St. Petersburg is famous for its magnificent buildings, many of which were built as far back as the 18th century. One of them is the Tauride Palace (photo on the right). Its construction began in 1783 and lasted about six years. Its architect is I.E. Starov is one of the first representatives of the school of Russian classicism.
Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg: the history of creation
A vast territory on the left bank of the Neva on Shpalernaya St. Petersburg was chosen as the site for the construction of the palace. Not far from this place was the Smolny Monastery. Initially, the building was not called a palace. In those days, structures of this type were called houses. This was given the name House of the Horse Guards, and it was intended for private use by the magnificent Prince Grigory Potemkin , a favorite of Empress Catherine the Great. However, the owner of all this splendor, due to constant trips, almost did not live in the Tauride Palace.
Description of Horse Guards House
The building of the palace is considered a vivid example of classicism - a style characteristic of Russia at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century. From the side of the facade, it is much different from the magnificent palaces of the Rococo and Baroque. The Tauride Palace is U-shaped and consists of several structures, the total area of which is about 66 thousand square meters. meters. The facade of the building has a 260-meter length and is decorated with a six-columned portico in the Doric style. Above the central building, whose height is 12 meters, there is a drum with a dome. On its sides are one-story galleries that connect it to the outbuildings. Despite the fact that for more than three centuries the interior of the buildings has undergone many changes, in the Tauride Palace today you can see the magnificent decoration of the interiors. The original form of the interior can be found in descriptions of contemporaries. For example, the great poet Derzhavin, after visiting the palace, was shocked by his splendor and sang what he saw in his poems. The surroundings of the palace were also magnificent. Directly in front of him was a quiet round-shaped harbor with a marina. She had pleasure boats for the inhabitants and guests of the estate. The park zone consisted of many picturesque hills, small ponds, canals, bridges, extensive flower beds, greenhouses, greenhouses , etc.
Catherine’s Hall and other interior spaces
The central room in the Tauride Palace is considered the Catherine Hall. Its vestibule is a domed room with a colonnade, in front of which are the Triumphal Gates with jasper and granite pillars. Catherine’s Hall was otherwise called Belokolonny. The author put the architectural elements of the Hellenic era in its basis. During the holidays, he was able to accommodate up to 5 thousand guests. At the end of the hall was a rotunda of a winter garden with eight columns. In the middle of it was placed a statue of Catherine the Great (author F. Shubin). Beautiful exotic plants grew in the garden. In the Tauride Palace, in addition to the Catherine’s Hall and the winter garden, the Chinese and Sofa Halls, the art gallery and the Tapestry lounge are also noteworthy. The ceilings and some walls of the rooms are painted by skilled craftsmen. Here was a large collection of paintings and statues.
The fate of the Tauride Palace
During the reign of the son of Catherine the Great, Paul the First, the Tauride Palace was given over to the barracks. However, since 1801 the palace was rebuilt again and became one of the residences of the imperial house, and at the beginning of the 20th century - the building of the State Duma. After the first revolution, the interim government of Kerensky was located in its premises. Currently, annual international economic forums are taking place here. The building of the palace today also houses the general office of the inter-parliamentary assembly of the countries of the Commonwealth (CIS).