The Mikhailovsky Palace

The Russian Museum is a unique depository of national artistic treasures located in the former grand ducal Mikhailovsky Palace, one of the finest buildings in the centre of St Petersburg. Thanks to the architectural genius of Carlo Rossi, a new Empire-style ensemble appeared in the centre of the Russian capital in the 1820s—1830s. It consisted of a palace, a square and a street connected with the name of Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich, the youngest son of Emperor Paul I. Construction of the palace began in 1819 by order of Emperor Alexander I. Located near St Michael’s Castle, it occupied the site of the buildings in the castle’s adjacent garden. The location suggested a convenient proximity to the Winter and Anichkov Palaces, Nevsky Prospect, as well as the opportunity to have a private garden.

According to the project, the palace was the compositional centre of the ensemble. The building was adjoined with two symmetrical square auxiliary wings: the West wing — the Ladies-in-Waiting wing and the East one — the Riding Hall wing. The building of the stables was in one row with the Riding Hall wing, a Laundry house was behind it at the corner of Inzhenernaya and Sadovaya Streets. A spacious garden was decorated with a pavilion, a bridge over the pond and a pier on the Moika River bank. The foundation of the building was laid on 26 June 1819.