Mikhailovsky Castle- the largest architectural monument that completes the history of St. Petersburg architecture of the 18th century. It was erected on the site of the Summer Palace of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna (architect F.-B. Rastrelli, 1740s), dismantled by order of Emperor Paul I immediately after his death mother - Catherine II. The general idea of creating the castle and the first sketches of its layout belonged to Pavel Petrovich himself. Work on the project of his future residence began in 1784. During the design process, which lasted almost 12 years, Grand Duke he turned to various architectural samples that he saw during his foreign trip in 1781-1782. Architects A.-F.-G. Violier, V. Brenna, V. I. Bazhenov were involved in the work on the project at its various stages. One of the possible places for the construction of a new palace was called Gatchina.
The son of Catherine II was able to realize the plan of construction only after his accession to the throne in November 1796. On February 28, 1797, the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the castle took place. Its construction was carried out under the guidance of the architect Brenna, who reworked the original design of the palace and created the artistic decoration of its interiors. On November 8, 1800, on the day of St. Michael the Archangel, the castle was solemnly consecrated, but work on its interior decoration continued until March 1801.
The peculiar appearance of this building, combining conflicting architectural trends and stylistic devices, puts it apart in the general course of the development of Russian classicism. However, it is the Mikhailovsky Castle that is perceived as the most expressive symbol of the Pavlovian era. The artistic tastes and personality of the owner and main creator, Emperor Paul I, were clearly embodied in its appearance. The majestic bulk of the “Palace of St. Michael,” as the castle was called in documents of the 18th century, towered on an island bounded from the north and east by the waters of the Moika and Fontanka rivers. From the western and southern sides, the island was washed by two specially dug channels - Voskresensky and Church. The system of castle fortifications that surrounded the palace and the Constable Square in front of it included canals, semi-bastions, drawbridges and cannons. In the center of the square, a monument to Peter I was erected, cast in 1745-1747. according to the model of B. K. Rastrelli, made during the life of the great great-grandfather Paul I.
Mikhailovsky Castle was the imperial residence only for forty days. On the night of March 11-12, 1801, Emperor Paul I was killed in his bedroom, becoming the victim of a palace conspiracy. Soon after this event, art treasures were taken out of the castle, and its front rooms were adapted for various departmental institutions and distributed as residential apartments.
In the early 1820s. the building was transferred to the Main Engineering School. In February 1823, it received a new name - the Engineer's Castle. After the death of Emperor Nicholas I, the august patron of the school, the educational institutions located within its walls became known as the Nikolaev Engineering Academy and School. Their teachers and graduates were many prominent figures Russian history and culture: writers F.M. Dostoevsky and D.V. Grigorovich, scientists I.M. Sechenov and P.N. Yablochkov, composer Ts.A. Cui, hero of Sevastopol E.I. Totleben and many others.
Over the course of two centuries, when military educational institutions were located here, and then various Soviet institutions, changes were repeatedly made in the planning of the entire ensemble, the restructuring of its buildings and interiors.
In 1991, the Mikhailovsky Castle became part of architectural complex State Russian Museum.
The Mikhailovsky Castle ensemble includes two pavilions located on Inzhenernaya Street.
The Eastern Pavilion (Engineering Street, 10) houses the Russian Center for Museum Pedagogy and Children's Creativity, a department of the Russian Museum.
In the Western pavilion (Inzhenernaya st., 8) is located the Multimedia Center of the Russian Museum, the multimedia exhibition "Our Romantic Emperor" is working, pass. The building also houses the coordination center for the international project "Russian Museum: Virtual Branch".
Architecture and interiors
The planned structure of the palace is based on a square with rounded corners, in which the octagon of the inner front yard is inscribed. Each facade has its own “face”, which gives the building a special picturesqueness and allows you to find many viewpoints when reviewing it. Nevertheless, the palace is perceived as an integral volume, since all the facades are united by a granite plinth, a common interfloor cornice and decorative design elements.
The main facade is distinguished by special solemnity and monumentality. Two marble obelisks decorated with military fittings and gilded monograms of Paul I sound like a powerful chord in its architecture. In the tympanum of the pediment there is a bas-relief “History brings the glory of Russia to its tablets”, executed by the Stagi brothers. On the frieze, under the pediment, there is an inscription - “The Holy Place of the Lord in the length of days is fitting for your house”, which is a modified final line of the 92nd biblical psalm.
The northern façade facing the Summer Garden is completely different. The nature of its sculptural decoration, a wide sloping staircase, a colonnade and a balcony are traditional elements of the garden facade, emphasizing its appeal to nature.
The eastern facade of the castle overlooking the Fontanka has a small semicircular ledge in the center, ending with a dome and a turret with a flagpole, on which during the stay of Paul I in the castle fluttered imperial standard. Its modest design echoes the facades of "particular" houses located on the opposite bank of the Fontanka.
In the decision of the western (church) facade, Brenna's ability to paint his compositions in a picturesque and magnificent manner, which impresses Pavel, especially affected. The volume of the church is indicated by a strongly developed central ledge, and its sculptural decoration speaks of the cult purpose of this part of the structure.
Contemporaries called the interiors of the Mikhailovsky Castle "a miracle of luxury and taste." The masters of monumental painting P.K. and J. Scotty, A. Vigi, J. Mettenleiter, sculptors K. Albani, I. P. Prokofiev, P. I. Sokolov, painters I. A. Akimov, A. M. Ivanov and others. Like many aristocratic palaces of that era, the castle combined the functions of the grand residence of the imperial family and the museum of art collections of ancient, Western European and Russian art. The suite of front galleries - the Antique Hall, the Raphael Gallery, the Laocoon Gallery, the Arabesque Gallery - was located around the perimeter of the courtyard and was filled with first-class works of art from the collection of Paul I. Many items of palace decoration were made according to the drawings of Vincenzo Brenna and his young student Carlo Rossi.
Owners
Emperor Paul I(09/20/1754 - 03/12/1801), son Peter III Fedorovich - the grandson of Peter I (born Karl-Peter-Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp) and Catherine II Alekseevna (nee Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst). In 1761 he was declared heir to the throne and crown prince, from 1762 - the sovereign duke of Holstein-Gottorp. Having ascended the throne, Catherine II in 1762 appointed Pavel Petrovich colonel of the Cuirassier regiment named after him and general admiral. In 1773, on behalf of her son, under the Treaty of Tsarskoye Selo, she exchanged Schleswig and Holstein for Oldenburg, which belonged to Denmark, in the same year he confirmed the transfer of this possession to his relative, a representative of the younger line of the Holstein house, Bishop Friedrich-August of Lübeck (with the title of Duke of Oldenburg), retaining behind him also the title of duke and the right to dispose of the Oldenburg throne upon the suppression of the sovereign family.
09/29/1773 married Grand Duchess Natalya Alekseevna (06/14/1755 - 04/15/1776), born Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt, who died during an unsuccessful birth. 09/26/1776 entered into a second marriage with Maria Feodorovna (10/14/1759 - 10/24/1828), nee Princess of Württemberg.
Pavel received an excellent education, had extensive knowledge in various sciences, including military affairs and public administration, loved music, theater, architecture, but during the life of Catherine II was practically removed from participation in public affairs.
He ascended the throne after the death of Catherine II (11/06/1796). Crowned 04/05/1797 Since 1798 Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem (Maltese). Many of the innovations of Paul I caused discontent in society, and the strengthening of autocratic power was perceived by the nobility as a manifestation of tyranny and an attack on their rights, which became the main reason for the conspiracy against the emperor.
He was killed by conspirators on the night of March 11-12, 1801. in the Mikhailovsky Castle in his bedroom, located in the northwestern part of the mezzanine of the building.
Empress Maria Feodorovna(10/14/1759 - 10/24/1828). The second wife of Pavel Petrovich (since 1776). Born Princess Sophia-Dorotea-Augusta-Louise of Württemberg, daughter of Duke Friedrich-Eugene of Württemberg-Montbeliard and Frederica-Dorotea-Sophia, nee Margraves of Brandenburg-Schwedt. She arrived in Russia in 1776, at the same time she converted to Orthodoxy. Pavel Petrovich gave birth to ten children - four sons (two of them became reigning emperors) and six daughters.
Maria Fedorovna was remarkable for her wonderful artistic talents- she drew, carved superbly on stone, bone and amber, was engaged in medal art, played the piano. Botany occupied a special place among her hobbies.
All her life she was engaged in charitable activities, especially in the affairs of orphanages and orphanages. She made a great contribution to the development of women's education in Russia. Demanding to others, she was no less demanding and strict with herself, to the smallest detail she was true to her rules and principles.
Her personal apartments in the Mikhailovsky Castle were located in the northern part of the mezzanine of the building, overlooking the Summer Garden.
Paul's childrenIPetrovich and Maria Feodorovna
Aalexander pavlovich(12/12/1777 - 11/19/1825). Declared heir to the throne on 11/06/1796. From 03/12/1801. - Emperor, crowned 09/15/1801. From 09/28/1793 married with Elizaveta Alekseevna(01/13/1779 - 05/04/1826), born Princess Louise-Maria-August of Baden-Durlach. His personal apartments in the Mikhailovsky Castle occupied the northeast corner of the first floor of the building.
Konstantin Pavlovich(04/27/1779 - 06/15/1831), Grand Duke, Tsarevich. For participation in the Italian and Swiss campaigns of A.V. Suvorov (1799) he was appointed inspector general of the cavalry and received the title of crown prince. During the wars with Napoleonic France in 1805 - 1807 and 1812 - 1814 he commanded the guard. Since 1814 he was the commander-in-chief of the Polish army and the de facto governor of the Kingdom of Poland. In 1822 he renounced his rights to the Russian throne.
In the first marriage from 02/15/1796 with Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna, nee Princess Julia-Henrietta-Ulrika of Saxe-Saalfeld-Coburg (09/11/1781 - 07/31/1860), who left Russia in 1801. Officially divorced on 03/20/1820.
In the second (morganatic) marriage from 05/12/1820 with Joanna (Jeanette) Antonovna Princess Lovich (05/17/1795 - 11/17/1831), nee Countess Grudzinskaya.
In 1806 - 1820. - civil marriage with Josephine, nee Lemercier, Friedrichs's first marriage, since 1816, after the award Russian nobility, called Ulyana Mikhailovna Alexandrova, by her second marriage (1820) - Weiss. She died in 1824. Konstantin's personal apartments in the Mikhailovsky Castle occupied the southeast corner of the mezzanine of the building.
Alexandra Pavlovna(07/29/1783 - 03/04/1801), Grand Duchess, Palatine of Hungary. From October 19, 1799 married to the Archduke of Austria, Palatine of Hungary Joseph-Anton (27.02.1776 - 01.01.1847), Viceroy of the Emperor in Hungary. She died a few days after giving birth.
Elena Pavlovna(12/13/1784–09/12/1803), Grand Duchess, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. From October 12, 1799 married to Crown Prince Friedrich-Ludwig of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (06/02/1778 - 11/17/1819).
Maria Pavlovna(02/04/1786 - 06/11/1859), Grand Duchess, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, from 1853 Dowager Grand Duchess, also enjoyed the title of Grand Duchess. From 07/22/1804 married to Duke Karl-Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (01/22/1783 - 06/26/1853), Grand Duke since 1828.
Ekaterina Pavlovna(05/10/1788 - 12/29/1818), Grand Duchess. She was granted the title of Grand Duchess. She did not use the title of Duchess of Oldenburg. Since 1816 Queen of Württemberg In the first marriage from 04/18/1809. with Prince Peter-Friedrich-Georg (Georgy Petrovich) of Oldenburg (05/09/1784 - 12/15/1812). She lived with her husband in Russia. In the second marriage from 01/12/1816. with Friedrich Wilhelm, Crown Prince of Württemberg (09/16/1781 - 06/13/1864), who became 10/18/1816. King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Württemberg
Olga Pavlovna(07/11/1792 - 01/15/1795), Grand Duchess.
Anna Pavlovna(01/07/1795 - 02/17/1865), Grand Duchess, from 1840 Queen of the Netherlands, then Queen Dowager. From 09.02.1816 married to William, Prince of Nassau-Oran (12/06/1792 - 03/17/1849), since 1840. Grand Duke of Luxembourg, King of the Netherlands (William II).
Nikolai Pavlovich(06/25/1796 - 02/18/1855), Grand Duke, in 1823. appointed by Alexander I as heir to the throne. On 11/19/1825 he ascended the Russian throne, ruled from 12/14/1825, was crowned on 08/22/1826 in Moscow and on 05/12/1829 in Warsaw.
From 07/01/1817, married to Alexandra Feodorovna, nee Princess Frederick-Louise-Charlotte-Wilhelmine of Prussia (07/01/1798 - 10/20/1860).
Mikhail Pavlovich(01/28/1798 - 08/28/1849), Grand Duke. From birth General Feldzeugmeister; since 1825 inspector general for engineering, commander of the Guards Corps, from 1831. chief commander of the Pages and all land cadet corps, from 1844 Commander-in-Chief of the Guards and Grenadier Corps. Participated in Russian-Turkish war 1828 - 1829, in the suppression of the Polish uprising of 1830 - 1831. Died during a campaign in Hungary. From 08.02.1824 married to Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, nee Princess Frederick-Charlotte-Mary of Württemberg (12/28/1806 - 01/09/1873).
three-part bridge
maple street
Two pavilions of the Guardhouse of the Mikhailovsky Castle
The architecture of the palace is uncharacteristic for St. Petersburg of the 18th century. With its austere elegance of its style, the castle rather resembles a medieval fortress; it is the only palace building in Russia in the style of romantic classicism.
The peculiar appearance of this building, which combines contradictory architectural trends and stylistic devices, sets it apart in the general development of Russian classicism. However, it is the Mikhailovsky Castle that is perceived as the most expressive symbol of the Pavlovian era. Its appearance clearly embodied the artistic tastes and originality of the personality of the owner and main creator - Emperor Paul I
South (main) facade
The central part of the southern façade is highlighted in contrast by a portico raised to a high ground floor of four double Ionic columns of red marble with a richly decorated sculpted pediment and an attic above it.
It was decorated with a bas-relief "History Brings the Glory of Russia to Its Tablets", made by the sculptor P. Staji. Also on this facade was a modified biblical quotation (originally referred to God, and not to the monarch) - Your house is worthy of the Lord's shrine in the length of days.
The main southern façade is emphatically monumental and representative. The solemn structure of its columns and giant obelisks are reminiscent of the Louvre colonnade and the Saint-Denis gate in Paris.
The northern façade opposite the main one, facing the Summer Garden, is designed as a park façade.
At its center is a wide, sculptured staircase leading to an entrance loggia with a paired Tuscan marble colonnade supporting the terrace. The facade is completed with a richly decorated attic.
The open terrace of this facade is supported by a marble colonnade, and a wide staircase, decorated with statues of Hercules and Flora, was also used.
The western and eastern facades, according to Bazhenov's project, were treated in the same way as subordinate ones.
Western facade
East facade
In the direction of Sadovaya Street, the facade of the palace church protrudes, which is crowned with a typical St. Petersburg spire.
Known for his insistence on ostentatious effect in palace life and parades, Pavel literally “stuffed” Mikhailovsky with luxury and wealth. They exude both from the interiors themselves (malachite, various types of marble, lapis lazuli, jasper), combining monumental painting and wood carving, amazing molding and velvet upholstery with silver embroidery, and from the works of art present in these walls.
On November 8, 1800, the day of St. Michael the Archangel, the solemn consecration of the castle and its church took place, and in February 1801, Pavel and his family moved from the Winter Palace to Mikhailovsky Castle.
Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich and Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna with their sons Alexander and Konstantin; presumably K. Hoyer, 1781
Gerard von Kugelgen. Portrait of Paul I with his family. 1800
Johann Baptist Lampi Jr. Equestrian portrait of Emperor Paul I with his sons Alexander and Constantine, as well as the Hungarian palatine Joseph. 1802
Maria Feodorovna ; before converting to Orthodoxy - Sophia Maria Dorothea Augusta Louise of Württemberg (German: Sophia Marie Dorothea Augusta Luisa von Württemberg; October 14, 1759, Stettin - October 24, 1828, Pavlovsk) - Princess of the Württemberg House, the second wife of the Russian Emperor Paul I. Mother of Emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I.
Alexander Roslin. Portrait of Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna
Maria Feodorovna shortly after the wedding. Portrait of Alexander Roslin
M.F. Kvadal. Coronation of Paul I and Maria Feodorovna
Maria Fedorovna by Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun (1755-1842)
Vladimir Borovikovsky (1757-1825) Portrait of Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna (1759-1828)
Veil Jean Louis - Portrait of Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna
Doe George (1781-1829) Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna
For a little over a month, the castle was the royal residence. "Here I was born, here I would like to die" - these words of Emperor Paul I were destined to become prophetic. On March 11, 1801, Emperor Paul I was killed in his bedroom in the Mikhailovsky Castle, becoming the victim of a palace conspiracy. On the morning of the next day, the august family returned to Winter Palace.
Assassination of Emperor Paul I, engraving from a French historical book, 1880s
Maria Feodorovna in a widow's dress
Tombstone of Paul I and Maria Feodorovna in the Peter and Paul Cathedral
Mikhailovsky Castle is full of legends and mysteries. Rumor has it that after the murder he walked in it ghost of the slain emperor, to whom the monk Abel also prophesied about the fate of the entire Romanov family and the Russian state. The envelope with this prophecy was to be opened according to Paul's will on the centenary of his death, and it was kept in another castle - in Gatchina, the suburban residence of the emperor.
For two decades, the Mikhailovsky Castle was used for private residences, state-owned apartments for departmental officials were equipped here, and various institutions were located.
Pavel I on a portrait by S. Schukin
In 1822, by decree of Alexander I, the building was transferred to the Main Engineering School, which gave the castle a new name - "Engineering". For a whole century, the school rebuilt the former imperial residence for its own needs. In the middle of the XIX century. By order of Alexander II, on the site of the former bedroom of Paul, the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul was built, which has partially survived to this day.
Portrait of Emperor Paul I by Nikolai Argunov
Within the walls of the Military Engineering School, F.M. Dostoevsky, D.V. Grigorovich, I.M. Sechenov, Ts.A. Kui and many others.
V.L. Borovikovsky. Portrait of Paul I
In 1991, the building of the Mikhailovsky Castle was transferred State Russian Museum. Since that time, a comprehensive restoration of a one-of-a-kind architectural monument has been underway.
Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky
One of the legends of the Mikhailovsky Castle is connected with the color of its walls: according to one version, it was chosen in honor of the glove of the Emperor's favorite Anna Gagarina (Lopukhina). According to another, it was the traditional color of the Order of Malta. Following the choice of the king, color came into fashion, and for some time the facades of some St. Petersburg palaces were repainted in the same color.
Anna Lopukhina (Gagarina) - favorite of the emperor
When the Russian Museum began the restoration of the palace, the walls of the castle were of a brick-red color, to which the townspeople had long been accustomed, considering it to be the original one, especially since it coincided with the colors of the Order of Malta. But the restorers found remnants of the original paint under the plaster of the palace facade, and this hard-to-identify color (pinkish-orange-yellow) was very different from the usual colors, confirming the story of the glove.
Paul I in the crown, dalmatics and signs of the Order of Malta. Artist V. L. Borovikovsky
In 2001-2002 a unique in complexity reconstruction of a part of the fortifications that previously surrounded the castle was carried out - fragments of the Resurrection Canal and the Three-Span Bridge, preserved underground, were discovered. Scientific research and archaeological work made it possible to carry out the reconstruction of the engineering and technical complex of the 18th century. - one of the central architectural ensembles of St. Petersburg during the time of Paul I.
S. Tonchi Portrait of Paul I in the attire of the Grand Master of the Order of Malta
The restored halls now house permanent exhibitions and temporary exhibitions.
Pavel I - Vladimir Borovikovsky
Mikhailovsky Castle. History and legends...
Shock construction of tsarism
By order of Paul I, the construction of the Mikhailovsky Castle was carried out "in three shifts", day and night (by the light of lanterns and torches), as he was impatient to celebrate a housewarming party. Negligent workers were punished, diligent ones were rewarded, and the number of all those employed at the construction site reached 6,000 people at the same time.
Simultaneously with the construction, Pavel did not forget to deal with other state affairs. During his reign, he retired 7 field marshals, 333 generals (out of 500) and 2261 staff officers and chief officers. And not Paul's tyranny, but the fight against violation of military discipline, embezzlement, "pulling away" soldiers from regiments and other malfeasances of the commanding staff that were common at that time.
He introduced army regulations, created the world's first large sapper units, forced officers to go not to balls, but along the parade ground. The army raised its combat readiness and learned to fight in a real way, receiving modern weapons and uniforms.
Nobles who did not serve in the army and evade service in elected positions, Paul ordered to bring to justice. If you want to be a nobleman - serve! At the same time, soldiers were rarely punished, their salaries and medical care were increased. And it was all this in the complex that made it possible later to break Napoleon's perfectly equipped and trained army, but let's return to the castle.
After meeting with the monks of the Order of Malta, Paul essentially annexed Malta to Russia, taking it under Russian guardianship and protection. A large garrison and a naval base were planned there.
The emperor was in a hurry to build his residence-fortress, as he understood that he would face a serious struggle with England for world spheres of influence. He knew that he was surrounded by many traitors, feared for his life and wanted to have a reliable rear.
It can be said that all the forces of St. Petersburg and the surrounding area were thrown at this object. Decorative stone, columns, friezes and sculptures were delivered from Tsarskoye Selo and the Academy of Arts. Type-setting parquet was delivered from the Tauride Palace. In Tsarskoye Selo, several pavilions were dismantled, and the palace in Pella suffered a similar fate ... Three years! Only three years of work day and night and the castle was already standing! It really surprises! Especially when you consider that St. Isaac's Cathedral was built for 40 years.
The eastern façade facing the Fontanka has a semicircular ledge with a dome and a flagpole tower. The standard of the emperor was raised on the flagpole when Paul I was in the castle. Before mid-nineteenth centuries of the year, a fan-shaped staircase led to the entrance from the east, decorated with decorative vases and statues of Hercules and Flora brought from Italy. None of the sculptural decoration has survived to this day ...
The total cost of the construction of the Mikhailovsky Castle amounted to 6,171,069 rubles. It is believed that this is the most expensive building of the XVIII century.
Many ambassadors recalled that the castle was "raw". They did not have time to prepare it for the resettlement of the imperial family, but Paul decided to live in it anyway. To slightly reduce dampness, freshly baked hot bread was placed on the windowsills (it was believed that it absorbs moisture well). Imagine what the castle smelled like and how it all looked. But to warm the cold and frozen thick walls of the castle and remove dampness, and even in such large rooms in winter frosts it was difficult. Almost impossible. Everyone froze, but endured. Only in Pavel's own bedroom (which was finished with white wood) was dry and warm. In all other halls and large rooms there was fog, and at the windows there was even hand-thick frost. Alas, Pavel did not have time to warm it up properly ...
Pantv,
livejournal.com
Sadovaya st., 2
Fontanka r. emb., 1
The site on which the Mikhailovsky (Engineering) Castle is located, in early XVIII century was part of the Summer Garden - the royal estate founded by Peter I. Here, near the junction of the Moika and the Fontanka, the Summer Palace of Elizaveta Petrovna was built in the 1740s.
In the very first month of the reign of Paul I, on November 28, 1796, a decree was issued: " for the permanent residence of the sovereign to build with haste a new impregnable palace-castle. He should stand on the site of the dilapidated Summer House". The emperor did not want to live in the Winter Palace. He preferred to live in the place where he was born. To strengthen the belief in the need for this step, a rumor was started. As if a young man appeared to a soldier standing at night in the Summer Palace, surrounded by radiance. The young man said sentry: " Go to the emperor and convey my will - so that a temple and a house in the name of Archangel Michael will be erected on this place". The soldier, having changed from his post, reported the incident to his superiors, then to the emperor. So allegedly the decision was made to build a new palace, so the name was given to him - Mikhailovsky.
Paul I entrusted the design of the new building to the architect Vasily Ivanovich Bazhenov, the emperor's mentor in architecture. A preliminary plan for the future building was drawn by Pavel himself.
The laying of the Mikhailovsky Castle took place on February 26, 1797 in the presence of Paul I. Bazhenov could not attend it due to illness. For the ceremony, a special piece of Italian marble was made with the inscription " In the summer of the 1797th month of February on the 26th day, the foundation was laid for this building of the Mikhailovsky Castle ..."[Quoted from: 1, p. 144] Bricks of polished jasper were prepared for the laying participants. According to the sketch of Vincenzo Brenna, they made a silver hammer, spatulas and gilded saucers with gold and silver coins. Brenna, to the Grand Dukes and Princesses - an official of the commissary service Grigory Bazhenov (namesake of the architect).
On March 4, 1797, a new decision was announced: " The construction of the Mikhailovsky Palace is to be entrusted directly to our architect collegiate adviser Brenne"[Quoted from: 1, p. 145]. Vincenzo Brenna, unlike Bazhenov, agreed to build the palace "in great haste." He was not an architect, but only a decorator. Therefore, when managing construction, he followed Bazhenov's project exactly. In the spring of 1795, Brenna broke his arm, so he could not make the drawings himself.
Brenna's assistants included Fyodor Svinin and Karl Rossi. With their help, drawings were drawn up and handed over to the emperor with an appeal: " Your Majesty. Designed by your Imperial Majesty I put the plans and drawings of the Mikhailovsky Palace in order according to the basics and rules of art ..."
The emperor introduced his own proposals into the project and demanded their implementation. So the courtyard of the building became octagonal. This, probably, should have reminded everyone that Paul I is the grand master of the Order of Malta, which has just an octagonal shape. In the eastern part of the castle, the emperor ordered to build a wide front staircase, which led only to a small guard room.
Pavel I hurried and accelerated the construction. For these purposes, Vincenzo Brenna received the rank of state councilor, Charles Cameron and Giacomo Quarenghi were sent to help him. In addition, E. Sokolov, I. Girsh and G. Pilnikov worked together with Brenna.
The "Special Expedition for the Building" was ordered to complete the draft construction work by 1797. Because of this, I had to work around the clock. At night, the builders, whose number was increased to 6,000 people, used torches.
To speed up the work, building materials intended for other construction sites were transferred here: decorative stone, columns, friezes and sculptures from Tsarskoye Selo, the palace in Pella and the Academy of Arts; from the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral - a frieze that was placed above the main gate; from the Tauride Palace - type-setting parquet.
On the frieze of the south-eastern facade there is an inscription: "THE SHINE OF THE LORD IS SUITABLE FOR YOUR HOUSE FOR THE LONGITY OF DAYS". There is a legend that the death of Paul I was predicted, supposedly the number of years of the emperor will be equal to the number of letters in the text of this saying. It was impossible to say for sure whether there was a prediction or not, but the fact of coincidence is obvious. The tympanum of the pediment of the same facade contains a bas-relief "History records the glory of Russia on its tablets", created by the sculptor P. Stagi.
For the sake of decorating the interiors as soon as possible, Paul I canceled the duty on items imported from abroad intended for the Mikhailovsky Castle. Two plafonds of the Great Throne Hall were made from a single canvas "Allegory of the Bliss of the Reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna", painted by the artist D. Valeriani for the Great Hall in the Catherine Palace. It was transferred to the Mikhailovsky Castle in 1800, cut into two parts ("Allegory of Victory" and "Allegory of Peace") and inserted into new stretchers.
The sculptors P. Staji, P. Triskorn, artists D. Scotty, A. Vigi, J. Mettenleter and many others took part in the decoration of the premises of the Mikhailovsky Castle.
The space around the palace was radically transformed. The approach to the building began from Italian Street through triple semi-circular gates, the middle passage of which was intended only for members of the imperial family. Beyond the gate was a wide, straight alley. On the sides of the alley there are buildings of stables and an arena (exercise). The alley ended at the three-story pavilions (guardhouses), behind which the pre-castle fortifications began.
Since 1798, the canals surrounding the Mikhailovsky Castle have been lined. On April 30, a row for lining was given to Petrozavodsk merchants Efim and Philip Bekrenev (father and son). Around the palace, the banks were laid out with "wild stone", and around the front places - with the Tosno basement slab. On August 2, 1799, Efim Bekrenev undertook to lay a canal between the castle and the Summer Garden with a stone. The work was expected to be completed by October next year.
At the same time, in front of the main facade of the Mikhailovsky Castle, the Connetable Square (the parade ground of the commander-in-chief of the army) was created. The area was intended for military exercises and parades so beloved by Paul I. It was also surrounded by a wide moat, over which a wooden drawbridge was thrown. Cannons were placed on both sides of the bridge. In the center of the square is a monument to Peter I. Behind the monument is a moat and three bridges. The middle bridge was intended only for the imperial family and foreign ambassadors. It led to the main entrance.
The solemn consecration of the new castle took place on November 8, 1800. On February 1, 1801, the royal family moved to the Mikhailovsky Castle.
The cost of building the Mikhailovsky Castle amounted to 6,171,069 rubles. The residence of Paul I turned out to be the most expensive building of the 18th century.
The first floor was intended for the heir to the throne, Alexander Pavlovich and his wife, the southwestern part - for Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich, the southeastern part from the side of the Fontanka - for Ober-Stalmeister I.I. Kutaisov, the northwestern part - for Pavel I. From the side of the parade ground the courtyard was the premises of the chief marshal A. L. Naryshkin.
From the front yard of the Mikhailovsky Castle one could get to four stairs: the front staircase leading to the church, to the card room and to the living quarters. The main staircase with columns made of polished gray Siberian marble led to the enfilade of the palace chambers on the second floor. Walking along it, one could get into the entrance hall, decorated with historical paintings by the painters V. K. Shebuev and G. I. Ugryumov. Next was the throne room, the walls of which were covered with green velvet. Behind the throne room was the Laocoön Gallery, where historical tapestries hung and marble statues stood. Behind the gallery, guests entered the living room, then into a huge marble hall, where the gentlemen of the Order of Malta were on duty. The chambers of the empress were also located on the second floor. Here was the Raphael Gallery, one of the walls of which was covered with carpets with woven copies the best pictures Rafael Santi. The emperor's living quarters were located on left hand from the church. On the other side of the church were the rooms of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich. They stretched to the Voskresensky (White) Hall, opening a suite of state apartments.
The premises of the third floor were occupied by the Grand Duchesses.
Pavel I was in such a hurry with the move that he did not even wait for the walls to dry. The building was damp and cold. The historian August Kotzebue, who, on behalf of the emperor, described all the premises of the Mikhailovsky Castle, said:
“Nothing can be more harmful to health than this dwelling. Everywhere there were traces of decaying dampness, and in the hall in which large historical paintings hung, I saw with my own eyes, despite the constant fire maintained in two fireplaces, strips of ice an inch thick and the width of several palms. In the rooms of the emperor and empress, dampness was to some extent eliminated by the fact that the walls were finished with wood; but everyone else suffered cruelly "[Cit. according to: 1, p. 155, 156].
Moving to the Mikhailovsky Castle allowed Paul I to bring his favorite Anna Petrovna Lopukhina closer to him. She left her husband's house and settled in a new palace under the emperor's office. He communicated with her rooms with a special staircase.
Just 40 days after the housewarming (on the night of March 11-12, 1801), the emperor was killed in his front bedroom.
After the assassination of the king, the courtiers left the Mikhailovsky Castle in a hurry. Some began to be frightened by his ghost, legends were born about the voice of Peter the Great sounding in the halls of the palace.
Work on the arrangement of the Mikhailovsky Castle was suspended. Values were gradually taken out of its premises to old mansions and palaces.
The Mikhailovsky Castle was transferred by imperial decree to the Main Engineering School in 1819. Hence its second name. Since February 1823, the castle has officially been called "Engineering". In 1820, Karl Rossi replanned the area around the castle, the canals were filled up. For the needs of the educational institution, a redevelopment of the premises was required, which began to be carried out in 1822. The management of the school at the same time paid attention only to the needs of the institution. Partitions were placed in the large halls of the Engineering Castle, additional passages were arranged. The gilded molding was whitewashed, destroyed in places or covered with a thick layer of plaster.
When decorating the museum halls of the New Hermitage in the 1840s, marble from the interiors of the Engineers' Castle was actively used. In 1871, according to the project of K. A. Ukhtomsky, the Small Church of the Engineering School was equipped in the former Front Bedroom. The large Castle Church was divided by ceilings into three separate rooms. In the years 1891-1895, a staircase was built into the Laocoön gallery.
F. M. Dostoevsky studied here in 1838-1843 and lived until 1841. School of Engineering the hero of Sevastopol E. I. Totleben, the physiologist I. M. Sechenov, the physicist P. N. Yablochkov, the composer and scientist Ts. A. Cui, and the writer D. V. Grigorovich also graduated in the Mikhailovsky Castle.
Since 1917, the Mikhailovsky (Engineering) Castle has been occupied by various Soviet institutions, next to which the engineering school continued to operate.
During the Great Patriotic War a heavy air bomb hit the eastern part of the Mikhailovsky (Engineering) Castle. Then the Main Dining Room was completely destroyed, the roof was significantly damaged.
Interesting discoveries were made by restorers during restoration work in 1953. It was then that the true origin of the two plafonds of the Great Throne Hall became clear. For the Mikhailovsky Castle, copies were made from them, and the originals were used to restore the Catherine Palace.
In 1988, the Museum of the City History was asked to consider the possibility of using the premises that were vacated after the Lengiproenergo Institute moved from the Mikhailovsky Castle. The Museum of the History of the City did not manage to get new squares here. In 1991, the Russian Museum bought a third of the premises of the castle, and four years later bought it completely. Currently, permanent exhibitions are open in the halls. By the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, the Voskresensky Canal and the Three-Span Bridge were reconstructed and opened.
| № | Source | Pages | date of the application |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1) | (pp. 138-158) | 21.09.2012 20:28 | |
| 2) | (Page 150) | 03/02/2014 18:25 |
“They are intoxicated with wine and malice, murderers are hidden, impudence on their faces, fear in their hearts ... The unfaithful sentry is silent, the drawbridge is silently lowered, the gates are opened in the darkness by the night hand of treachery hired ...”, - from the very first days, the history of Mikhailovsky ( Engineering Castle) was shrouded in various legends and myths. After all, it was in this beautiful majestic building that Emperor Paul I was treacherously killed from March 11 to March 12, 1801. After his tragic death, the royal family returned to the Winter Palace, which was quite logical - no one else wanted to trust their lives to the castle, which was able to protect even its creator. Today we have prepared for you a small educational program on the history of this mystical place, in which there is a place for both reliable facts and frightening legends.
Fact #1: The castle was named after Michael the Archangel
According to one legend, an extraordinary young man once appeared to a soldier guarding the clock in the Winter Palace, all surrounded by radiance, and said the following: “Go to the emperor and convey my will - so that a temple and a house in the name of the archangel would be erected on this place Michael." The soldier fulfilled the order, and, according to the legend, this is how the decision to build the Mikhailovsky Castle was made.
By official version, such an unusual name for the new imperial residence was due to the temple of Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of the Romanov dynasty, located on its territory, as well as the whims of the emperor - Paul I wanted to build his palace in the form medieval castle.
Fact No. 2: Construction was carried out around the clock
The emperor was in such a hurry to move to his “impregnable castle” as soon as possible that he gave the order to build it around the clock, without any breaks - for example, at night, work was carried out by the light of torches. More than 6,000 people worked on the construction of the new imperial residence, and building materials were brought from all other facilities under construction in the capital at that time. However, fate has a very unkind sense of humor - Paul I was killed in his own bedroom exactly 40 days after his official move to the Mikhailovsky Castle, built specifically for his protection.
Fact #3: The castle was surrounded by water on all sides
During the life of Paul I, the Mikhailovsky Castle resembled a defensive medieval structure not only in architectural style - it was also surrounded by water from all sides: the Fontanka and Moika rivers and the Voznesensky and Tserkovny canals, now filled up. It was possible to get into the imperial residence only through one of the guarded (as it turned out later - not so carefully) bridges.
Fact number 4: Paul I was predicted to die soon in the new castle
There is a legend that Paul I knew that his life would soon come to an end. So, the legend says that the hieroschemamonk Abel predicted his death, answering the emperor’s question as follows: “The number of your years is like the count of the letters of the saying above the gates of your castle, in which the promise is truly about your royal family.” It was about the inscription located on the frieze of the south-eastern facade of the castle: "THE HOUSE IS SUITABLE FOR YOUR HOUSE OF THE LORD IN THE LONGITY OF DAYS." In total, this phrase has 47 letters, and Paul I was killed at the age of 47.
Fact number 5: The unusual color of the castle walls was chosen for a reason
Historians are still arguing about the origin of the color of the walls of the Mikhailovsky Castle. According to one of the opinions, such an extraordinary color scheme was dictated by the fact that Paul I was the master of the Order of Malta - and yellow-orange is the traditional color for this religious association. There is also a legend that the Mikhailovsky Castle was painted in the color of an accidentally dropped glove of one of the emperor's favorites, Anna Lopukhina. One way or another, the unusual color quickly became fashionable, and many St. Petersburg buildings were soon painted in the same way.
Fact #6: The Ghost in the Engineering Castle
After the death of Paul I, the royal family hastily returned to the Winter Palace, and the Mikhailovsky Castle was empty for almost two decades, so it is not surprising that the dilapidated palace gave rise to many frightening legends. For example, according to one of them, the castle is sometimes visited by the restless soul of the murdered emperor.
So, once in a still empty building, she was forced to hide from heavy rain team of soldiers of the capital garrison. The non-commissioned officer allowed his subordinates to walk around the former imperial quarters. After only half an hour, one of the soldiers returned in a completely shocked state - in one of the corridors he saw a candle floating in the air.
Interestingly, even after the Engineering School was located in the Mikhailovsky Castle, the legend did not die - the shadows and terrible secrets of the past played with the imagination of the inhabitants of the former imperial residence more than once. Senior students used the image of the ghost of Paul I to intimidate the younger ones. The rebellious spirit of the murdered tsar received the greatest fame after the publication of N. S. Leskov’s story “The Ghost in the Engineering Castle”.
Fact #7: A horse in a woman's shoe
In front of the main facade of the Mikhailovsky Castle, back in 1800, a bronze equestrian monument to the first Russian emperor was erected with the inscription "Great-grandfather's great-grandson." How many times, it would seem, we have seen this monument, admired the monarch proudly sitting on a horse, a luxurious pedestal decorated with bronze bas-reliefs, but many of us have never noticed that the left front leg of the horse is made ... in the form of a female leg in a shoe.
There are several explanations for such a surprise: some tend to attribute it to the sculptor's sense of humor, while others are sure that Rastrelli did it intentionally, thereby wanting to immortalize his beloved's lovely leg for centuries.
Alas, in fact, everything is completely different, and we are dealing only with a banal optical illusion, and not at all with a romantic story from the life of a sculptor. If we were standing flush with the pedestal (which is impossible), we would certainly see an ordinary horse's hoof. But the monument is very tall. And below, no matter how you look, is a lady's shoe.
