30. Инженерный Замок (Михайловский Замок)/The Engineers’ Castle (The Michael Castle), 1797-1800

Authors: architects - V.I. Bazhenov and 'V.T. -Brenna (1797 - 1800), sculptors – P.Stadgi, Solditti, A.Triscorni, Thiebot (1797 - 1800)

Address: Zamkovaya ulitsa, 2

The Castle was built between 1797 and 1800 by Brenna and designed by V. Bazhenov as a fortified residence"⁵. The first sketches of a future Castle appeared in 1784. and there were 13 sketches of it by 1797. The erection of the residence began on the spol of the former summer palace of Elizabeth I erected by F.-B. Rastrelli in 1741 — 1745. where Paul was bom and where he had spent a lot of years. The Emperor himself supervised the building controlling every detail. About 6000 workers were involved in the construction, and did not slop the work even at night when fires were set. Necessary materials were sometimes taken from the former residences of Catherine I almost destroyed by Paul 1.

According to one legend the colour of the edifice was chosen at the ball when one of the Emperor's favourites - Anna Lopukhina dropped accidentally one of her red gloves, and some courtiers rushed to pick it up, but Paul I was the quickest. The next day the Emperor ordered V. Brenna to paint the facade of his new residence the colour of that glove.

The southern facade is impressive in its solemn grandeur, it is faced with marble and decorated with obelisks depicting knights' armour and Paul's monogram in a laurel wreath. The attic is adorned with the bas-relief the History is Writing the Glory of Russia on the Tablet (Истории наносит на спои скрижали славу России): the frieze is decorated with the inscription from the 92^nd psalm of the Bible - Your House is the Sacred Possession of God in Long Days (Дому твоему подобает святыня Господня н долготу дней). The northern facade overlooking the Summer Gardens and reminding Italian palladiums of the Renaissance, has the attic embellished with caryatids and low relieves executed by Triscorni and Thiebot. The western facade is crowned with a golden spire of the Church of Archangel Michael. The side jutties arc linked by a Doric colonnade which is surmounted by a balcony. The broad staircase is adorned with statues of Flora and Hercules. The Castle was originally surrounded by water: the Neva, the Fontanka and two artificial ponds and had special drawbridges. The interior decor was lavishly ornamented but what has survived up to nowadays can be represented by the Slate Staircase decorated with marble, Raphael Gallery, the Throne and the Oval Halls and the Church with the fresco by Scotti.

In 1800 an equestrian sialue of Peter the Great thai had been created in 1743 - 1747 by B.-C. Rastrelli was finally put up in front of the Castle. On I February' 1801 the Royal Family moved into the Castle. On 2 February 1801 the ball-masquerade was held in the Imperial residence with 2837 masks present at the festivity. In the night of ! 1 - 12 March 1801 Paul I was assassinated in his bedroom¹ After his death the apartment (decorated with 22 pictures by European paintcrs, moderately furnished with a camp-bed and the only luxurious piece of furniture - the table ordered by the Hmpcror's wife: the table desk was put on i\ory columns decorated with bronze capitals) and the adjoining room were closed for a long time.

The railings were carried out by C. Rossi and L. Charlemagne in early I9^!h cent. In 1S23 the Castle was gi\en over to the School of Military Engineers (later Sikolayevskaya School). Among its graduates was F. Dosloycvskiy, I. Sechenov, P. Yablochkov, P. Semyonov-Tyanshanskiy. etc. In 1857 the Church was founded at the premises once occupied by the Emperor's bedroom following the order signed by Alexander II (architect K. Okhtomskiy). On 12 January 1858 the Church with a wonderful carved oak iconostasis was consecrated. As the historical documents testify Alexander II paid special attention to ihe church-on-hhod throughout the whole period of his reign - he used lo arrive ai the Church every year on 11 March and stay alone for a long time.According to some legend Paul I, being chosen Great Masier of the Maltese Monastic Order ordered lo erect ihe Castle to keep there the most precious treasure of the Order ihe Holy GrailЧаша святого Грааля (the cup believed lo have been used by Jesus al ihe Last Supper Последняя Вечеря just before his death: according to old stories it пал magical powers). There is a belief that the Emperor ciphered the vva\ ю that treasure in the interior decor of the Casile.