Palace embankment of St. Petersburg is a famous tourist route. The mansions located along the Neva impress with their splendor and grace of lines. But there is a truly outstanding building in this row - the Palace of the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, the third son of Emperor Alexander the Second. This magnificent structure attracts the views of passers-by with its monumentality and seeming simplicity of lines. And the interior is striking in magnificence.
Historical place
For a long time, the houses of high ranks close to the imperial palace were located at the place of house No. 26 on Palace Embankment. Initially, at the beginning of the eighteenth century, there was the house of Count Botsis I.V., rear admiral of the rowing fleet. After his death in 1714, the building was transferred to Senator Musin-Pushkin, who was in charge of it for almost half a century.
In 1763, the site passed to the favorite of Empress Catherine the Second Count Orlov, but only for a couple of years. Until the beginning of the nineteenth century, the site changed owners several times, until it fell into the hands of Quartermaster General Volkonsky D.P. He turned the building on the Neva Embankment into a real palace. But the general was convicted of fraud in supplying the army and fell into disgrace to the emperor. The head of state demanded that Volkonsky hand over the mansion with furnishings to the Ambassador of France, Arman-Auguste-Louis Kolenkour for the embassy.
The disgraced general received 360 thousand rubles for his house. Kolenkur was very pleased with the acquisition, believing that a beautiful house in Petersburg was allocated under the embassy, second only to the grand-ducal palace. Before the war with Napoleon, cavalry guards on a dispute beat glass in the windows of the ambassador’s office, trying to break Napoleon’s bust in the office. No punishment could discourage the brave warriors from this bravado.
In 1839, the site was transferred to the Gofintendat office, which made repairs to the building. There was a spare palace to accommodate the imperial guests, and in the wings there was a company of the Palace Grenadiers.
The new life of the palace
In 1862, at the highest level, it was decided to demolish the obsolete building, and in its place it was planned to erect two palaces for the sons of the emperor - Grand Dukes Vladimir and Alexander. The tragic death of the heir to the throne, Nicholas, made adjustments. Alexander moved to Anichkov Palace, and only one majestic palace of Grand Duke Vladimir was erected on the allocated site.
Architectural masterpiece
Alexander Ivanovich Rezanov was appointed the architect of the new palace, whose project won the announced competition. The Russian architect at that time was known for the construction of the church of Boris and Gleb, participation in the restoration of the Winter Palace and other projects. The old building was partially demolished, rebuilt and superstructured. The result was a palace complex consisting of three buildings. The main one, four floors high, faces the Neva, a service wing opens onto Millionnaya Street, and a stable building occupies the middle of a large courtyard. Outbuildings are located around the perimeter of the courtyard.
In addition to the chief architect, his students V. Schröter and I. Kitner took part in the construction, who were involved in interior design, the selection of furniture, wallpaper and other decor materials brought from abroad.
The design cost of the new palace was 419 568 rubles. Actual value amounted to 1,568,216 rubles. At the same time, contemporaries argued that "they rarely built stronger, cheaper and more honestly in Russia." Construction lasted almost 6 years - from 1867 to 1873. The grand opening of the palace of Grand Duke Vladimir was timed to coincide with a significant event in the life of the owner - the marriage with the Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerinsk, better known in Russia as Maria Pavlovna. The entire imperial family attended this event.
The magnificent palace was built in eclecticism, which was then in fashion. The facade facing the Neva is strict and solemnly beautiful. The basement is faced with granite rusty with a specially roughly chopped surface. The upper floors of the palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich are plastered and decorated with rusticated stone. Arched windows give the structure a resemblance to an Italian palazzo of the Renaissance period. The facade is deprived of decorative ornaments, which gives the building rigor, monumentality and grandeur.
In front of the palace, a pavement of gray granite is paved, and the entrance group, extended across the entire width of the street, is decorated with the coat of arms of Prince Vladimir and his wife. The decor is complemented by the awesome-looking griffins and cast-iron lanterns. The appearance of the structure is concise, restrained and strict. During this period, palaces were no longer built, representatives of aristocratic families preferred elegant mansions that were more modest than palace chambers. But at the same time they were not inferior in a magnificent finish.
House for the Grand Duke
The high society couple settled in a new mansion in 1874. By that time, the building had 356 premises for various purposes, a magnificent stable for 36 horses. In the "hoffmeister corps" apartments for employees were provided.
The palace was equipped with technical innovations of the time, was very comfortable for living and improved over time. The building had electricity, heating, a telephone line, an elevator and ventilation. Ceremonial halls, living rooms, flights of stairs, a house church - everything in this house impressed with its splendor, sophistication and delicate taste. Despite the fact that the rooms and halls were decorated in a variety of styles, there was no feeling of variegation and bad taste. On the contrary, all this splendor complemented each other, revealing different facets of this architectural and design diamond. Contemporaries called it the "Small Imperial Palace", which became the center of the cultural life of the capital.
Virtual tour
The first floor of the palace of Grand Duke Vladimir in St. Petersburg was occupied by the owner himself. Here was his reception, study, living room for receiving visitors, a billiard room, private rooms, a bathhouse and premises for other purposes.
A grand staircase adorned with VM monograms, Vladimir and Maria, led to the second floor. This floor was reserved for the princess's chambers: a Pompeian style reception room, a bedchamber and other rooms, a magnificent Louis XVI style living room, and a Moorish boudoir.
The third floor was reserved for children's rooms and a games room. There were rooms for servants, governesses, educators.
The fourth floor was occupied by a house church, consecrated in honor of the Annunciation.
Cultural Life Center
Maria Pavlovna more than once after moving started arranging the palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich to her liking. Thanks to her efforts, a fountain discharged from Italy appeared in front of the entrance.
The subtle artistic taste of the hostess made the already chic palace even more refined. Here gathered the elite of the high society of that time, held amazingly beautiful balls. In the home theater, performances were given by famous artists and musicians. The palace of the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich became the place where the best people of that time sought to get to "light up" in society.
In addition to the premises listed above, the palace also had a wine cellar, which housed a collection of fine wines from almost 16,000 bottles. Exotic plants grew in the winter garden. In the Ballroom, there were called balls, which all the advanced and noble people of that time sought to get to.
Palace treasures
The magnificent interiors of the palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich in St. Petersburg were supplemented by works of art. So, the head of the family was a big fan of painting. He had a collection of paintings by the artist Vereshchagin, who also had a hand in the design of some rooms and the house church.
The billiard room was decorated with Repin's famous painting “Barge Haulers on the Volga”, which the owner personally bought from the artist for three thousand rubles. The walls were decorated with paintings by other Russian artists. As well as sculptures, porcelain and other works of art.
After the revolution, part of the treasures was nationalized, transferred to museums or sold abroad. Much has gone without a trace. But even today, on excursions you can see works of art and the life of a grand-princely family.
The owners of the palace
When construction began, Grand Duke Vladimir was barely 20 years old. He held various high posts, including the president of the Academy of Arts. But he went down in history as one of the main organizers of the execution of workers on Bloody Sunday January 9, 1905. The peaceful demonstration ended in a bloody drama that affected the course of the state’s history. At that time, the prince led the troops of the Guard and the St. Petersburg Military District.
The Socialist-Revolutionaries repeatedly made attempts on the Grand Duke, but they were all unsuccessful. Vladimir died in 1909 with his death and was buried in the Peter and Paul Fortress.
After the death of Prince Vladimir, his wife Maria Pavlovna entered into inheritance rights. After her husband, she headed the Academy of Arts, was engaged in charity work. After the revolution, she was able to safely leave Russia. And the son of Grand Duke Cyril declared himself in exile "acting emperor." But this is a completely different story.
The fate of the palace after the revolution
When the events of 1917 broke out, turning the tide of the history of the Russian state, the palace of the Grand Duke was nationalized. It housed medical and military facilities. The building occupied one department, then another. In 1920, the building was transferred to a commission to improve the life of scientists, headed by Maxim Gorky. Twenty scientists and their families settled here. Thanks to the efforts of the luminaries of science, the magnificent interiors of the palace have been preserved to this day.
Palace today
Currently, the palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich is the House of Scientists. In the ceremonial halls, scientific seminars, meetings of scientists of different directions are held, at which reports are heard and lectures are given.
The spacious exhibition halls host scientific and art exhibitions. Theatrical groups of different theaters of the country and abroad give performances on the stage of the House of Scientists. The palace of the Grand Duke Vladimir lives a cultural and scientific life. Organizers try to keep up to date. In the stunning interiors of the palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, excursions are held regularly. They can learn a lot about the history of the country and the secrets of the palace complex. The schedule of excursions can be found on the website of travel agencies.
Banqueting hall
You can visit the Grand Ducal Palace with a private visit, having dinner at the restaurant. Magnificent furnishings, royally luxurious cuisine, stunning views from the window of the banquet hall of the palace of Grand Duke Vladimir will not leave anyone indifferent. You can order a celebration in historical interiors, find out the menu and prices on the website or from the organizers of the event. A wedding, anniversary or New Year, held in such a luxurious place, will remain one of the main memories in the life of any person. Halls are designed for 40 and 120 people.
other services
In addition to the banquet hall, in the palace you can order a photo shoot. Pictures in the "Small Imperial Palace" will decorate any family album.
The furnishings of the luxurious library are set to work. The emperor once left a collection of books in excess of ten thousand copies to his son Vladimir. Today this collection is replenished with folios of different authors and directions.
Reviews of tourists about the palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich are full of enthusiasm. Everything is striking here: the monumentality of the structure, magnificent interiors, fine cuisine, grandiose performances and exhibitions. All events held in the House of Scientists correspond to the status of the institution.
Address of the House of Scientists
The address of the palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich is Palace Embankment, 26. This is a famous tourist route, because the Hermitage and other equally famous buildings that make up the cultural heritage of the Northern capital are located nearby. Despite the worldwide fame, this palace is not as popular among visitors as other attractions of the city. There are no crowds of onlookers on a daily basis, here come those who know exactly what he needs.
You can get to the stations of the St. Petersburg metro Gostiny Dvor or Nevsky Prospekt and go from them to the desired address. A visit to the House of Scientists will be a memorable event for every tourist.
The photos of the palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich are conveyed by the sophistication of the interiors, the splendor of the finish, the elegance of the lines and the integral rigor of the architect’s ideas, embodied in life. It is listed in the Unified State Register as a monument of the country's history and culture. This is not just a beautiful building on the banks of the Neva - it is the history of the country, its cultural heritage and pride.