The Mikhailovsky Castle is 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 Elizabeth Petrovna (architect F.-B. Rastrelli, 1740s), dismantled by order of Emperor Paul I immediately after death of his 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, located within its walls educational establishments 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, restructuring of its buildings and interiors.
In 1991, the Mikhailovsky Castle became part of architectural complex State Russian Museum.
To the ensemble Mikhailovsky Castle 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 pediment tympanum 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 building.
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-August-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 September 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 the Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna, nee Princess Julia-Henriette-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 (02/27/1776 - 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, born Princess Frederick-Charlotte-Mary of Württemberg (12/28/1806 - 01/09/1873).
Intoxicated with wine and malice,
The killers are coming in secret,
Insolence on the faces, fear in the heart ...
The unfaithful sentry is silent,
The drawbridge was lowered silently,
The gates are open in the darkness of the night
The hand of treachery hired...
A.S. Pushkin
M
Ikhailovsky or Engineering Castle of St. Petersburg.
It is not only a historical and architectural monument. This is the mystical castle-palace of Emperor Paul I, which became a predictor of his death. Around it, legends and traditions of past centuries are twisted, and even now there is still a lot of mystical and inexplicable in the castle.
In some historical sources it is argued that the name is associated with the appearance of the Archangel Michael or his messenger to the guard soldier at the place where the castle was subsequently erected (perhaps in memory of this, a small soldier stands in a niche near the bridge). This is how the decision of the sovereign was explained earlier, immediately after the start of construction, to call the castle "Mikhailovsky".
The palace was being built in an emergency... Pavel was in a hurry, taking building and finishing materials from other objects. And here's your first legend. Not only coins were laid in the foundation (as it should be for good luck). Pavel personally also laid commemorative jasper bricks.
I have a separate post about the construction of the castle-palace and its history in Pavlovian times and after it...
On November 8 (21), 1800, on the day of St. Michael the Archangel, the castle was solemnly consecrated, but work on its interior decoration still continued until March 1801. The assassination of the emperor took place 40 days after the housewarming...
In a niche near the bridge, steadfast tin soldiers stand guard day and night. Even the shadow of the emperor is visible.
Some believe that this is Lieutenant Kizhe, a kind of Lieutenant Rzhevsky from the time of Paul I. He will bring good luck if you hit his head with a coin. Then he swears...
Listen carefully, the place where he will send you is the promised land for you... (just kidding).
The lieutenant is not the only mystical guardian of the Mikhailovsky Castle.
They say the ghost of the murdered Emperor Paul still walks at night through the dark corridors.
This is no longer a joke. His silhouette was seen immediately after his death, then in the years revolutionary change. Even at the time of Soviet anti-religious terry atheism, the ghost regularly made you chatter your teeth in fear.
The spirit of the murdered emperor frightens both religious people and atheists. He usually arrives at exactly midnight. Pavel knocks, looks out the window, pulls the curtains, creaks the parquet... even winks, moving into his own portrait. Some see light from the glow of a candle that Paul's spirit carries before him.
Doors slam loudly here at night (even if all windows are closed). And the especially lucky and impressionable even hear the muffled sound of playing the flageolet - an ancient musical instrument, which the emperor loved to listen to during his lifetime ...
There is a belief that every year on the day of his death, Paul stands at his bedroom window and looks down. He counts passers-by... and takes the soul of the 48th with him... however, you shouldn't panic, it's just a legend. And he can take the soul only if the moon is bright in the sky.
Attention! In order not to incur the wrath of a ghost, you need to lower your head when you meet and say: “Good night, your Imperial Majesty! The emperor will immediately disappear... otherwise, there may be trouble.
Shalit and a portrait of the emperor... for those who are interested, watch the video in the post under the link below.
In addition, according to legend, a casket with great Christian relics of the Order of Malta, including the Grail, is hidden in the dungeons of the Mikhailovsky Castle. This legend is not based on an empty place! I have already written about it in detail, so I will not repeat myself.
During the Great Patriotic War, the military authorities received information from the deceased monk about a secret room under the cellars of the castle where there is a silver casket with Christian relics and a certain mystical object that allowed you to travel in time and look into the future.
After the war, a commission on anomalous phenomena worked in the palace. Whether the reason was the desire to find the casket or frequent complaints about ghosts, it is no longer possible to find out. But the commission, which consisted of Soviet atheist scientists, counted more than 17 inexplicable facts and inexplicable night glows (ghosts) in the castle. The materials were classified - no one was going to frighten the religious population and amuse the communists.
In 2003, a monument to Paul I by the sculptor V. E. Gorevoy, architect V. I. Nalivaiko was erected in the courtyard of the castle.
Surprisingly, during the repair, an old plafond (a huge painting on the ceiling) from the main hall of the Catherine Palace was found in it. Previously, the ceiling was considered lost. Now it is in its historical place. The plafond was rolled up into a huge roll, which lay quietly near the corner, littered with various old rubbish. But there were all inventories Soviet period! I wrote a detailed post on Mail about this, I will move it over time.
From secular legends - supposedly the color of the walls was chosen in honor of the glove of the Emperor's favorite Anna Gagarina (Lopukhina).
But it's time to move on to the main legend and the tragedy of the castle - assassination of Paul I
The brutal murder of Emperor Paul I in the Mikhailovsky Castle gave rise to many legends. According to testimonies, a few days before the murder, the spirit of Peter I appeared to Paul, who warned his grandson about the danger that threatened him. It was also said that on the day of the murder itself, Pavel saw in one of the mirrors a reflection of himself with a broken neck.
On the day of his death, Paul was cheerful. But at breakfast he suddenly became sad, then abruptly stood up and said, "What will be, that cannot be avoided!"
Some researchers believe that Paul knew about the imminent death and tried to avoid it in the palace. There is a legend that Hieroschemamonk Abel told Paul the approximate date of his death. Paul believed the soothsayers and this particular elder, because he accurately predicted the date of the death of his mother, Catherine the Great. Allegedly, Paul asked him about his death and heard in response - "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."
This inscription was a modified text of the Psalm of David (Ps. 92:6):
“YOUR HOUSE IS SUITABLE FOR THE HOLY HOUSE OF THE LORD IN THE LONGITY OF DAYS ”
This inscription with copper letters, by order of Paul, the builders brought from St. Isaac's Church, and for Isaac he was "stolen" from the Voskresensky Novodevichy Convent.
Perhaps by the holiness of the test, Paul wanted to remove the "curse" of prediction from himself. Or maybe he just gave himself into the hands of God.
There are 47 letters in the inscription, and Paul I was killed precisely at the age of 47.
When the conspirators came to kill Paul, he could use the secret passage that was in his bedroom. There was enough time for that. But for some reason, Pavel did not want to ... that he was hiding from the conspirators in the fireplace, it is quite possible that the assassins invented it.
An underground passage was dug from the Mikhailovsky Castle to the Vorontsov Palace. 3.5 km! It was at that time the longest underground passage in Russia, and possibly in the world. Some historians believe that it was on him that the conspirators entered the palace.
Here is the floor plan of the castle. I won’t write how the murder was committed, Google will tell about it no worse than me.
The conspirators failed to get him to abdicate the throne and ...
As you know, the emperor died from an apocalyptic blow ... with a snuffbox on the head (black humor of those times).
Not everyone knows that Pavel (for the first time for Russia), instead of the image of his profile, ordered the inscription to be minted on a silver ruble:
"NOT TO US, NOT TO US, BUT TO YOUR NAME."
The emperor took religion seriously.
Researchers generally consider the number 4 magical for Paul. The total term of Paul's reign is 4 years, 4 months and 4 days. Mikhailovsky Castle (his main and favorite brainchild) was under construction for 4 years. And only 40 days the emperor managed to live in it.
Engraving by Utwait after a drawing by Philippoto.
Pavel tried to make the castle impregnable. Perhaps he foresaw future upheavals (according to some reports, he was predicted the future of all the Romanovs) and Paul wanted to protect his descendants, build a protected house-fortress for them. Which would be guarded by soldiers and cannons and the Lord God himself.
The palace was surrounded by water from all sides - from the north and east by the Moika and Fontanka rivers, and from the south and west by the Church and Voznesensky canals. The palace could only be entered via three drawbridges, which were very heavily guarded. In addition to bayonets, Paul was protected by guns and secret passages and numerous secret rooms of the castle.
But all this did not help Paul. The elder's prophecy came true... and his castle, instead of a defender of the autocracy in Russia, turned into a mystical "dirty" place - no one else dared to trust the castle with their lives, because he could not even protect his creator, Emperor Paul.
It so happened that Paul I died in the same place where he was born. He erected the building of the Mikhailovsky Castle on the site of the wooden Summer Palace, where on October 1 (September 20), 1754, Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna gave birth to him...
The image of a ghost was actively used by senior cadets of the Nikolaev Engineering School, which settled in the Mikhailovsky Castle, to intimidate the younger ones.
The fame of the ghost of Pavel was brought by the story of N.S. Leskov "Ghost in the Engineering Castle".
AT Soviet time there were complaints about doors slamming, footsteps opening windows in the castle involuntarily at night (which led to the alarm). In the 1980s, employees of the Commission for Anomalous Phenomena at the Russian Geographical Society Russian Academy The sciences conducted a limited and informal study of the alleged anomalous activity in the building (which is simply amazing for the time).
The study consisted of a detailed interview of employees, shooting the premises with a film camera, measuring magnetic field and even the study of premises by the place of "framework" or "dowsing". The findings of the study are being kept secret.
They met a long time ago - great-grandfather with great-grandson ... I'm sure they had something to tell each other about. If Pavel were alive, the history of Russia would definitely have turned out differently. And not the fact that it would be less great, Paul was preparing to take India in alliance with Napoleon. At the very least, the war with Napoleon would certainly have been avoided, but it would obviously have been necessary, together with Napoleon, to fight with England and seize India. I don't even know which is better.
Some photos and info (C) Wikipedia and other Internet
Mikhailovsky Castle is a relatively young museum object in St. Petersburg. It was opened to visitors as a museum for the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Northern capital in 2003 and is currently a branch of the Russian Museum. In the halls of the Mikhailovsky or Engineering Castle there is a part of the collection of paintings of the Russian Museum and temporary exhibitions are held.
Most visitors to the Mikhailovsky Castle are of course interested in the history of Paul I, the All-Russian Emperor, the very first owner of the castle, according to whose plan this building was erected. short life Emperor Paul I is full of mysteries, legends and ended tragically just in the Mikhailovsky Castle.
Paul I is rightly called the Russian Hamlet. His mother Catherine II blessed the assassination of his father Peter III, it was the greatest tragedy of his life. The son never had a warm human relationship with his parents, Catherine perceived her offspring more as a rival. In fact, Catherine usurped power twice: the first time when she approved the murder of her husband, the second time when she did not transfer power to her son when he came of age.
Paul I ascended the throne at the age of 42 after the death of his mother, who actually had no rights to the Russian throne and reigned for only 4 years 4 months and 4 days.
Mikhailovsky Castle is located in the very center of St. Petersburg. The easiest way is to take the metro to Gostiny Dvor station and walk about 700 m along Sadovaya Street and you are there.
You can visit the Mikhailovsky Castle on your own for 450 rubles. or with a guided tour for 600 rubles. Moreover, groups are recruited by travel companies, and excursions are led only by employees of the Mikhailovsky Castle, this is how this business works.
I visited the Mikhailovsky Castle on a guided tour, but you can learn the same thing on your own, in all rooms there are explanatory texts, and in two rooms there are TVs showing explanatory films for the exposition. But only organized groups are shown the premises former bedroom Paul I, and the Church of St. Michael, you need to go there along the not yet restored corridors of the castle.
Mikhailovsky Castle, view from Inzhenernaya Street
Monument to Peter I
The gathering of tourist groups takes place just in front of the monument to Peter I. The monument was erected on this site in 1800, but Peter I himself ordered it from Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1716 to commemorate the victories during Northern war, although it’s honestly strange for me to hear this, ordering a monument to myself is not at all modest, but the kings have their own quirks.
Monument to Peter the Great near the building of the Mikhailovsky Castle Bartolomeo Rastrelli did not invent anything new, the monument to Peter is very similar to the famous monument to Marcus Aurelius in Rome, which may be why Catherine II rejected this monument and ordered a completely different monument from Falcone, now known as the Bronze Horseman. The Falcone sculpture was installed on Senate Square in 1782 with the inscription: "To Peter I Catherine II".
And our monument languished all this time at the Trinity Bridge, and only after the death of Catherine II, Paul I, as if in opposition to his mother, finally erects a monument to Peter I near the walls of his castle under construction with the inscription: “Great-grandfather’s great-grandson”, as if emphasizing that it is he who is legal successor of Peter the Great.
The bas-reliefs on the pedestal were made in 1800 and depict the "Poltava battle" and the "Battle of Gangut"
Bas-relief on the pedestal of the monument to Peter "Poltava battle" At present, there is a sign that in order to fulfill desires, one must simultaneously grab two hooves or two boots of riders. It is difficult to do this for people of small stature, but you may have to stretch or jump a lot. Many succeed, judging by the brilliance of these particular parts of the bas-relief.
Bas-relief on the pedestal of the monument to Peter "Battle of Gangut" In heaven, both bas-reliefs have the sign of the zodiac, thus it was customary to indicate the date of the event. True, historians have no questions about the dates of these particular battles, and the zodiac here is not complete and has a purely decorative function.
Facade and courtyard of the Mikhailovsky Castle
Now part of the canal along the facade of the castle and the Three-Part Bridge have been restored. Only the emperor could enter the castle along the central part of the bridge, all other mere mortals had to enter the side bridges.
three-part bridge The castle itself is a rectangle with an octagonal courtyard. Mikhailovsky Castle is full of Masonic symbols and signs, this unusual form is usually referred to as one of the signs of Freemasonry. On the main facade there are two now empty niches; in the years of Paul I, two plaster statues were installed in them, symbolizing day and night, another Masonic symbol.
Entrance to the castle, note the empty niches A brand new statue of Paul, made in 2003, is installed in the courtyard.
Monument to Paul I in the courtyard of the castle Castle construction
In Catherine's time, a dilapidated summer palace stood on the site of the Mikhailovsky Castle, in which the future autocrat Pavel I was born. When Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich grew up, he decided that he wanted to die where he was born and chose this particular place to build the castle.
Former summer palace of Elizabeth Petrovna It is curious to look at the layout showing how the castle was immediately after construction. It was more like what is commonly called a castle with a claim to fortification and impregnability. Along the entire perimeter, the castle was surrounded by moats filled with water with drawbridges. Ironically, even such measures did not save the owner from murder.
Model of the castle in the foyer of the museum, view from Inzhenernaya Street A colossal amount of six million rubles was spent on the construction of the castle. Paul I issued a decree on the construction of the castle only 22 days after the death of his mother, Catherine II. The building was erected in just 4 years from 1797 to 1801, at that time very quickly. Building materials were removed from other construction sites, including the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral.
Model of the Mikhailovsky Castle from the side of the Summer Garden The very fact of removing materials from the construction of the temple is on the verge of sacrilege. Paul ordered that a slightly modified saying from Holy Scripture be removed from the construction of the cathedral: “ Holiness to the Lord is fitting for your house in the length of days". There are exactly 47 letters in it, they say that Blessed Xenia of Petersburg predicted to the emperor that he would live exactly as many years as there are letters in this inscription. The golden letters of the saying were restored on the facade of the building during the restoration for the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg.
Main staircase
The interior of the Main Staircase was created in 1799-1801 according to the design of the architect V. Brenna. The construction of the staircase itself and the main part of the decorative work were completed during the life of Emperor Paul I. The wall and ceiling paintings on the themes of Russian history remained unrealized.
The main staircase is probably one of the best preserved interiors of the castle.
The main staircase of the Mikhailovsky Castle Using the "swing" construction scheme, well known for the composition of the Jordan Stairs Winter Palace, the architect increased the contrast between the lower march, as if squeezed by marble walls, and the open space of the upper tier, flooded with light penetrating through the huge windows. The idea of ascending from darkness to light, from vice to virtue, emphasized in this way, was reinforced by the sculptural decoration of the interior, the main theme of which can be identified as the history of the moral formation of the monarchy.
In the central niche there is a statue of “The Dying Cleopatra” – a copy of an ancient original stored in the Vatican, made by order of Paul I. The image of the Egyptian queen symbolized the idea of unrighteous rule, which led to disastrous consequences. At present, this work, which is in the Hermitage collection, has been replaced by a modern repetition.
Statue "Dying Cleopatra" From the original decoration, a bronze coat of arms has been preserved Russian Empire- a double-headed eagle with a Maltese cross included in it. Changed during the years of Pavlovian rule, the coat of arms captured the new status of the emperor, proclaimed in the fall of 1798 by the Grand Master of the Order of Malta. This is the only case of changing the coat of arms of the Russian Empire in history.
Hero of the Russian Empire with the Maltese eight-pointed cross Antique Hall
Unfortunately, the original decoration of the Antique Hall has almost not survived to this day. Under Paul I, the walls of this hall were finished with multi-colored marble, and the doors with bronze. Antique statues were displayed in the niches of the walls.
Antique Hall Now there is none of this in the Antique Hall. In fact, the hall is a gallery of portraits of the royal house of the Romanovs. Gray marble survived only in the frame of the doorways. As Paul I, for the sake of building a palace, dismantled the palace in Pella of his mother, so after his death, subsequent emperors began to quarry marble for their buildings in the Mikhailovsky Castle.
A curious picture of E.V. Moshkov "Anointing of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Alekseevna on May 9, 1795". In fact, it demonstrates the alignment of political forces in the Russian Empire at that time. And this arrangement just shows the unenviable place of the future Emperor Paul I.
Confirmation of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Alekseevna on May 9, 1795, artist E.V. Moshkov Joining scene introduced Orthodox Church through the chrismation of Louise-Maria-Augusta, daughter of the Margrave of Baden Karl-Ludovig. Having received the name of Elizabeth Alekseevna in Orthodoxy, in the autumn of the same 1793 she became the wife of Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich, later Emperor Alexander I.
In the center of the picture are Metropolitan Gabriel anointing himself and Empress Catherine the Great. To the right are the Grand Dukes Alexander Pavlovich (the princess' fiancé), Konstantin Pavlovich, Pavel Petrovich and Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna.
On the left, in a red camisole, is the last lover of Catherine the Great, P. A. Zubov. The opposition between the rightful heir to the throne and the favorite of the empress, who was honored to be captured on this historical canvas, is striking.
In the same room, a large multi-figure painting "The Transfer of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God on June 9, 1798" is exhibited. It was about this picture taken good film, telling about all the characters, demonstrated right in the same room.
Raphael Gallery (Gotlisy calm)
The Raphael Gallery (Gotlisyvy rest) is part of the ensemble of state apartments of Empress Maria Feodorovna. The interior decoration was designed by Vicenzo Brenna in 1799-1801. The gallery got its name thanks to the four tapestries located on the longitudinal wall opposite the windows. Woven at the French royal tapestry factory, they were a gift from the French king Louis XVI and repeated the plots of Raphael's wall paintings in the Vatican: "Constantine in front of his army", "The Expulsion of Heliodorus from their Temple", "The School of Athens" and "Parnassus". Currently, three tapestries are in the Hermitage collection, and the most famous "Athenian School" in Leipzig.
Raphael Gallery (Gotlisy calm) The Raphael Gallery has preserved the original monumental painting of the ceiling. Paintings on canvas are the only examples of plafond painting of the Pavlovian time. All the picturesque design of the ceiling belongs to the brush of the German artist J. Mettenleir (1750-1825). The plot of the central ceiling - the Temple of Minerva, represents the apotheosis of liberal arts and crafts. Two other plafonds - "Prometheus reviving a man" and "Diligence and Sloth"
Plafond "Diligence and Laziness" Throne room of Empress Maria Feodorovna
The throne room of Empress Maria Feodorovna, despite its relatively small size, made a very strong impression due to the royal luxury of its decoration, which was designed by Vincenzo Brenna in 1799-1801. The walls of the room are covered with crimson velvet. The throne of the empress was upholstered with the same fabric, on its back against the background Russian coat of arms placed the letter "M", embroidered in gold. In the depths of the niche was a white marble fireplace with a bas-relief depicting nine muses. In the center of the ceiling, in a whirling partly gilded and painted molding, there was the “Judgment of Paris” by the artist J. Mettainler, which glorified the beauty of the mistress of the castle in allegorical form.
At the moment, the ceiling light is missing. But above the windows, fantastic animals are depicted, the same as on the coat of arms of the mysterious Tartaria.
Throne room of Empress Maria Feodorovna Common dining room
The common dining room was part of the enfilade of the state rooms of Empress Maria Feodorovna. The key element of the interior decoration was the two largest bronze gilded chandeliers in the palace for fifty candles each, made according to the drawings of G. Quarenghi and originally intended for the St. George Hall of the Winter Palace.
Here the dinners of the imperial family took place, surrounded by a select society of people close to the sovereign. The last supper of Emperor Paul I took place on March 11, 1801 in the Common Dining Hall. The reminiscences of the participants in this dinner are replete with ominous details, which were an emotional reflection of the tragic events that took place that March night in the Mikhailovsky Castle.
Maria Feodorovna's bedroom
Now the interior of the Empress's bedroom has been recreated in all its former splendor. The furniture has not survived. In the bedroom there are only a few showcases with cameos and medallions.
Maria Feodorovna's bedroom Former bedroom of Paul I
You can enter the former bedroom of the emperor only as part of an organized group. To do this, you will have to use not restored corridors. Only in them you can see how much work the restorers had to put in to recreate the appearance of all the previously examined premises.
Not restored corridors of the Mikhailovsky Castle The interiors of the emperor's bedroom have not been preserved at all. For several decades after the murder, no one entered this ill-fated room. Later, Emperor Alexander II decided to arrange a church on the site of the former bedroom of Paul I. And even later, this church was already used by pupils of the engineering school. On black shields mounted on the walls, the names of students of the engineering school who died in wars are listed.
Church of Saints Peter and Paul It is curious that Alexander II shared the fate of his grandfather and from the windows of the former bedroom of Paul I you can clearly see the place where Alexander II was killed, I mean the towers of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. The two murders of emperors are separated by 80 years and the Mikhailovsky Garden. A. Akhmatova wrote the following lines on this occasion:
Between the tombs of grandson and grandfather
The tousled garden is lost.
Emerging from prison delirium,
Funerary lanterns are burning.
Even this church under Alexander II looked different.
It looked like the Church of Saints Peter and Paul under Alexander II Previously, there was a secret staircase next to the bedroom of Paul I, but now the doorway has been eliminated. On the night of the murder, the door was locked and did not allow Pavel to escape.
Church of St. Michael
The Church of St. Michael is located under the spire of the castle in a ledge from Sadovaya Street. In terms of size, this is a small family church of the imperial family, at present, repairs are not completed in it, and this room is also shown only to organized groups. The all-seeing eye, another of the Masonic symbols, is depicted on the ceiling of the church.
Church of St. Michael During the time of Paul I, many Masons lived in St. Petersburg, almost our entire Academy of Arts consisted entirely of members of this secret society, so one should not be surprised at the abundance of Masonic symbols in architecture.
All-seeing eye over the Holy Gates In the castle of his dreams, Paul I lived with his family for only 40 days, already on the morning after the assassination of the emperor, the imperial family and the court left the castle forever, and St. Petersburg celebrated the liberation from the tyrant, despite the fact that mourning was officially declared. The cause of death of Paul I was named apoplexy. This version was considered official until the revolution of 1905.
Paul I fulfilled his desire, he succeeded in dying where he was born.
Have you noticed how many copies from the Vatican are in the castle? And this is a Russian, Orthodox emperor? Although, by the way, his mother at birth was called Sophia Augusta Frederick of Anhalt-Zerbst, and his father was Karl Peter Ulrich. Parents were quite unprincipled, for the sake of the crown of the Russian Empire, both without hesitation changed their religion to Orthodox. And such people ruled the empire ...
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With testimonies names the promises that were proclaimed to the pagan peoples through the holy prophets and whose faithfulness the Lord testified, in the last days, fulfilling in reality with His coming. Holiness befits Your house, O Lord. The house of the Lord is the Church, and it befits her to be holy: because He who alone is holy will dwell in her. And when this is fulfilled, then, having partake of the endless relic, he will enjoy it.
Blzh. Theodoret of Kirsky
"Your testimonies are strongly assured." All these things You foretold of old, and foretold through Your holy Prophets; and the truth of this is proven by the evidence of works. Excellent and this addition: "green", that is, it is not possible to see the slightest lie in the prophecies, but everything that is now visible is predicted with accuracy.
“Holiness befits your house, O Lord, in the length of days.” But the greatest and best of all blessings is that the enjoyment of what is bestowed is not fleeting and not limited by time, like the service of the Jews, but constant, always abiding and eternal; because this is appropriate and fitting for your new house. And the divine Paul called the assembly of believers the house of God, which, as the Prophet said, "befits a shrine". Therefore, according to the apostolic exhortation, we must purify "from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit", to create "shrine in the fear of God"(2 Corinthians 7:1), so that, having prepared a temple worthy of God, we may receive the eternal Dweller in it.
Evfimy Zigaben
Your testimonies are strongly assured.
The testimonies, he says, about You, Lord, are very true, that is, true; otherwise: the sayings of the prophets, uttered by them in various times and in various ways about the incarnation of Christ and about His economy in the flesh, according to the nameless interpreter and Didymus, all turned out to be true from the very deeds and events.
The words Theodorita: Decent and addition: green (strong), instead of saying otherwise; none of the prophecies can be assumed to be false; but exactly everything that is now seen was predicted in advance and turned out to be true.
Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, in the length of days.
The house of God is the catholic Christian church, as we have seen many times. To this, he says, holiness is fitting for your house, O Lord, otherwise: it is fitting for it to be holy, as the house of a holy God. And the church will be holy if purity and holiness and innocence of any filth, either mental or bodily, remain in it. And such holiness and innocence in the Church of God must turn into length of days, otherwise it will be forever. According to Paul, the house of God is also called the temple of God and every Christian, in which the holiness and purity of His life should be.
Why and Athanasius says: This means that nothing is so much needed to preserve the church in the length of days as holiness. But if it happens that absurdity turns up in the house of God, and instead of holiness, a bad and unclean thing, then it will be impossible for it to remain in the length of days. Unnamed: The House of God is all Christians who appropriate Him for their home. Such should be true saints, not only on that day or on another day, but in the length of days; as Paul said: Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone corrupts the temple of God, God will corrupt him; for the temple of God is holy; and you make it (2 Cor. 3:16). For he who has become the house of God is truly worthy of holiness and sanctification, so that he, as belonging to God, should also be holy, and vice versa, as a saint, be at the same time God's. If, however, holiness is appropriate for all Christians who belong to the church in general; then isn’t it much more appropriate for the holy patriarchs, bishops and priests who are in it? Why and Chrysostom in the 83rd conversation on Matthew, the priesthood called the ministry of angels, and Clement the Collector, undefiled and immaculate (book 7. Assemblies). And holiness, according to the explanation of the divine Dionysius, there is perfect purity and innocence of any defilement (ch. 12, On God's names). Why Theodorite said: Therefore, according to the admonition of the Apostles, we must cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit and perfect holiness in the fear of God, so that, having prepared a worthy house of God, we may also receive an eternal dwelling.
The ghost of Paul and the fatal number of letters on the main facade. Around the Mikhailovsky Castle, which has become one of the most mystical places in St. Petersburg, there are many legends and mysteries. On March 9, exactly 220 years ago, the foundation stone of the palace was laid. Life, together with the writer-historian, researcher of St. Petersburg urban folklore Naum Sindalovsky, recalled some of the most famous legends associated with the last refuge of Paul I.
The castle was built at the behest of Archangel Michael
"A temple in the name of Archangel Michael" should be built on this site. Such a message, supposedly from the Archangel Michael himself, was delivered to Paul I at night in 1797 through the watch palace of Elizabeth Petrovna, which then stood on the site of the current Mikhailovsky Castle. The emperor in a hurry began to fulfill the divine will, however, he made his own adjustments to it. Four years later, a luxurious country house grew on the site of the temple. But the house church on the territory of the castle was still named after the archangel. Paul I moved into the residence on February 1, but lived there for 40 days: on the night of March 11-12, 1801, he was killed in his own bed.
"Holiness to the Lord is fitting for your house in the length of days"
At the Smolensk cemetery, Ksenia Blazhennaya predicted: Paul I will live as long as there are letters in the saying above the main facade of the Mikhailovsky Castle. The inscription on the pediment read: "To your house befits a shrine Lord in the length of days. "After the news of the death of Paul, the people of St. Petersburg ran to the castle and feverishly began to count the letters. It turned out 47. Exactly as much as the emperor, who was born in 1754.
Good morning, Your Majesty!
An emperor with such a mystical character could not just leave his possessions after death. When the castle was rebuilt into the Engineering School, the cadets who studied there scared each other by walking through the corridors in a sheet and with a candle in their hands. Paul I turned into a horror story of the times of Tsarist Russia. However, even our contemporaries believe in the restless spirit of Catherine's son. Some servants of the castle in the morning, going around the empty halls, say "Good morning, Your Majesty", said into the emptiness of the echoing corridor. Or not completely empty...
Which have not be avoided
The death of Paul is shrouded in riddles and speculation. The most common story is that the emperor could have escaped. Allegedly, an underground passage was built from his bedroom to the monument to Peter I. But Pavel did not have time to use it. Moreover, his last evening with his family was accompanied by hints and half-hints, which many later interpreted as predictions of death. The emperor left the dining room, throwing the phrase "What to be, that cannot be avoided." These were his last words on that fateful night.
