock, on the sides of which there are figures of Faithfulness and Generosity by F.I.Shubin.
As conceived by Rinaldi, she continued the stone decoration of the palace facades. It is distinguished by its restrained design. The statues Morning, Day, Evening and Night symbolize childhood, youth, maturity and old age. Sculptures of the Spring and Autumn Equinox are installed between the II and III floors. On the ceiling there is a panel by the German painter I. Krist "The Judgment of Paris".
On the ground floor of the palace there were kitchens, a boiler room, other service premises, as well as Church of the Presentation of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Temple.
The main staircase leads to the second floor, where the enfilades of the ceremonial rooms are located: the Lacquer Hall, the Tsar's Drawing Room ("The Assembled Hall"), the Gallery (Oryol Hall), the Chinese Hall and the Marble Hall. Behind them are the private chambers of Grigory Orlov.
Lacquer hall finished with wood. Its walls were decorated with wooden carved panels depicting the exploits of Alexander the Great (now kept in the State Hermitage). Initially, the ceiling was decorated with a picturesque plafond by I. Chris "The Judgment of Paris", which was later transferred to the Main Staircase.
"Assembled Hall" dedicated to Catherine the Great. The velvet walls are decorated with the empress's monograms. Under a carved canopy with a crown, there is a ceremonial portrait of the Empress, in front of which is a pedestal with a vase decorated with war trophies.
Art Gallery located in the southeastern part of the palace. There are 206 works, including paintings by Rembrandt, Titian, Raphael. The portrait room contained 91 portraits of all representatives of the Romanov family and the ruling European monarchs of that time. In addition, there were equestrian portraits of the Orlov brothers.
Chinese hall was decorated in a fashionable style at that time and served as a ceremonial dining room.
- the most luxurious premises of the Marble Palace. According to the project of A. Rinaldi, it was one-height, was rebuilt into a two-height one by A. Brullov. Its walls are decorated with various types of marble and decorated with bas-reliefs originally made for St. Isaac's Cathedral. The ceiling is decorated with a picturesque plafond "The Wedding of Cupid and Psyche" by S. Torelli.
