Palace sights in Russia
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Tsaritsyno Palace
On a wooded hill in far southeast Moscow, Tsaritsyno Palace is a modern-day manifestation of the exotic summer home that Catherine the Great began in 1775 but never finished. Architect Vasily Bazhenov worked on the project for 10 years before he was sacked. She hired another architect, Matvey Kazakov, but the project was eventually forgotten as she ran out of money. For hundreds of years, the palace was little more than a shell, until the government finally decided to finish it in 2007.
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Ostankino Palace & TV Tower
The pink-and-white Ostankino Palace, a wooden mansion with a stucco exterior made to resemble stone, was built in the 1790s as the summer pad of Count Nikolai Sheremetev, probably Russia’s richest aristocrat of the time and son of Count Pyotr Sheremetev. Note that the palace is closed on days when it rains or when humidity is high. The lavish interior, with hand-painted wallpaper and intricate parquet floors, houses the count’s art treasures. The ornate rooms include the Italian Pavilion and the Egyptian Hall. The centrepiece is the oval theatre-ballroom built for the Sheremetev troupe of 250 serf actors. In 1801 Count Nikolai married one of the troupe, Praskovia Zhemchug…
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Patriarch's Palace
This palace was mostly built in the mid-17th century for Patriarch Nikon, whose reforms sparked the break with the Old Believers. The palace contains an exhibit of 17th-century household items, including jewellery, hunting equipment and furniture. From here you can access the five-domed Church of the Twelve Apostles, which has a gilded, wooden iconostasis and a collection of icons by the leading 17th-century icon painters.
The highlight is perhaps the ceremonial Cross Hall (Krestovaya Palata) where the tsar's and ambassadorial feasts were held. From the 18th century the room was used to produce miro, a holy oil used during church services, which contains over 30 herbal co…
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Anichkov Palace
Occupying an entire block between pl Ostrovskogo and the Fontanka River, the Anichkov Palace was built between 1741 and 1750, with input from a slew of architects, including Rastrelli and Rossi. The palace was twice a generous gift for services rendered: Empress Elizabeth gave it to her favourite Count Razumovsky and later Catherine the Great presented it to Potemkin. This was also Tsar Nicholas II’s favourite place to stay in St Petersburg – he far preferred the cosy interiors to the vastness of the Winter Palace. The Anichkov Palace became the city’s largest Pioneer Club headquarters after 1936 and to this day it houses more than 100 after-school clubs for over 10,000 c…
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Petrodvorets
Most European rulers had at least one Versailles, and Peter the Great was no exception. He built a series of palaces on the site now known as Petrodvorets. Fountains play a very large part in its grandeur. Petrodvorets' other charms include the Grand Palace, enlarged for Empress Elizabeth and later remodelled by Catherine.
The Grand Cascade and Water Avenue is a symphony of fountains and canals partly engineered by Peter himself. In the Grand Palace, the pendulous chandeliers and paintings are originals. Peter's original villa, Monplaisir, has bright and airy galleries facing the sea - it's easy to see why it was his favourite place to doss. The gardens are dotted with t…
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Great Kremlin Palace
Housing the Armoury and much more, the 700-room Great Kremlin Palace was built from 1838 to 1849 by Konstantin Thon as an imperial residence. It is now an official residence of the Russian president, used for state visits and receptions. However, unlike Russian emperors, the president doesn't have living quarters here.
The palace incorporates some of the earlier buildings such as the Hall of Facets, Terem Palace and several chapels. Although vast, the building has never received great praise, being criticised as barrack-like and pretentious. Several ceremonial halls are named for saints, including St George, St Vladimir, St Andrew, St Catherine and St Alexander. St George…
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Marble Palace
Between Mars Field and the Neva is another branch of the Russian Museum, the Marble Palace, built for Catherine the Great’s lover, Grigory Orlov, from 1768 to 1785. Designed by Antonio Rinaldi, the palace is so named because it uses 36 different kinds of marble in its construction, both inside and out. Check out the grey-and-blue marble staircase and the fantastic Marble Hall. The art on display here is eclectic, ranging from 17th-, 18th- and 19th-century works done by foreign artists in Russia to the splendid Ludwig Museum, part of the modern art collection of chocolate billionaire Peter Ludwig. This is one of the few chances to see such a large collection of contemporar…
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Palace of Grand Duke Alexey Alexandrovich
This fabulous derelict mansion at the very far end of the Moyka River belonged to the son of Alexander II. The wrought iron and stone fence is one of its most stunning features, with the Grand Duke’s monogram adorning the central gates. The palace was built in 1895 by Maximilian Messmacher, and each façade represents a different architectural style, perhaps reflective of the character of Grand Duke Alexey himself. The interior is equally diverse, although it is not open to the public. Used as a Pioneers’ Palace during the communist era, the building sat empty for years and eventually fell into terrible disrepair. It is now undergoing a badly needed renovation.
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Yusupov Palace
In a city of glittering palaces, the sumptuous interiors of the Yusupov Palace more than hold their own. A series of sumptuously decorated rooms, each more spectacular than the last, culminate in a gilded jewel box of a theatre, where classical music, ballet and opera performances are still held; check the website for details. Attending such a performance is recommended as it includes a tour of the palace first (minus the tour group crowds that can descend on the place in the summer) and a viewing of the cellar room where the plot to murder Rasputin was hatched, complete with hokey waxworks of the mad monk and his nemesis Felix Yusupov.
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Konstantinovsky Palace
Konstantinovsky Palace has also been fully restored. Excursions visit the fabulous ‘parade rooms’, including the Blue Room and the over-the-top ornate Marble Room, as well as the ceremonial guestrooms of the president and the first lady. Most impressively, visitors can take a peak into the wine cellar. Apparently, as far back as 1755 these premises were used to house the emperor’s collection of Hungarian wine, when the Winter Palace was under construction. These days the vinniy pogreb contains a collection of more than 13,000 bottles from all over the world.
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Marly Palace
On the west side of the Lower Park, near the shore, the Hermitage is a two-storey pink-and-white box featuring the ultimate in private dining: special elevators hoist a fully laid table into the imperial presence on the 2nd floor, thereby eliminating any hindrance by servants. The elevators are circular and directly in front of each diner, whose plate would be lowered, replenished and replaced.
The entry ticket here also includes admission to the modest Marly Palace, further to the west, inspired by a French hunting lodge.
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Arkhangelskoe
In the 1780s the wealthy Prince Nikolai Yusupov purchased this grand palace on the outskirts of Moscow and turned it into a spectacular estate. The palace is now the quintessential aristocratic getaway from Moscow, displaying the paintings, furniture, sculptures, glass, tapestries and porcelain that Yusupov accumulated over the years. In summer, the majestic colonnadeis the exquisite setting for live classical-music concerts (501-453 8229; R100-300; 5pm Sat & Sun May-Sep).
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Menshikov Palace
Another branch of the Hermitage is in the riverside Menshikov Palace, built in 1707 for Alexander Menshikov, a close friend (many now say lover) of Peter the Great. Menshikov effectively ran Russia from here for three years between Peter’s death and his own exile. The palace’s impressively restored interiors are filled with period art and furniture. Fact sheets in English on each of the rooms are available.
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Farmer's Palace
To escape the crowds, even on summer weekends, wander through rambling Park Aleksandriya, immediately east of the Lower Park. Built for Tsar Nicholas I (and named for his tsarina), it features a neo-Gothic chapel, the ruined Farmer's Palace (1831), which vaguely resembles a stone farmstead, and the Cottage, a small palace dating from 1829 and modelled on an English country cottage, also with neo-Gothic interiors.
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Terem Palace
The 16th- and 17th-century Terem Palace is the most splendid of the Kremlin palaces. A stone palace built by Vasily III, the living quarters include a dining room, living room, study, bedroom and small chapel. Unfortunately, the palace is closed to the public, but you can glimpse its cluster of 11 golden domes and chequered roof behind and above the Church of the Deposition of the Robe.
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Hermitage
Curving around the south of Dvortsovaya ploshchad is the Carlo Rossi–designed General Staff Building of the Russian army (1819–29). Comprising two great classical blocks joined by arches, which are topped by a chariot of victory, it is another monument to the Napoleonic wars. Occupying the building’s east wing is a branch of the Hermitage.
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Clockwise around the northern side of Picturesque Susaninskaya pl are: a 19th-century fire tower (still in use and under Unesco protection); a former military guardhouse, housing a small literature museum; an 18th-century hotel for members of the royal family; the palace of an 1812 war hero, now a courthouse; and the town hall.
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Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace
The photogenic salmon-pink backdrop to the Anichkov most is provided by the 1840s rococo Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace. Check the posters outside for details of the concerts that are occasionally held in the palace’s grandly oak-panelled and stuccoed concert hall.
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Yelagin Palace
The Yelagin Palace, built for his mother by Tsar Alexander I, who had architect Carlo Rossi landscape the entire island while he was at it. The palace, with beautifully restored interiors, is to your right as you cross the footbridge from Kamenny Island.
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Museum of Music
In the Sheremetyev Palace (1750–55), is the Museum of Music, which has a collection of musical instruments from the 19th and 20th centuries, some beautifully decorated.
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Atashev Palace
Built for gold-mining entrepreneur Ivan Atashev in 1842, the Atashev Palace was once used as a church, hence the incongruous steeple tower and wonderful organ hall where concerts are held.
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