Walk along the palace embankment. Dvortsovaya embankment Dvortsovaya embankment

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Where did the Romanovs live?

Small Imperial, Mramorny, Nikolaevsky, Anichkov - we go for a walk along the central streets of St. Petersburg and remember the palaces in which representatives of the royal family lived.

Palace Embankment, 26

Let's start our walk from Palace Embankment. A few hundred meters east of the Winter Palace is the palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, son of Alexander II. Previously, the building, built in 1870, was called the “small imperial courtyard.” Here, all the interiors have been preserved almost in their original form, reminiscent of one of the main centers of social life in St. Petersburg at the end of the 19th century. Once upon a time, the walls of the palace were decorated with many famous paintings: for example, “Barge Haulers on the Volga” by Ilya Repin hung on the wall of the former billiard room. On the doors and panels there are still monograms with the letter “B” - “Vladimir”.

In 1920, the palace became the House of Scientists, and today the building houses one of the main scientific centers cities. The palace is open to tourists.

Palace Embankment, 18

A little further on the Palace Embankment you can see the majestic gray Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace. It was erected in 1862 by the famous architect Andrei Stackenschneider for the wedding of the son of Nicholas I, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich. The new palace, for the reconstruction of which neighboring houses were purchased, incorporated Baroque and Rococo styles, elements of the Renaissance and architecture from the time of Louis XIV. Before the October Revolution, there was a church on the top floor of the main facade.

Today the palace houses institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Millionnaya Street, 5/1

Even further on the embankment is the Marble Palace, the family nest of the Konstantinovichs - the son of Nicholas I, Constantine, and his descendants. It was built in 1785 by the Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi. The palace became the first building in St. Petersburg to be faced with natural stone. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, known for his poetic works, lived here with his family; in the pre-revolutionary years, his eldest son John lived here. The second son, Gabriel, wrote his memoirs “In the Marble Palace” while in exile.

In 1992, the building was transferred to the Russian Museum.

Admiralteyskaya embankment, 8

Palace of Mikhail Mikhailovich. Architect Maximilian Messmacher. 1885–1891. Photo: Valentina Kachalova / photobank “Lori”

Close to Winter Palace On the Admiralteyskaya embankment you can see a building in the neo-Renaissance style. It once belonged to Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich, the grandson of Nicholas I. Construction began on it when the Grand Duke decided to get married - his chosen one was the granddaughter of Alexander Pushkin, Sofia Merenberg. Emperor Alexander III did not give consent to the marriage, and the marriage was recognized as morganatic: Mikhail Mikhailovich’s wife did not become a member of the imperial family. The Grand Duke was forced to leave the country without living in the new palace.

Today the palace is rented out to financial companies.

Truda Square, 4

If we walk from the Mikhail Mikhailovich Palace to the Annunciation Bridge and turn left, on Labor Square we will see another brainchild of the architect Stackenschneider - the Nicholas Palace. The son of Nicholas I, Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder, lived in it until 1894. During the years of his life, the building also housed a house church; everyone was allowed to attend services here. In 1895 - after the death of the owner - a women's institute named after Grand Duchess Xenia, sister of Nicholas II, was opened in the palace. Girls were trained to be accountants, housekeepers, and seamstresses.

Today, the building, known in the USSR as the Palace of Labor, hosts excursions, lectures and folk concerts.

English Embankment, 68

Let's return to the embankment and go west. Halfway to the New Admiralty Canal is the palace of Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich, son of Alexander II. In 1887, he bought it from the daughter of the late Baron Stieglitz, a famous banker and philanthropist, whose name is given to the Academy of Arts and Industry he founded. The Grand Duke lived in the palace until his death - he was shot in 1918.

The palace of Pavel Alexandrovich was empty for a long time. In 2011, the building was transferred to St. Petersburg University.

Moika River Embankment, 106

On right side Moika River, opposite the island New Holland, the palace of Grand Duchess Ksenia Alexandrovna is located. She was married to the founder of the Russian Air Force, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, grandson of Nicholas I. They were given the palace as a wedding gift in 1894. During the First World War, the Grand Duchess opened a hospital here.

Today the palace houses the Academy physical culture named after Lesgaft.

Nevsky Prospekt, 39

We exit onto Nevsky Prospekt and move in the direction of the Fontanka River. Here, near the embankment, the Anichkov Palace is located. It was named after the Anichkov Bridge in honor of the ancient family of pillar nobles, the Anichkovs. The palace, erected under Elizaveta Petrovna, is the oldest building on Nevsky Prospekt. Architects Mikhail Zemtsov and Bartolomeo Rastrelli participated in its construction. Later, Empress Catherine II donated the building to Grigory Potemkin. On behalf of the new owner, architect Giacomo Quarenghi gave Anichkov a more austere, closer to modern look.

Starting from Nicholas I, mainly the heirs to the throne lived in the palace. When Alexander II ascended the throne, the widow of Nicholas I, Alexandra Feodorovna, lived here. After the death of Emperor Alexander III, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna settled in the Anichkov Palace. Nicholas II also grew up here. He did not like the Winter Palace and spent most of his time, already as emperor, in the Anichkov Palace.

Today it houses the Palace of Youth Creativity. The building is also open to tourists.

Nevsky Prospekt, 41

On the other side of the Fontanka is the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace - the last private house built on Nevsky in the 19th century and another brainchild of Stackenschneider. IN late XIX century, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich bought it, and in 1911 the palace passed to his nephew, Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich. In 1917, while in exile for participating in the murder of Grigory Rasputin, he sold the palace. And later he emigrated and took the money from the sale of the palace abroad, thanks to which he lived comfortably for a long time.

Since 2003, the building has belonged to the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation; concerts and creative evenings. On some days there are excursions through the halls of the palace.

Petrovskaya embankment, 2

And while walking near Peter’s house on Petrovskaya embankment, you should not miss the white majestic building in the neoclassical style. This is the palace of the grandson of Nicholas I, Nikolai Nikolaevich the Younger, the supreme commander in chief of all land and naval forces of the Russian Empire in the early years of the First World War. Today, the palace, which became the last grand ducal building until 1917, houses the Representative Office of the President Russian Federation in the Northwestern Federal District.

The bridge was built in 1856: the merchants needed a direct connection with the Exchange and Commercial port. In the manufacture of the structure, the floating St. Isaac's Bridge was used. Then it was modernized and called Palace. The permanent bridge appeared in 1916, although it was conceived earlier. The construction was hampered by a variety of events: first - a flood, then - the First World War. In 1917, the bridge was renamed Republican, but in 1944 its original name was returned. Cast iron grates were installed only in 1939. In 2013, this architectural monument was reconstructed.

The garden owes its name to the fact that it was here that the palace guard was stationed earlier. The garden was laid out in 1896 and separated the royal residence - the Winter Palace - from the roadway. The planning was carried out by the architect Nikolai Kramskoy, according to whose design the garden was raised above the street by about a meter. A fountain and tree seedlings appeared in it. The garden fence was made in the Rastrelli baroque style: the pattern of leaves was supplemented with the emblem of the imperial family and the state coat of arms. In 1920, the fence was dismantled and installed in. In 2008, the original appearance of the fountain was restored. Now the garden is perfect place for relaxation in the center. In summer you can hide from the sun here, and in winter you can admire the colorful garlands decorating the tree branches.

Winter Palace 0+

The main residence of the Russian emperors changed its appearance five times. Construction began under Peter I, and ended under Peter III. Bartolomeo Rastrelli gave the building a modern baroque appearance.

Many decisive events for the country took place in this place: here the revolutionary Stepan Khalturin tried to kill Emperor Alexander II, here a demonstration of workers was shot in 1905, a little later the Provisional Government, removed by the Bolsheviks, met in the palace. For 20 years, the Museum of the Revolution functioned in the Winter Palace, which closed in 1941. Now the palace is the main building of the Hermitage, storing many cultural and historical values ​​and objects of art.

The museum was built by Yuri Felten and Jean-Baptiste-Michel Vallin-Delamote in 1775. The miniature gallery contains many famous exhibits: the Peacock Clock, the Pavilion Hall, and the Hanging Garden. Initially, unique works of art acquired by Catherine II were exhibited here. Only a select few could see them - it is not without reason that the word “Hermitage” is translated as “place of solitude.” It was only in 1852 that the Hermitage became accessible to the public.

The museum was built in 1787 by architect Yuri Felten. Built in the classicist style, the building amazes with its interior: the rooms are painted with gilding, decorated with colored stones and skillful stucco. Nowadays administrative premises are located here and works of Italian painting of the 13th-18th centuries are exhibited. Five years after the construction of the building, Raphael’s loggias were added to the Great Hermitage, which contain copies of the artist’s frescoes.

Among the famous objects inside are the Theater and Soviet Staircases. The first connects the floors of the Great Hermitage and allows access to the Hermitage Theater and the Raphael Loggias. The second staircase appeared due to the need for its own entrance to the room where the Committee of Ministers and the State Council met. Architect Andrei Stackenschneider decorated the staircase with marble and decorated the lobby with red porphyry columns.

The New Hermitage, designed by Leo von Klenze in 1851, is located behind the Great Hermitage building. Famous for its portico with ten atlases, the museum was created especially for public visits. Initially, it housed halls of Russian and Western European sculpture; now there is a Knights' Hall with a rich collection of armor and weapons. Also an interesting exhibit is the Large Kolyvan vase made of green jasper weighing 19 tons.

Winter groove

The ditch was dug in 1719 and was called the Old Palace Canal. It connects the Neva and Moika and extends 228 meters. Despite the fact that the canal is so short, several bridges are thrown across it. The Hermitage Bridge became the founder of stone construction in the city: before it, all bridges were constructed exclusively from wood. It was built in the 18th century, like the 1st Winter Bridge. The 2nd Winter Bridge was built in the mid-20th century, but made in the style of the previous two. The buildings of the Great Hermitage and the Hermitage Theater are connected by an arched structure supporting a gallery passage. From the embankment it looks very beautiful: the ditch flows under the arch, disappearing in perspective.

Hermitage Theater

Originally located here. In 1787, in its place, Giacomo Quarenghi built a luxurious theater in antique style. The Hermitage Theater was intended for the imperial family and the highest nobility: in addition to operas and performances, balls, masquerades, and amateur performances were staged here. The chamber hall is located in an amphitheater and can accommodate 250 people. The interior of the theater is framed by marble columns, statues of Apollo and muses of art, portraits of great musicians and poets. Since 1990, the theater has hosted performances by the Russian Ballet troupe, the St. Petersburg Ballet Theater. Tchaikovsky, the chamber theater "St. Petersburg Opera" and the L. Jacobson Ballet Theater.

Previously, on the site of the palace stood the mansion of Ivan Musin-Pushkin, then Dmitry Volkonsky, which a little later housed the French embassy. In 1872, the architect Alexander Rezanov erected a palace intended for the third son of Alexander II, Vladimir. The building was built in the Florentine style, decorated with large Venetian windows and family coats of arms. He was called "Small" imperial palace“because the interior decoration was amazing: different architectural styles harmoniously intertwined in the decor of the halls. The Grand Duke was president of the Academy of Arts and collected paintings.

In the first third of the 20th century, the House of Scientists was opened in the palace, where meetings, round tables, open lectures, and debates were held. Now there are several dozen scientific sections dealing with issues of technology and science. Historical films are also shot in this place, exhibitions and presentations are held.

The palace was erected for the family of Grand Duke Mikhail, son of Nicholas I. Architect Andrei Stackenschneider created the building in an eclectic style, combining trends from various architectural trends. Metal structures were used during construction, which was an innovation of that time. In 1911, a museum was opened here, the exhibition of which tells about the life and work of Prince Mikhail, who for a long time was the governor of the Caucasus. On this moment The palace houses the Institute of the History of Material Culture and a large library containing many oriental manuscripts.

Marble Palace (Russian Museum) 0+

This is the first palace in St. Petersburg, the cladding of which is made of natural stone. In his work on the exterior and interior decoration of the building, Antonio Rinaldi used more than 30 types of marble. Many of them are presented in the Marble Hall. Forged latticework and marble vases decorate the main entrance to the palace. Previously, on the site of the palace there was a Postal Yard, and then a menagerie where an elephant lived.

The palace was intended for Count Orlov, but he never settled in it - the count died two years before the completion of construction work. Catherine II had to buy the palace from his heirs. For some time, the empress’s favorite, Stanislav Poniatovsky, lived here, and then the building became the property of the Romanov princes. The grandson of Catherine II, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, lived here, then the son of Nicholas I, Konstantin, and the heirs of his family.

For 17 years, the Russian Academy of the History of Material Culture functioned here, then the Central Lenin Museum operated. In 1996, the palace became a branch of the Russian Museum. The exhibition presents works by foreign artists of the 18th - early 19th centuries. From time to time, exhibitions of works by contemporary masters are held here.

The armored car “Enemy of Capital” stood for a long time near the walls of the Marble Palace. The car was installed in memory of Lenin, who performed in an armored car of a similar model in 1917. Now here is the authorship of Paolo Trubetskoy, who worked on it at the beginning of the 20th century. Previously, it stood on Znamenskaya Square, not far from the modern Moscow railway station. The monument was created as a tribute to the founder of the Siberian Road. The sculpture did not capture the appearance of the emperor familiar from ceremonial paintings, but a true portrait likeness. In 1919, the ironic poem “Scarecrow” by Demyan Bedny appeared on the monument. He was also involved in the celebration dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution. The monument was placed in a cage, decorated with a sickle, a hammer and the emblem of the “USSR”. Since 1937, the monument rested in the Russian Museum and was returned to the city only in the early 90s.

Trinity Bridge

Originally it was a floating bridge, named Troitsky in honor of the nearby square. The permanent drawbridge was built at the beginning of the 20th century in honor of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the wedding of Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna. The grilles and lanterns are designed in the Art Nouveau style by the architects René Patouliard and Vincent Chabrol, and the granite columns with bronze rostras and eagles on top are by Amandus Adamson. Trinity Bridge has undergone two reconstructions. According to legend, it was above this architectural monument Valery Chkalov flew during his famous non-stop flight from Moscow to the North Pole.

The territory belonged to Count Alexander Vorontsov, who renounced his own rights. By decision of the neighbor, Field Marshal Nikolai Saltykov, a garden was laid out here. In 1818, the state bought the site, and a square was created on this site, the plan of which was worked on by Carl Rossi.

A bronze monument to commander Alexander Suvorov, worked on by Mikhail Kozlovsky, was erected in the center of the square. Originally it stood on the Champ de Mars. Suvorov is depicted in the allegorical image of the god of war, Mars. This was the country's first monument to an uncrowned person, erected by order of Paul I in honor of the commander's victorious campaign in Italy.

It was erected in 1788 by Giacomo Quarenghi in the classicist style and belonged to the merchant Groten. The house changed several more owners and, by order of Catherine II, was purchased by the state and presented to Nikolai Saltykov as gratitude for raising Konstantin Pavlovich, the Empress’s favorite grandson. Alexander Suvorov was a frequent guest at the house, and it was here that Mikhail Kutuzov was appointed field marshal of the army. Before the October Revolution, the house was rented by various foreign embassies. Despite the fact that the building was rebuilt several times, the beautiful interiors in the White Hall and lobby remained intact. Now the St. Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts is located here.

Originally there was a spruce grove growing here. A little later, Domenico Trezzini built a pavilion for Peter I, where the king spent his relaxing hours. In 1750, Bartolomeo Rastrelli erected an Opera House on the vacated space, where European troupes gave performances. For a long time, the building was rented by an Italian theater. After 22 years, the Opera House was demolished, and construction began on the mansion of Catherine II’s personal secretary, Ivan Betsky. Among the official's guests were Denis Diderot and Ivan Krylov. It was here that the fabulist took up publishing and published the magazines “Spectator” and “St. Petersburg Mercury”.

In 1830, the mansion was purchased by the state treasury and presented to the Prince of Oldenburg. Architect Vasily Stasov re-decorated the building. The son of the Prince of Oldenburg sold the mansion to the Provisional Government for 1.5 million rubles. After the October Revolution, the inner chambers were divided into communal apartments, then a museum and a circle named after Saltykov-Shchedrin appeared in the former palace. In the second half of the 20th century, the mansion was connected to the Saltykov house, so a wing of the St. Petersburg Palace is also located here. state university culture and arts.

One of the oldest buildings in the city was built in 1714. Dominico Trezzini created a Baroque palace, very simple and modest inside. The outside of the building is decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the events of the Northern War. The palace has 14 rooms and 2 kitchens. The palace was built for Peter I's summer vacation. After the death of the tsar, dignitaries lived here, and under Alexander I the palace became publicly accessible. In 1934, a museum was opened there. In the mid-20th century a major restoration was carried out. Now the building is a branch of the Russian Museum.

It was conceived as a regular park and personal residence of the king. In 1704, official landscaping work began. Over the course of 15 years, the garden acquired the desired appearance. They began to let visitors in; they did this selectively and on Sundays. The composition of the Summer Garden was carried out by Jean Baptiste Leblond, and Bartolomeo Rastrelli created wooden palace for Anna Ioanovna, the “Amphitheater” cascade and the “Crown” fountain. The garden was filled with Venetian sculptures, becoming, along with fountains, its main decoration. Later, a flood destroyed the fountains and the Grotto pavilion, which it was decided not to restore. The fence appeared in 1784, and in 1855 a monument to Krylov was erected here. Gradually, the garden acquired the features of a landscape English park and completely opened its doors to the public. In 2012, the reconstruction of the Summer Garden was completed, the layout of which was given its original appearance.

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Palace Embankment– almost the same age as St. Petersburg. In 1705, on the then marshy river banks, the house of one of the founders of the Army Fleet, Admiral General Fyodor Matveevich Apraksin, was built. Later, Anna Ioannovna settled in this house. Like the embankment itself, originally called Upper, the mansion was made of wood. During the period of active development, the so-called “red line” was determined for the entire street.

In 1712, the Wedding Chambers of Peter I were erected, and the houses of the emperor's associates gradually grew next to them. Four years later, the Tsar’s personal residence, the Winter Palace of Peter the Great, was erected here (today it has only been partially preserved and is located in the building of the Hermitage Theater). And in 1710-1714, the construction of the palace of the same name was underway in the Summer Garden according to the design of Domenico Trezzini, the founder of the European school in Russian architecture. This building has reached us almost unchanged and is now a branch of the Russian Museum.

The central quarters gradually turned into the kingdom of “stone chambers,” but only in the middle of the 18th century, when piles were installed in the shallow waters of the river and the bank was additionally reinforced with earth, did the construction of a renewed embankment become possible. It was with Dvortsovaya that the history of the city's stone streets began; it was the first to be clad in granite slabs in accordance with the plan of the architect Yuri Felten. At the same time, the first staircase-piers appeared. After the completion of the construction of the Winter Palace designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the embankment received its modern name.

However, half a century later appearance The streets were not at all formal - between the barns and sheds there were piles of building materials intended for the construction of the General Staff. By order of Nicholas I, another architect with Italian roots, Carl Rossi, developed a reconstruction project. The descent to the Neva was decorated with bronze sculptures of lions and vases made of polished porphyry. The latter became a gift to the Russian Emperor from King Charles XIV of Sweden. In 1873, both of them were moved to the Admiralteyskaya Embankment, where they are still located.

Since its inception, the street has had different names: Cash or Stone Line, Upper or Millionnaya Embankment, Ninth January Embankment. Since 1944, the name Palace Embankment was officially established.

Sights of Palace Embankment

Palace Embankment is included in the list Cultural heritage Russian Federation. Due to the fact that the construction lasted for decades, it cannot be said that the buildings standing here were made in a single architectural style; each era had its own dominant feature. Initially, the tone was set by the summer and winter residences of the first Russian emperor, built in the spirit of Peter the Great's Baroque. Then came the turn of monumental Rococo. City guests can see the heritage of these styles in the facades of the Winter Palace and the Great Hermitage. But in its original form, most monuments XVIII centuries were not preserved and were either completely demolished, like the wooden Opera House, on the site of which the Betsky mansion is now located, or significantly altered in subsequent years, like the Cantemir Palace, which through the efforts of several architects turned into the Gromov House.

But there are still many examples of classicism on the Palace Embankment today: the Hermitage Theater, which absorbed the Winter Palace of Peter I, the Marble Palace - the first St. Petersburg building completely lined with natural stone, the Saltykov house with partially preserved interiors, the already mentioned Betsky house, the Small Hermitage.

The Gromov mansion and the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace represent architectural eclecticism, since during numerous alterations initiated by the heirs or new owners, the architects more or less preserved the features of the original buildings. On a separate line worth mentioning former palace Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, where the House of Scientists is now located. In the second half of the 19th century, it was designed by the first chairman of the St. Petersburg Society of Architects, Alexander Rezanov, in the style of a Florentine palazzo.

It is interesting that, despite all the heterogeneity of development, the Palace Embankment in St. Petersburg looks harmonious and architecturally holistic.

How to get there

There are piers for ships on Dvortsovaya Embankment. Nearby there are stops along the route of several buses and trolleybuses. The nearest metro station is Admiralteyskaya, but in the warm season it will not be difficult to walk from the Nevsky Prospekt and Gostiny Dvor stations.

The development of the Palace Embankment began to take shape as one of the first in St. Petersburg. Its character was determined by the construction on this bank of the Neva of both the summer and winter residences of Peter I. Due to its proximity to the Admiralty, the highest naval authorities first settled here. A little further, upstream the Neva, shipwrights settled. Among them are Pyotr Mikhailov (the “carpenter king” Peter I himself), Fedosei Sklyaev, Philip Palchikov, Gavrila Menshikov.

The first buildings on Palace Embankment, as throughout the city, were wooden. In the summer of 1705, at a distance of 200 fathoms from the Admiralty, according to the design of Domenico Trezzini, a wooden house of Admiral General Fyodor Matveevich Apraksin was built. Such a distance was required from the Admiralty by the rules of the “fortification esplanade”. That same summer, construction began on a wooden mansion for Vice Admiral Cornelius Cruys. Apraksin's house set the red line for Palace Embankment, while Kruys's house was located a little further from the low bank of the river in this place. The gap between these two buildings marked the beginning of Srednaya Street, which ran parallel to the banks of the Neva.

The next building on Palace Embankment in 1706 was the Postal Court. At the same time (in 1706-1708) the wooden house of the Swedish major Konow was moved closer to the bank of the Neva, which became the predecessor of the Summer Palace of Peter I. The first Winter Palace of Peter I was built on the site of house No. 32 in 1708. Srednaya Street was extended to its main facade from the Apraksin house. The latter did not last long, since Peter I did not want to have narrow “medieval” passages between houses in St. Petersburg.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the embankment was called Postal, since the Postal Yard was located in the place where the Marble Palace is now located. Next to it in 1711, the Red Canal was dug, which connected the Neva and Moika. Parallel to it, on the other side of the Tsaritsyn Meadow (now the Field of Mars), the Swan Ditch was dug.

After the victory at Poltava (1709) and the capture of Vyborg (1710), active stone construction began in St. Petersburg. Not everyone could afford to build an expensive stone house, but the residents of Dvortsovaya Embankment had enough money for this. Apraksin's house was rebuilt in stone in 1712, but four years later the admiral wanted to have more spacious apartments. The new building was moved closer to the river by about 50 meters, which defined the modern red line of the embankment. At the same time, they began to build new luxurious buildings for Raguzinsky, Yaguzhinsky, Olsufiev, Kruys, Golovin. The construction of these palaces was completed by 1721, when construction of the palace of Dmitry Cantemir (house No. 8) began at the opposite end of the embankment. This was the first project of the young F.B. Rastrelli in St. Petersburg.

In those same years, the new Winter Palace of Peter I was built, which was moved closer to the Neva River itself. For this purpose, the shore was strengthened with wooden walls and piers were built. Thus, more than 80 meters were “recaptured” from the Neva. In 1718, a canal was dug between the Neva and Moika, called the Winter Canal. A wooden drawbridge, the Winter Palace Bridge, was built across it at the embankment alignment by engineer Herman van Boles.

The development of the Neva bank was regulated by administrative methods. On January 30, 1720, Peter I issued a decree:

“The Great Sovereign... indicated to those who have chambers built under the roof along the banks of the Neva river down from the Postal Yard, so that, of course, in those chambers they should build 2 or 3 or 1 chamber for this winter and move on to live in them, so that the street next from the Postal Yard to the Winter Royal Majesty's House should be blocked off into those courtyards when it is ordered, and the passage should be along another street following from the harbor, since in those embankment houses near the chambers and in the courtyards it is necessary to build. a stone building. And if someone was ordered to build a wooden one, giving way from the chambers to the courtyards of twenty and not less than fifteen fathoms, and with those embankments of the chambers from the river, of course, all the places were properly placed and were not occupied by anything..." [ Quoted from: 2, p. 6, 7]

One of the decrees of 1721 lists all the owners of land on the embankment [Quoted from: 2, p. 8]:

• 1. Postal Yard
• 2. Mr. Prince Volosky
• 3. Yagana Feltin, firemaster
• 4. Prokofei Korotky
• 5. Danilo Chevkina
• 6. Butt Cueball
• 7. Major Ushakova
• 8. Major Volkov
• 9. Life Guards clerk Andrei Ivanov
• 10. Major Korchmin
• 11. Doctor Areskin
• 12. Petra Moshkova
• 13. Lieutenant Prokofy Murzin
• 14. Prince Vasily Dolgorukov
• 15. Count Musin-Pushkin
• 16. Gavrily Menshikova
• 17. Feodosia Sklyaeva
• 18. His Royal Majesty's Winter House

The surname of Pyotr Moshkov, who lived on the site of modern house No. 20, remained on maps of St. Petersburg in the form of the name Moshkov Lane. The legendary Vasily Korchmin lived nearby, after whom, according to legend, Vasilievsky Island is named. Most of the buildings existing at that time were built according to standard designs and were similar to each other. The houses of Peter I and Admiral Apraksin especially stood out.

Until 1724, the Winter Palace of Peter I expanded along the embankment. The emperor died in it in 1725. At the same time, the newlyweds were temporarily settled in the Apraksin mansion: the Duke of Holstein and the daughter of Peter I Anna.

St. Petersburg in 1726 is captured in the memoirs of the Frenchman Aubrey de la Motre. He wrote about the future Palace Embankment as follows:

"You find yourself on an embankment 800 steps long and 30 wide, dominated by a number of palaces. Russian nobles built these palaces, as well as many others big houses and public buildings that decorated St. Petersburg" [Quoted from: 2, pp. 12, 13].

Apraksin's house was passed to Peter II in his will in 1728. The young emperor never settled here; he moved with the government to Moscow, where he died of cholera. Apraksin's house was empty all this time, but in 1731 it began to be rebuilt as the residence of Anna Ioannovna. Domenico Trezzini began this work and continued it at the request of Empress F.B. Rastrelli. To accommodate new premises, a neighboring plot belonging to the Maritime Academy was purchased. By 1735, the new Winter House of Anna Ioannovna was built here, with the main façade facing the Admiralty.

In 1729, the artist H. Marcelius created two drawings that conveyed in sufficient detail the nature of the development of the entire Palace Embankment. They became the first such historical document.

Initially, from 1737, the embankment was called the Cash Line. It ended at the city border, which was Fontanka in the 18th century. The numbering of houses then went against the flow of the river. On April 20, 1738, the highway was named Upper Embankment Street (the Lower Embankment was the modern English Embankment). Along with this name, there were others: Upper Embankment Line, Upper Kamennaya Embankment Line, Upper Embankment River Line, Upper Neva River Embankment Line, Embankment Line, Embankment Street, Nevskaya Embankment or Upper Embankment. In the 1740-1790s, the embankment was also called Millionnaya. There were also other names: Millionnaya Embankment Line, Millionnaya Embankment Street, Bolshaya Millionnaya Embankment. The last two options were used together with “Palace Embankment” until the 1790s.

In 1746, Moshkov Lane appeared, facing the Neva between houses No. 20 and 22 on Palace Embankment.

The most notable building on Palace Embankment is the Winter Palace, built in 1754-1762 according to the design of the architect F. B. Rastrelli. After the start of its construction, it turned out that the construction site was separated from the Neva by a very narrow, inconvenient strip of shore. In this regard, the architect provided the Office of the Buildings with a plan and profile of an expanded and additionally reinforced wooden embankment.

The plan began to be implemented by carpenter I. Erich, summoned from Moscow, who in 1758 provided two projects for strengthening the bank, providing for its facing with stone. Work began in December 1762; until the following May, piles were driven into the ground, and on June 7, a team of masons began making a foundation for the stone wall. At the same time, the supply of hewn stone for cladding began.

The first stone was laid on the embankment in mid-June 1763. The construction work was carried out under the supervision of the masonry masters B. Manigiotti, G. Lizeni and P. Corti. The construction of the stone embankment opposite the Winter Palace was most likely completed in 1764. But due to miscalculations in the design, it very soon began to collapse. In September 1765, the shore subsided noticeably in some places due to the fact that the foundation was not given sufficient time to settle. Having discovered these shortcomings, Lieutenant General N.E. Muravyov and Engineer-Major General I.M. Golenitsev-Kutuzov reported to Catherine II that it was impossible to repair the embankment, it needed to be redone.

Most local historians believe that the Palace Embankment was built according to the design of Yuri Matveevich Felten. This assumption was made by I.E. Grabar at the beginning of the 20th century, without supporting it with documents. Therefore, Felten’s authorship was easily refuted by historian V.I. Kochedamov. He proved that Felten was mentioned in documents related to the stone Palace Embankment only six years after the start of its creation, when the embankment wall from the Liteiny Dvor to the Admiralty had already been built.

So who actually became the author of the Palace Embankment project? Various local historians proposed candidates such as J. B. Vallin-Delamot, architect S. A. Volkov. The author of the book “St. Petersburg of the 18th Century,” K. V. Malinovsky, proves that he is the adviser to the Chancellery for Buildings, Ignatio Rossi. He refers to documents in which Rossi is directly named as the author of the Palace Embankment project and the corresponding estimate. For example, the protocol of the Chancery from buildings on September 7, 1762: " ... Mr. collegiate adviser Ignati Rossi, who, according to his ability, drafted the construction of banks and bridges and composed estimates" [Quoted from: 4, p. 379]. On September 10, he was appointed head of the "Office for the construction of a stone bank along the Neva River."

Rossi's original design involved the creation of a stone embankment wall and a metal balustrade. The descents to the water were straight stairs with the same metal fences. It was proposed to make the piers in the form of double-widened slopes. The bridge across the Fontanka was designed to be made of stone and lifted on chains. Therefore it central part should have become wooden.

It is worth noting that not only Palace Embankment was being built at that time. The project included lining the entire bank of the Neva with stone from the Liteiny Dvor to the Galernaya Shipyard. On February 14, 1763, the first piles began to be driven into the shore. Already in the process of these works, their volume increased significantly, since it was decided to drive not one row of piles, but 13. In this case, round pine logs were used, eight to ten meters long and 20 to 30 centimeters thick.

During the construction process, adjustments were made to the project. Already since 1764, the slopes to the water were created not straight, but oval. Fences “for strength” began to be made entirely of stone. The author of these changes is unknown. It is possible that they were offered to Catherine II by J. B. Vallin-Delamot, who was then engaged in the reconstruction of the premises in the Winter Palace. The museum of the city of Angoulême in France contains a drawing of Delamot with an image of an oval descent to the Neva.

In 1763-1766, a stone Hermitage Bridge was built across the Winter Canal instead of a wooden one. To improve transport connections with the Moscow side, the embankment was extended beyond the Fontanka. At the same time, in 1766-1769, the Lachy Bridge was built across the Fontanka, and in 1767-1768, the Verkhne-Lebyazhy Bridge was built across the Lebyazhya Canal. The profile of these crossings is organically introduced into the silhouette of the granite embankment. Bridges form a single architectural ensemble with it.

Already in January 1765, Catherine II checked the finished section of the embankment opposite the old Winter Palace. On February 8, a decision was made to increase the minimum permissible height of buildings being built here. On April 27, 1766, the Commission on Stone Construction of St. Petersburg and Moscow determined this height to be ten fathoms.

The construction of the Palace Embankment was fully completed in November 1767. The following January, “architecture assistant” Neelov installed stone pillars tied with iron chains at the descents of the Neva.

After completing the main part of the work on lining the left bank of the Neva with stone, Ignatio Rossi resigned. He was replaced by the architect Yuri Matveevich Felten, who had to create the famous fence of the Summer Garden. The bank opposite it was carried out into the river bed by 20 meters.

Dvortsovaya became the first embankment lined with granite in St. Petersburg. It has seven descents to the water. The granite parapet is interrupted only at the Hermitage Bridge, where the cobblestone bank is protected only by bollards with chains hanging from them.

The construction of new buildings on Palace Embankment began simultaneously with its stone cladding. In 1762-1769, the building of the Small Hermitage (house no. 36) was added to the Winter Palace, and then the Great Hermitage (house no. 34). In 1762-1785, the Marble Palace was built on the site of the old Postal Yard. At the same time, the Red Canal was filled up. A service building was erected next to the Marble Palace (house no. 6). In 1784-1788, the Saltykov house (No. 4) was built. The neighboring Betsky house (No. 2) was also built in the 1780s. In 1783-1787, on the site of the old Winter Palace of Peter I, the architect Quarenghi built the Hermitage Theater, which was connected to the Great Hermitage by an arch.

On October 6, 1778, the highway began to be officially called Palace Embankment. At the beginning of the 19th century it was also called the Bolshoi and the Great Palace. The name "Palace Embankment Street" existed until 1822.

In 1799, two buildings on the site of the now existing house No. were combined into one according to Quarenghi's design. This was a gift from Emperor Paul I to his favorite Anna Petrovna Lopukhina for her wedding with Prince Gagarin.

At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, the Palace Embankment was sketched by the Swedish artist Benjamin Patersen. He created a series of watercolors in which from Zayachey and Vasilyevsky Islands the left bank of the Neva is visible.

In 1803, the Palace Embankment was connected to the St. Petersburg side by the floating Trinity Bridge. Initially, it overlooked the left bank of the Neva in the area of ​​the Summer Garden.

The area between the Saltykovs' house and the service building of the Marble Palace was originally intended for development. But by the end of the 1810s, nothing had been erected here. In 1818, at the proposal of the architect K. Rossi, the site became a new square, which connected the Champs de Mars with the Palace Embankment. A monument to A.V. Suvorov was erected in its center, and the square was named Suvorovskaya.

In the early 1820s, the embankment area near the Winter Palace was a construction site. Here there were barns, sheds, piles of stone, heaps of sand and stacks of boards prepared for the construction of the General Staff building. Nicholas I decided to improve this area, and the work was entrusted to the architect Carlo Rossi. According to his design, a wide descent to the Neva was built here. Rossi planned to decorate it with sculptures of Dioscuri (young men holding back horses) and cast-iron lions, copies of those at St. Michael's Palace. The emperor forbade placing Dioscuri here; the architect replaced them with porphyry vases.

In 1827, in connection with the construction of the first floating Trinity Bridge, the fence and lanterns on the embankment were renewed. In 1857-1862 the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace (house no. 18) was built, in 1867-1872 the palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich (no. 26).

By the 1860s, the development of Palace Embankment had expanded far beyond the boundaries of Fontanka. At this time, the “flowing” part of the highway was separated into a separate Gagarin embankment, which now bears the name of the great Russian commander M. I. Kutuzov. At the same time, the numbering of houses that exists to this day was introduced.

After the construction of the first permanent bridge across the Neva, the floating St. Isaac's Bridge was moved closer to the Winter Palace. They gave it another name - Palace.

In 1903, a permanent metal Trinity Bridge was built between the Palace Embankment and Trinity Square. In 1915, in connection with the commissioning of the permanent Palace Bridge, the pier with lions was moved to the Admiralty Embankment. The route of the new crossing passed right through the old pier.

Of the nineteen houses here, half belonged to the royal family. Thanks to this, until 1917, Palace Embankment lived according to its own “schedule”. In summer, the palaces located here were empty. Their owners left for country estates, and a large retinue left St. Petersburg with them. At this time, the facades of the houses were put in order and repainted. The pavement was being repaired. In winter, the palaces came to life. The embankment was filled with luxurious carriages and walking public.

On October 6, 1923, the Palace Embankment was renamed the “Ninth January Embankment (1905).” The year was given in parentheses, so it was often omitted. The highway was given this name because the order to shoot a peaceful demonstration on January 9, 1905 was given by Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, who lived here.

On September 9, 1941, during an air raid, one of the bombs fell in front of house No. 14, destroying its facade and the facades of neighboring houses No. 12 and 16. After the war, the facades of these buildings were united.

In 1944, the embankment was returned to its former name - Dvortsovaya.

It lives up to its name: there are almost a dozen large palaces in which the most important figures of Russian history of the 18th - 19th centuries lived: scions of the House of Romanov, major nobles, cultural figures. We have selected the most popular ones.

1. Summer Palace Peter the Great

A very modest two-story palace in the Summer Garden, where Peter the Great lived from May to October for twelve years, from 1712 to 1725. During the time of Peter, a small canal was dug from the Fontanka to the entrance to the palace, so that the royal residence was located on the peninsula. The emperor loved it when guests came to him by boat.

Modesty was generally inherent in Peter's buildings. For example, the Marly Palace did not have a main hall at all, and the Summer Palace bore little resemblance to the residence of the emperor of a huge country. Luxury is Menshikov's. Peter tried to avoid excesses and used only the most necessary. So all the palaces of those times turned out to be small and cramped. Formally, the palace is registered in the Summer Garden, but is located a few meters from the Palace Embankment.

Address: Summer Garden, 2

2. Palace of the Prince of Oldenburg (Betsky House, University of Culture and Arts)

Until the 1770s, there was a theater building here, in which an Italian troupe constantly performed: Elizabeth Petrovna’s courtiers, as a rule, attended its performances. After the death of the Empress and the departure of the Italians, the building by Rastrelli was demolished, and in 1784 - 1787 a house was built here for Ivan Betsky, who conducted classes here for students of his educational institutions, and also gradually collected a collection of works of art. Ivan Krylov also lived there, who opened a printing house in the building and printed his magazines.

The house received its second name when Prince Peter of Oldenburg moved into it in 1830. Under him, the architect Stasov built and reconstructed the building. His son, Alexander Oldenburgsky, sold the building to the Provisional Government for a large sum at that time (1.5 million rubles). In 1962, the Leningrad Library Institute was located here, and the building of the Betsky House was connected to the neighboring Saltykov House. Now here is the University of Culture and Arts, the famous “kulek”.

Address: Palace Embankment, 2

3. Marble Palace

Before, according to the design of the architect Rinaldi, they began to build a palace here for the favorite of Catherine the Great, Grigory Orlov, there was first a postal yard here, then a zverovy, where the first St. Petersburg elephant lived for a short time, then the building burned down, and then the place was cleared for a square.

The count did not wait for the queen’s gift, and she bought the palace from Orlov’s descendants and gave it to her grandson Konstantin Pavlovich. After which it remained the residence for members of the House of Romanov until 1918. Then there was the Russian Academy of the History of Material Culture, then a branch of the Lenin Museum was opened, and since 1992 the Marble Palace became a branch of the Russian Museum, where exhibitions are mainly held contemporary art(Warhol, Ludwig Museum, etc.).

Address: Millionnaya street, 5/1

4. Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace

The third palace built by Stackenschneider for the children of Nicholas I (after the Mariinsky and Nikolaevsky). Its design began after the wedding of Mikhail Nikolaevich. Several older buildings in the neighborhood were demolished to construct the building. The palace itself is an excellent example of early eclecticism and combines in its appearance the features of a variety of architectural styles: Baroque, Rococo, Classicism. In addition, in the construction of the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace, metal structures that were rare at that time were used.

Mikhail Nikolaevich did not have time to immediately enjoy the beauty of the palace, because literally after settling in 1862 he was forced to go to the Caucasus as governor. He returned home only in 1881, when he was appointed chairman of the State Council. In recent years, he usually did not leave the palace and sat thoughtfully at the windows of the first floor. Passers-by sometimes noticed him and saluted him. After his death, the building passed into the hands of his son Nikolai Mikhailovich. And now there is a library of oriental manuscripts.

Address: Palace Embankment, 18

5. Palace of Vladimir Alexandrovich

Vladimir Alexandrovich is the third son in the family of Emperor Alexander II. The architect of the palace was Messmacher, who would soon build another grand-ducal palace (the future House of Music on the Moika). The result was a modest, eclectic building, which, due to its masonry, did not fit into the ensemble of Palace Embankment.

Subsequently, by decision of the Petrograd Council, the Grand Duke's palace was turned into the House of Scientists. Herbert Wells visited here, Academician Vavilov worked here (as chairman of the council). During the Siege there was a hospital here. At the moment, there are dozens of different scientific sections in a variety of areas.

Address: Palace Embankment, 26

6. Small Hermitage

Despite the fact that this building by Felten and Wallen-Delamot is the smallest in the Hermitage ensemble, it is here that some of the most famous exhibits of the Hermitage are located: including the Pavilion Hall, the Peacock Clock, as well as the famous Hanging Gardens. At first there was a “Winter Garden” there, but then, when the building turned from a home residence into a museum, the concept had to be changed. You can only look at this garden from the window.

Address: Palace Embankment, 30

The main St. Petersburg palace, one of the most important museums in the world, a repository of hundreds of masterpieces of artistic culture, is already the fifth in a row. The first was built under Peter, the second - too, the third was ordered to be built by Anna Ioannovna, the fourth - temporary - was built by Rastrelli while the new one was being built for Elizabeth Petrovna. Only Catherine the Second moved into the current one: Elizabeth did not live to see the completion of construction, Peter the Third was overthrown shortly before the palace was commissioned.

The Winter Palace witnessed almost all the main events in Russian history after the 18th century. Monuments to the country’s main military victories were built around it, almost all Russian emperors lived here, it was here that one of the most notorious assassination attempts on the emperor was made (Khalturin detonated a bomb right under the dining room, Alexander II was not injured), a peaceful demonstration was shot near it on “Bloody Sunday” “, the Provisional Government met here and the Bolsheviks overthrew it here. Finally, some of the largest rallies for democracy of 1991 and 1993 took place near the Winter Palace. Nowadays, concerts and street sports festivals are held more often near the Hermitage.

Address: Palace Embankment, 32