The St Michael’s Castle

Today 10:00—19:00

Tomorrow 10:00—19:00

  • Monday: 10:00—19:00
  • Tuesday: day off
  • Wednesday: 10:00—19:00
  • Thursday: 10:00—19:00
  • Friday: 10:00—19:00
  • Saturday: 10:00—19:00
  • Sunday: 10:00—19:00

The St Michael’s Castle
2 Sadovaya Str., St. Petersburg

Metro station: Gostiny Dvor, Nevsky Prospekt

Tickets


VISITING RULES AND SERVICES

No coats
No drinks
No food or drink
No large bags
No pets (service animals permitted)
Cloakroom
No scooters
No smoking
No roller skates
No backpacks
No flash photography
No selfie sticks or tripods

The St Michael’s Castle

St Michael’s Castle is the largest historic building, marking the culmination of 18th-century St Petersburg architecture. It was erected on the site of Empress Elizabeth’s Summer Palace designed by Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli in the 1740s. The palace was dismantled by order of Emperor Paul I immediately after the death of his mother, Catherine the Great. The general idea for the castle and its first sketches belong to the august owner himself. The design process for the future residence began in 1784. Over nearly twelve years of planning, the future emperor drew inspiration from various architectural models he had encountered during his travels abroad in 1781–1782. Architects such as Henri-François-Gabriel Violle, Vincenzo Brenna, and Vasily Bazhenov were invited to contribute to the design project at different stages. Originally, the castle was intended to be built in Gatchina.

Today at the Palace / in the Garden

In the Mirror of Fate: Russian Historical Portraiture
#exhibitions

In the Mirror of Fate: Russian Historical Portraiture

Held in the state rooms of St Michael’s (Engineers’) Castle, this large-scale exhibition of historical portraiture from the 17th to the 19th centuries features approximately 300 works of painting, graphic art, and sculpture from the collection of the Russian Museum and other leading national museums...
The St Michael’s Castle
Ceremonial halls of St Michael’s Castle
#exhibitions

Ceremonial halls of St Michael’s Castle

On 19 May 2021, the ceremonial halls of St Michael’s Castle opened after major restoration. On 31 August 1951, the premises of the ceremonial halls of Emperor Paul I in St Michael’s Castle were provided to the Central Naval Library to hold stacks of books. In the St Michael’s Castle branch of the Ru...
The St Michael’s Castle
Sculpture Open Fund
#exhibitions

Sculpture Open Fund

On the 26th of May 2005 in St Michael's (Engineers) Castle a renovated open sculpture fund was opened. 134 artworks of the end of the 19th century — the beginning of 20th century were presented. The State Russian Museum was the first in the national museum practice to create public stocks in its...

The St Michael’s Castle
Vsevolod Voinov: Artist, Museum Curator and Critic
#exhibitions
25 September 2026–16 November 2026

Vsevolod Voinov: Artist, Museum Curator and Critic

Vsevolod Voinov (1880–1945) belonged to the generation shaped in the 1910s – the era of the Silver Age – while his active creative career unfolded in the post-revolutionary years. The exhibition features around 150 works by the artist (paintings, drawings, and graphic art) from the collection of...

The St Michael’s Castle

Accessibility at the Museum

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