5. Строгановский Дворец – уникальный образец творения ф.-б. Растрелли/The Stroganov Palace – the unique example of the architecture by f.-b. Rastrelli, 1752-1754

Authors: architects - F.-B. Rastrelli (1752 - 1754), A.N. Voronikhin (1793)

Address: Nevskiy prospect, 17 In 1742 an unfinished wooden building in Nevskiy, 17 was bought by Baron Sergey Grigoryevich Stroganov (The Stroganovs were one of the most ancient noble families in Russia known sinсе 14^th cent. Being very successful in business they also paid much attention to building churches and creating artels of icon painters. As a result a unique style of icon panting Stroganov Icon was formed in 17^th cent. At the beg. of 17^th cent. V. Shuyskiy established a special title for the Stroganovs - eminent people to thank them for a financial help during so called anxinux times. The last representative of such eminent people was G. Stroganov a close assoeiale ol Peter I in ihe Northern War, who built four ships for Peter the Great's Heel, for which the Emperor gave his sons the title of the Baron) who ordered lo complete the building of a two-storeyed edifice. In 1752 F.-B. Rastrelli was invited lo accomplish the construction of the mansion. It was not typical for the court architect to fulfill orders of the nobility that didn't belong to ihe Royal Family. He made an exception for the Stroganovs for the Baron was very close to the Romanovs. On 15 December 1753 the ball devoted lo a house-warming party was held with HIi/abeih 1 being an honorable guest. When the construction was accomplished by F.-B. Rasirelli in 1754 the architect was lavishly gratified by S. Stroganov who commissioned P. Rotari to portray a famous master. The space between the windows was decorated wiih ihe medallions wiih man profile that is regarded to belong to S. Siroganov himself, others suppose ii is a moulded portrait of F.-B. Rastrelli. The facade was adorned with columns resting on rusticated pedestals and with sculptural details in Ihe form of leonine masks, caryatids and figures of cupids; the attic was embellished with the Stroganovs' coal of amis - the shield held by two sables lhat symbolize the Siberian lands (the Stroganovs participated in the joining of Siberia to the Russian Empire). Fifty apartments were decorated by K.-B. Rastrelli. A spacious hall with windows arranged in two tiers and with a ceiling painted by G. Valeriani has been preserved up to nowadays. In 1756 after the owner's dcalh the building became the properly of his son -Alexander Sergeycvich who was the president of the Academy of Arts, the favourite of Catherine II and later on her son Paul I who even gave him ihe liile of ihe Count. In 1787 the interior was changed: two new wings were built in the courtyard - the southern and the eastern. In the northern part of the Palace the Study of Minerals was opened. In 1793 the Palace was being rebuilt by the fonner serf of the Stroganovs -A. Voronikhin. Both the interior decor and the facade were changed. The allegorical statues were laken away from the facade, the colour scheme was also changed - ii became yellow-pink. The architect designed four apartments: the Corner Study, the Mineral Study (restored in 2005), the Dining-Room and the Picture Gallery decorated with the allegories of Painting and Sculpture. Once there had been a big malachite vase of 134 sm and bronze standard lamps in the Gallery. A. Benois called Siroganov's Picture Gallery the soul of the Palace. It housed ihe collection of painting collected by A. Stroganov tor 4tJ years. The Gallery was used by ihe Count as the auditorium for the pupils of the Academy of Arts where they studied the history and theory of painting and copied the works by the Western-European masters. There was no bedroom in the Palace for its owner preferred to sleep in different rooms, in arm-chairs. There were 600 servants in the Palace, among them singers, dancers, musicians, actors, cookers, etc.

In 1790s lire broke out in the Palace having ruined almost all apartments. The only apartment survived was the Ball Room with a gorgeous plafond the Triumph of the Hero by G. Valcriani. That apanmem was the only genuine state interior to ihe design by F.-B. Rastrelli in Saint-Petersburg, that has survived up to nowadays in its original look. In 1820s the edifice was reconstructed by P.S. Sadovnikov (a pupil of A. Voronikhin), who created the Arabesque Hull and the dove-house in the courtyard. The Arabesque Hall is decorated with vertical panels depicting images of animal and plant life. Twenty panels resemble those located in the Hermitage {Raphuel Loggia).

The colour-scheme of the Palace was changed several limes: it was light-lilac, brick-red, green and finally pink. The Siroganov Palace was one of the most popular places in Saint-Petersburg well-known for gorgeous balls, masquerades, concerts and theatrical performances visited by the nobility, foreign diplomats, architects, painters and sculptors. The Stroganovs organized literary soirees attended by such prominent personalities of that time as G. Derzhavin (he devoted the poem To the Arts-Lover lo A. Stroganov), D. Fonvizin, 1. Krylov, N. Gnedich, etc. The Palace was also famous by its open dinners - tables were laid in the courtyard for every visitor who was hungry. In 1908 a small garden was laid out there. In 1912 the Palace's owner Sergey Alexandrovich left Russia for France. After the October Revolution all the Stroganovs left Russia forever. In 1918 the Palace was nationalized and the National House-Museum of Stroganov was opened there. Since 1925 the Palace was the branch of the Hermitage. In 1929 it was closed and all the belongings of the former owners were presented to the Hermitage and the Russian Museum. The edifice was occupied by the Agricultural Academy. In 1988 the Palace was finally given to the Russian Museum and the reconstruction was started. In 1992 the Charity Fund the Stroganovs was established in New York by Count Sergey Alexandrovich's grandniece Countess Helen dc Ludinghauzen -- the main task of the Fund is the financial support of the restoration projects connected with the Siroganov Palace, palaces of Saini-Peiersburg and its environs and the reconstruction of the Russian churches. Nowadays the Museum of Wax Figures works there. In 2003 the restoration work was accomplished, the original colour was restored. The Stroganov Palace is ihe only monument in Nevskiy prospekt ihal has preserved its original look through the historv of its existence.