5. Дворец Разумовского (Российский Государственный Педагогический Университет им. А.И. Герцена/The Razumovskiy Palace (The Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia), 1762-1766

Authors: architects-A.F. Kokorinov and J.-B.Vallin de la Mothe (1762 - 1766)Address: naberezltnaya reki Moyki, 48, block #5

In 1739 F.-B. Rastrelli built a wooden Palace on the site located at the Moyka River embankment. The Palace was built for Anna Ioannovna"s favourite Count Reingold-Guslav Levcnvoldc whose lover N. Lopukhina lived nearby. When Elizabeth I ascended the throne R.-G. Levenvolde was sent to exile, and the Palace was taken by the Treasury. In 1 743 the mansion was given to the Empress's favourite A. Shubin. In 1749 when A. Shubin left the country his residence became property of the Hetman of Ukraine. President of the Academy of Sciences - Kirill Grigoryevich Razumovskiy (brother of Elizabeth's favourite - Grigoriy Razumovskiy). In 1760 a wooden building was demolished, and in 1762 architect A. Kokorinov started the construction of a slone edifice.The work was accomplished by J.-B. Vallin de la Mothe in 1766. The mansion was reconstructed several times and acquired its present look only in 1 831 - 1834. The Palace faced the River Moyka and had a garden fenced from the street wilh the railings made to the design by A. Voronikhin.The Razumovskiy Palace was famous for its balls and masquerades followed by giving alms to almost 2000 people that came to the Palace. In 1781 K. Razumovskiy sold the Palace lo a Polish Count K, Bronitskiy and left Saint-Petersburg. Count Bronitskiy in his turn also left the country in 1798 having sold the Palace for 450 000 roubles.The former Palace was given to the Foundling Hospital established by Paul 1 on 2 May 1797. The Emperor's wife Mariya Fyodorovna patronized the institution while 1. Betskoy was its first director. The Foundling Hospital was established as a refuge for orphans, foundlings and invalids. The idea of establishing such an institution belonged to 1. Betskoy whose bust (sculptor N. Lavretskiy) was put up in front of one of the University campus's section (nowadays block #]). Pelican became an official emblem of the Hospital. According to an ancient Christian legend the pelican saved its nestling bitten by a poisonous snake feeding ihem with blood from its bosom. Nowadays the pelican features the emblem of the Herzen University.In 1797 two neighbouring buildings were added to the Hospital. A year later the premises of the Razumovskiy Palace were rebuilt. К very year up to 8000 babies were sent to it and the number of wet-nurses was more than 9000. When a baby was 9 months old it was sent to a descent family. The Foundling Hospital supervised the upbringing of a child up to the time when he or she got married. The money for supporting such an institution was broughi by the sale of playing cards. Paul I also issued the decree according to which 10% of the revenues received by the Imperial theatres were sent to the Foundling Hospital's Fund. In 1797 Paul I signed the decree establishing Saint-Petersburg Orphanage Institution (Vaspitaieiny Dom) instead of the Foundling Hospital.The church and a two-storey field hospital were built in 1829 - 1834 to the design by D. Quadri and P. Plavov. In 1842 - 1844 the third floor was overbuilt in the field-hospital. The side wings were rebuilt in 1831 - 1834. In 1885 the Nikiwluyevskiy Orphanage Institute was established. The pupils of that institution received the profession of a teacher. In 1903 the first Pedagogical Institution - the Imperial Women's Pedagogical Institution was founded. In 1918 the Institute was renamed in the First Pedagogical Institute later followed by the Second one. the Third one. etc. In 1922 - 1925 the Leningrad Herzen Stale Pedagogical Institute was opened on the basis of already existing institutes. In 1961 the Monument to an outstanding Russian pedagogue Konstantin Dmitriyevich Ushinskty was put up in front of the main entrance of the educational institution (sculptor - V. Lishev). In 1991 the Institute became University.