Every year, thousands of tourists visit St. Petersburg. As a rule, they visit popular sights of the city, for example the Hermitage or Peterhof. However, there are no less beautiful places that were left without due attention of travelers. For example, the "Palace of Congresses" is a garden and palace complex, which is an architectural monument of the 18th century. It is located near the city. This article will tell about the history of construction, the location, the current state of the palace.
Location and description of the complex
The Konstantinovsky Palace is located 19 km from St. Petersburg, in the village of Strelna. It was built on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland, and the park area is located at the intersection of the Kikena and Strelka rivers . His address: Birch Alley, 3, the village of Strelna, St. Petersburg. Near the palace is a vast park area leading to the Gulf of Finland. Nearby is the Baltic Star Hotel and a tour desk. The Palace of Congresses (Strelna) currently consists of the Konstantinovsky Palace, the Russian Versilia Park , the negotiation pavilion and the Consular Village cottage village.
It is easiest to get here on your own by taxi. You can catch it at the St. Petersburg bus station, the schedule allows you to leave in the early morning, afternoon and evening. Buses also come here. Tourists can take them next to the Avtovo metro station. You can get to the complex in just 20-25 minutes, if you do not accidentally get into a traffic jam. The amount of travel is standard, and buses run every 5-10 minutes. From "Avtovo" to the palace can be reached by tram. True, the travel time will significantly increase and will be about 1 hour. You will need to get to the final tram route number 36.
History of occurrence
The park complex is one of the oldest buildings in St. Petersburg. Peter I, who chose a place located in the delta of two rivers, as his future residence, had a hand at its base. In 1709, he ordered preparations for the construction of a new palace complex, which, according to his plans, was to surpass the beauty of the French Versailles in his plans. However, the preparation of a future project was delayed. At first, Italian architect Sebastian Cipriani was involved in its development , but his plan was too complicated and expensive. By 1715, he was replaced by the French architect Jean-Baptiste Leblond . However, he died in 1719, not having time to complete the project. He was replaced by Italian Nicolo Mikelli , who completed the architectural plan. The Konstantinovsky Palace was officially founded on May 22, 1720.
However, the implementation of the originally conceived project was impossible. A serious problem was the insufficiently high water level in the Strelka and Kicken rivers . Water was necessary for the operation of fountains, which were to become the main decoration of the complex. To raise the water level to the desired level, builders would have to flood the vast territory of the river basins. Because of the expensive work, Peter I decided to move the residence to nearby Peterhof, which was fully suitable for the construction of a complex of fountains. By 1730, work in Strelna finally ceased. The "Palace of Congresses" remained unfinished.
Further development
The resumption of construction work began only in the 1750s. Bartolomeo Rastrelli began to build it , the project of which also created the Winter Palace. The architect took up the redevelopment of the complex, and according to his plan, a large front staircase was erected. Unfortunately, the construction of the complex was not completed again. The project was completed only at the end of the 18th century. It is known that architects Luigi Ruska , A.I. Shtakenschneider , A.N. Voronikhin had a hand in creating the Konstantinovsky Palace and nearby park buildings . Initially, the “Palace of Congresses” served as the residence for emperors, but already in 1797 it lost its status when Paul I transferred the complex to his son, Grand Duke Constantine.
The palace buildings were badly damaged in the fire of 1803. During the reconstruction of the building, a new gazebo and front suite were built. The house church was built already in the 1850s, when the palace was transferred to the youngest son of Emperor Nicholas I. Then the Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich lived here. For some time, the Greek Queen Olga lived in the palace, who moved here after the murder of her husband. After the October Revolution, the building passed into the hands of the government. In 1937, a sanatorium was opened here. During the siege of Leningrad, the palace was completely destroyed by the Germans. It was restored only by 1950. In the future, the building of the Arctic School was located here.
Modern period
In 2000, the palace was transferred to the Office of the President. In the same year, large-scale restoration work began here. The State Palace of Congress complex was to serve as the residence of the President of Russia, as well as for receptions of government delegations from other countries. Its grand opening took place in 2003. Already in 2006, the G8 summit was held in the palace, where the heads of France, Germany, the USA, Great Britain, Japan and other countries arrived. In 2013, the G20 meetings were held here, which includes leaders of the states with the most developed economies.
On ordinary days, the Konstantinovsky Palace is open to tourists. It is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00. The day off here is Wednesday.
Excursions
Today the "Palace of Congresses" (Strelna) is a protected area, access to which is open only to tourist groups. Excursions include visiting the ceremonial halls of the palace, the art masterpieces located here, and the park adjacent to it. Separately, you can also look at the cottage village "Consular Village". Active games are held for children, including the search for treasures. Wine tastings are held regularly. It is worth knowing that the park is open for visits only in the summer.
Draw conclusions
The Palace of Congresses complex (St. Petersburg) is worth a visit to all connoisseurs of Petersburg architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries. It is located very close to the center of St. Petersburg, so tourists can independently get to it. If this is not your first visit to the city and don’t know what else you can see, the palace will be an excellent option for you.