Which building is not located on the palace square. How the meadow turned into an architectural ensemble. History of Palace Square. Panorama - view from the height of the Alexander Column

Palace Square in Saint Petersburg. The main square of the city and the architectural ensemble formed by the Winter Palace, the building of the Headquarters of the Guards Corps, the building of the General Staff with the Arc de Triomphe and the Alexander Column. The basis of the current layout of the city, starting from the Admiralty, was laid by Emperor Peter I in 1721. However, the plan for the reconstruction of the central city square of St. Petersburg, called the Palace Square, was approved only in 1765, and the imperial decree on the transformation of the square opposite the Imperial Winter Palace was signed in 1778.

The first name of the square is Admiralty Meadow (on behalf of the Admiralty Shipyard), at the beginning of the 18th century it was a large field overgrown with grass, where chic festivities with folk festivals were often held.

The basis of the current Palace Square was the Winter Palace, built in 1754-1762 according to the project of B. F. Rastrelli.

Before the revolution, Palace Square was a frequent venue for military reviews and parades, and during the October Revolution of 1917, it hosted a decisive battle with the troops of the Provisional Government.

In Soviet times, from 1918 to 1944, Palace Square was officially called Uritsky Square in honor of the prominent Bolshevik M.S. Uritsky, who was killed in the General Staff Building.

During the Great Patriotic War, it was planned to build a military airfield on the square, but later this idea was abandoned.

Now the main state holidays are organized on the Palace Square, concerts, sports and social events are held.

The size of Palace Square is about 5 hectares, in this parameter it surpasses Red Square in Moscow.

Petersburg Palace Square is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Note to tourists:

A visit to Palace Square will be of interest to all tourists who are in St. Petersburg for the first time, to all those who are interested in the architecture of the 18th - first half of the 19th centuries, and can also become one of the points of the excursion program while exploring the neighboring attractions that are part of the architectural ensemble -, (where located)

Palace Square is the main square of St. Petersburg, formed by landmarks for the city - the Winter Palace, the General Staff Building, the Guards Corps and the Alexander Column.

History of occurrence

The history of Palace Square begins with the construction of the Winter Palace in 1754-62. The idea of ​​​​creating a central square belongs to the famous architect B.F. Rastrelli, who designed the Winter Palace and proposed a draft version of the project for the entire Palace Square.

In the 60-70s of the 18th century, active development of the central square began. During this period, the Southern Pavilion of the Maly was created, as well as the Free Economic Society at the intersection of the square with.

The next important stage in the development of the Palace Square falls on the years 1819-29, when the General Staff Building with a triumphal arch was erected according to the project of K. Rossi. In 1834, the majestic Alexander Column was erected, and in the early 1840s, the headquarters of the Guards Corps. Thus, the formation of the modern ensemble of the central square of the city was completed.

Initially, the territory of the Palace in St. Petersburg was called the Admiralty meadow. The modern name was fixed in 1766. In the period from October 1918 to January 1944, the central square of the city bore the name "Uritsky Square".

About the composition of the ensemble

More about the forming objects of the Palace Square ensemble:

• The Winter Palace is the northern border of the square. The luxurious baroque building is the creation of the famous architect B. F. Rastrelli. For almost two centuries, the palace had the status of the main imperial residence, and at present the Winter Palace is the main building of the Hermitage, which contains a significant part of the museum collection.
• The building of the General Staff - limits the area on the south side. The building is an example of the Empire style and consists of three buildings forming an arc stretching for 580 meters. The buildings are united by a majestic triumphal arch, which gives the square a grand appearance and is located in the center of the architectural ensemble. On the arch itself is the chariot of Glory, symbolizing the victories of the Russian army. Part of the headquarters building has now been transferred to the disposal of the Western Military District, and its eastern wing to the Hermitage.
• The headquarters of the Guards Corps is the eastern border of Palace Square. This project is the brainchild of A. Bryullov, who coped with an incredibly difficult task - he managed to link the Winter Palace, made in the Baroque style, and the General Staff Building, which is a representative of the classical style in architecture, into a single harmonious composition.
• The Alexander Column is one of the most famous monuments in St. Petersburg. It is a symbol of the victory of Alexander I in the war with Napoleonic France. The monolith is supported by its own gravity and has no additional fasteners.

Square today

Today, Palace Square is one of the main symbols of St. Petersburg. Grandiose concerts and festivals, as well as significant cultural and sporting events are regularly held here.

In addition to the fact that several important city attractions are already located on the most central square, it offers an excellent view of. And also, having passed the Winter Palace, you can get to the Palace Embankment, from which you can see Vasilyevsky Island on the left, and Hare on the right, the very one where it is located.

I don’t know if many people know this, but for me personally it was a discovery that Palace Square in St. Petersburg is twice the size of Red Square in Moscow!

Palace Square- the main square in St. Petersburg. Its geometric area is about 5 hectares.

The existing fifth Winter Palace (1754-1762, architect B. F. Rastrelli) became the basis for the development of Palace Square. The facades of the Winter Palace face the Neva, the Admiralty and Palace Square. The southern one, which closes the square, is cut through by an arch.

Winter Palace

In 1770-1780, several buildings were erected along the southern border of the square according to the project of Yu. M. Felten. In their place, in 1819-1829, a grandiose arched building of the General Staff building (architect K. I. Rossi) with a triumphal arch was erected. Two buildings, connected by an arch, cover the space of the square, give its appearance solemnity and monumentality. Rossi brilliantly solved the urban planning problem by creating a composition within the framework of a complex site plan, the arched line of the square's border set by Felten and the acute angle of the square with the Moika River.

On the eastern side of Palace Square there is a large building of the headquarters of the Guards Corps, (1837-1843, architect A.P. Bryullov), in the center - the Alexander Column (1830-1834, architect Auguste Montferrand, the figure of an angel was made by sculptor B.I. Orlovsky) . Like the Arc de Triomphe of the General Staff, the monument is dedicated to the victories of Russian weapons in the war against Napoleon. Buildings of different styles perfectly organize the space, coordinated in scale.

Until the 1840s, on the southwestern side, on the corner of Palace Square and Nevsky Prospekt, there was the building of the Free Economic Society. In 1845-1846, a building was built on this site, the facade of which is in harmony with the facade of the General Staff Building. On the northwestern side, between the Admiralty and the Winter Palace, Razvodnaya Square existed until the end of the 19th century. In 1896-1901, a square with a fountain was laid out in its place in front of the palace. In the 1920s, the square fence was dismantled and used to decorate the park on Stachek Avenue. The fountain itself was reconstructed in 2007-2008 with the restoration of its historical appearance.

During the restoration of Palace Square in 2001, archaeological research was carried out. As a result of excavations, the foundation of Anna Ioannovna's wing was found. At one time, it was a three-story palace, built according to the project of Rastrelli in 1746. In accordance with the plan for the restoration of the area, the foundation was studied, photographed and re-buried with earth. As one of the options, the idea was considered to leave a fragment of the foundation for viewing, covering it with thick, durable glass.

Remember from school “I erected a monument to myself not made by hands ...”?) On Palace Square there is the same Alexandrian pillar, which Alexander Sergeevich wrote about in his “Monument”. In fact, it is called the Alexander Column and is perhaps the most famous monument in St. Petersburg.

January ninth, 1905 on Palace Square A peaceful demonstration of workers was shot by tsarist troops. In memory of this event, the Palace Embankment was renamed the Embankment on January 9th.

On the night of October 25-26, 1917, the decisive battle of the October armed uprising in Petrograd took place on Palace Square.

In Soviet times, Palace Square was the venue for demonstrations and parades during revolutionary holidays. For about twenty years, Palace Square was officially called Uritsky Square (in honor of M. S. Uritsky, who was killed near Palace Square). The historical name was restored in January 1944.

In 1977, significant reconstruction work was carried out on Palace Square and decorative paving was completed. In 2006, the Alexander Column was restored.

One of the symbols of St. Petersburg and one of the most visited tourist places in this city is Palace Square. This architectural ensemble began to take shape in the second half of the 18th century, its formation was completed in the first half of the 19th century.

The square is formed by several historical and architectural monuments - the Winter Palace (this landmark gave the square its name), the Guards Corps headquarters building, the semicircular General Staff Building and, of course, the famous Alexander Column. The size of the area is approximately five and a half hectares. In some sources, you can find information that its size is eight hectares, but this is not true.

The area is under the protection of UNESCO: it was included in the World Heritage List.

How it all started...

In the first years of the 18th century, a fortress-shipyard surrounded by ramparts was founded in the city. Also, a moat was dug around the fortress, in front of which there was a space free from any building. Its dimensions were enormous. This space was necessary for defense purposes: in the event of an enemy attack on the fortress from the land side, it would help the artillerymen to repel the attack.

But after a short time after the fortress was completed, it lost its military significance. And along with it, the open space located behind the moat also lost it. On this vacant territory, they began to store lumber needed for various construction works. Large anchors and other supplies related to shipbuilding were also stored there. Part of the territory was occupied by the market. By that time, the space, which once had a defensive value, was overgrown with grass and became a real meadow. A few more years passed and the territory changed again: new streets passed through it in three rays. They divided the territory into several parts.

Then came a new period in the history of the future famous square. At that time, it was used as a place for folk festivals. Fireworks sparkled above it, fountains beat on it, in which there was wine instead of water.

In the 40s of the 18th century, a royal decree was issued, according to which oats should be sown on the future square (which at that time was still a meadow). Later, court cattle grazed in the meadow. Sometimes military drills were held here. At that time, the Winter Palace was being completed and rebuilt, and the open space in front of it was often used for construction purposes.

In the mid-60s of the 18th century, a kind of knightly tournament took place in this space. It was a grandiose holiday, especially for which a temporary round theater without a roof was built from wood. The robes of the participants of the holiday struck with luxury.

From the meadow to the parade ground

At the end of the 70s of the 18th century, at the behest of the Empress, the process of transforming the square began. A competition of projects was held, after the announcement of the winner, construction work began. At the end of the century, the square looked like this: a huge space was surrounded by houses on three sides and, according to contemporaries, resembled an amphitheater.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the architect Anton Moduy proposed a plan for the redevelopment of the square. It is on this plan that the square first acquires the outlines that are now so well known to us. In the first half of the 19th century, the appearance of the square gradually changed and transformed. In the 1930s, the famous column was erected in its center. At the beginning of the 20th century (as well as the 19th century), military parades and reviews were often held on the square.

One of the darkest pages in the history of the square was the event, later called "Bloody Sunday". On the square, a procession of workers was dispersed, who carried a petition to the tsar with economic and political demands. During the dispersal of this demonstration, hundreds of people died: firearms were used against unarmed demonstrators.

In the early years of the 20th century, all the buildings on the square were painted in brick red, which, as it were, became a harbinger of the events of 1917. In the 40s of the XX century, the buildings were returned to their original appearance: their walls were repainted in light colors. Soon after the revolutionary events, a monument to the writer and philosopher Alexander Radishchev was erected on the square. The bust was made of plaster. After standing for about six months, it was overturned by a gust of strong wind and has not been restored since then.

In Soviet times, parades and festive demonstrations were held on the square. In the first post-revolutionary years, large-scale theatrical performances on revolutionary themes were staged on this territory. In the early 1930s, the area was reconstructed: paving stones were removed, the space was asphalted; the granite pillars surrounding the famous column have also been removed. In the 40s, the idea of ​​transferring the column and device to the airfield area was considered. But this plan was not implemented. In the 1970s, reconstruction work was again carried out on the square. The asphalt was replaced with paving stones. Lanterns were installed at the corners of the square.

Square in the 21st century

At the beginning of the 21st century, restoration work was carried out on the square, during which an archaeological find was made - the remains of an outbuilding that belonged to Anna Ioannovna. To be more precise, the foundations of this building were found - once luxurious, consisting of three floors. The archaeological find was carefully studied, many photographs were taken of it, after which it was again covered with earth. A few years later, the Alexander Column was restored.

Public and sports events are often held on the territory of the square, concerts of famous performers are organized. In winter, an attempt was made to turn the square into a skating rink with a paid entrance, but this caused indignation of many public organizations and the skating rink ceased to exist. Relatively recently, a pavilion with mirrored walls was installed on the square, which reflected the entire architectural ensemble. This pavilion did not stand for long: it was destroyed by a gust of wind, after which it was dismantled.

The architectural ensemble of the square

Let's tell you more about those historical and architectural sights that make up the ensemble of the main square of St. Petersburg:

The Alexander Column was erected in memory of the victory of Russian troops over Napoleon's army. The author of this majestic building in the Empire style is the architect Henri Louis Auguste Ricard de Montferrand. The column project developed by him was approved by the emperor at the end of the 20s of the 19th century, and in the mid-30s the grand opening of the monument took place. The column was made of pink granite in one of the quarries located near St. Petersburg. Transporting the column to the city became a difficult task. A special barge was even built for this purpose. Today the column is one of the main attractions of the city. Sometimes, recalling the famous poem of the classic of Russian poetry, it is called the "Pillar of Alexandria", but this is an erroneous name.

The Winter Palace is another important part of the square's ensemble. It was built in the middle of the 18th century. The author of the project is Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli. The palace was built in accordance with the canons of the Elizabethan baroque (facades and rooms are distinguished by lavish decoration). Initially, the building was the residence of Russian rulers, where they spent the winter months. In the second half of the 30s of the 19th century, a terrible fire broke out in the palace, which could not be extinguished for several days. The property rescued from the palace was piled around the famous column. In the late 30s of the XIX century the palace was restored. In Soviet times, the expositions of the State Hermitage were placed in the building.

In the eastern part of the square is the building of the former Headquarters of the Guards. The author of the project is the artist and architect Alexander Bryullov. The building was built in accordance with the canons of the late classical style. Thanks to its grace and austerity, it fit perfectly into the architectural ensemble, which was very difficult: on one side of the Headquarters there is a Baroque palace, on the other - an Empire style building. The headquarters was built in about six years: construction work began in the second half of the 30s of the 19th century and was completed in the early 40s. A few years before the development of the project and the construction of the building, there was an idea to build a theater on this site. This idea was never put into practice.

On the south side of the square rises the building of the General Staff. It was erected at the beginning of the 19th century. The author of the project is the architect Carl Rossi. Three buildings of the building form an arc, the length of which is five hundred and eighty meters. The buildings are connected by a triumphal arch. It is crowned with a sculptural group depicting the chariot of Glory. The architects of this group are Vasily Demut-Malinovsky and Stepan Pimenov. In pre-revolutionary times, not only the General Staff, but also three ministries were located in the buildings of the building. In the first post-revolutionary years, the building housed the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs of the RSFSR. Later there was a regular police station. Currently, the Headquarters of the Western Military District is located here, occupying part of the building. The wing, located on the eastern side, was transferred to the State Hermitage in the early 1990s.

Palace Square

Palace Square (from 1918 to 1944 Uritsky Square) is the main square of St. Petersburg, an architectural ensemble that arose in the second half of the 18th - first half of the 19th centuries.

The area is formed by historical and cultural monuments of federal significance: the Winter Palace, the Headquarters Building of the Guards Corps, the General Staff Building with the Arc de Triomphe, the Alexander Column. Its size is about 5 hectares (according to other sources - 8 hectares; for comparison, Red Square in Moscow has an area of ​​​​2.3 hectares). As part of the historical development of the center of St. Petersburg, the area is included in the World Heritage List.

Name history

The original name Admiralteysky meadow (also included the territory of the modern Alexander Garden) has been known since 1736. Given by the Admiralty Shipyard. The name existed until 1772.

The name Palace Square has been known since 1766. It is given according to the nearby Winter Palace, the southern facade of which overlooks the square. In October 1918, the square was renamed Uritsky Square (in honor of M. S. Uritsky, one of the organizers of the storming of the Winter Palace in 1917, the chairman of the Petrograd Cheka, who was killed on August 30, 1918 at the entrance to the General Staff building). On January 13, 1944, a decree was issued on the return of 20 historical names, including Palace Square

Story

Background of the square

The prehistory of the square is connected with the laying of the Admiralty shipyard on November 5, 1704. According to the requirements of wartime, the Admiralty was surrounded by ramparts and a moat. In front of him stretched a vast open space - a glacis necessary for the actions of fortress artillery in the event of an enemy attack from land. Shortly after its founding, the Admiralty lost the function of a military fortress and, along with it, the fortification significance of the glacis gradually became a thing of the past. At first, its territory was used for warehousing and storage of building ship timber, large anchors, and other Admiralty supplies. From about 1712 to 1717, the Sea Market was located on a part of the former glacis, and the territory was overgrown with grass and turned into the Admiralty Meadow.

In 1721, on the initiative of Peter the Great, the main planning scheme of St. Petersburg was laid down in the form of a trellis emanating from the Admiralty. Two beams (the current Nevsky and Voznesensky prospects) arose under Peter I, and the third beam (modern Gorokhovaya Street) appeared in 1736-1737. The rays of these three highways divided the huge Admiralty Meadow into several parts. Since the reign of Anna Ioannovna, festivities with fireworks and folk festivals have been held in this place at public expense. Amusing pavilions, palaces were erected in the meadow during the celebrations, palaces were erected, wine fountains were arranged, giant carcasses of bulls were roasted, which were then given to the people to eat. Until the 1760s, the Admiralty Meadow served as an auxiliary construction site for the Imperial Winter Palace. In the intervals between the reconstruction of the palace, the meadow was used for military drills and grazing court cattle.

On June 16, 1766, the famous St. Petersburg Carousel took place on Palace Square, which was distinguished by special luxury, imagination and scope. The participants of the Carousel were divided into four quadrilles: Roman, Slavic, Turkish and Indian. Each group had appropriate outfits, horse harness, weapons, special chariots for the ladies participating in the competition, and even various musical instruments - all this was done specifically for the holiday. According to the project of Antonio Rinaldi, on the square, which at that time represented a meadow overgrown with grass, a five-tiered wooden amphitheater for several thousand spectators was built with separate boxes for Catherine II and the twelve-year-old Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich. On top was a balustrade decorated with vases, and the barrier was painted with garlands, military armor, lion heads. The participants of the Carousel were in luxurious toilets. Spectators saw an iridescent mountain of wealth and abundance in precious stones and cavalry and equestrian gold and silver attire, worth many millions of rubles. Among the ladies, Countess Natalya Chernysheva became the winner, and among the gentlemen, Grigory Orlov in the dress of a Roman soldier on a bay horse.

The emergence and development of the area

Ҥ 113. The Palace Square in front of the Winter Palace is surrounded by three amphitheatre-like houses built by the EMPRESS in 1788. On one of them there are two pavilions with fences and benches made of wild stone under an iron roof, in which a fire is laid out in winter for the coachmen standing on the street during the congress at the court. On this square, the guards are replaced, entering the guard, and during great celebrations, roasted bulls and fountains of wine are given here to the people. On solemn days, from the guards and other teams, congratulations are made on it with music and drumming. 1794.

The existing fifth Winter Palace (1754-1762, architect B. F. Rastrelli) became the basis for the development of Palace Square. The facades of the Winter Palace face the Neva, the Admiralty and Palace Square. The southern one, which closes the square, is cut through by an arch. In 1779-1784, four houses were erected along the southern border of the square according to the project of Yu. M. Felten. In their place, in 1819-1829, an arched building of the General Staff building (architect K. I. Rossi) with a triumphal arch was erected. Two buildings, connected by an arch, cover the space of the square, give its appearance solemnity and monumentality. Rossi solved the town-planning problem by creating a composition within the framework of a complex plan of the site, the arcuate line of the square's border set by Felten and the acute angle of the square with the Moika River.

In 1837-1843, on the eastern side of Palace Square, on the site of Exertsirgauz (1797-1798, architect V. Brenna), a large building of the headquarters of the Guards Corps was built according to the project of architect A.P. Bryullov. In 1830-1834, in the center of the square, according to the project of the architect Auguste Montferrand, the Alexander Column was erected (the figure of an angel was made by the sculptor B. I. Orlovsky). Like the Arc de Triomphe of the General Staff, the monument is dedicated to the victories of Russian weapons in the war against Napoleon.

Until the 1840s, on the southwestern side, on the corner of Palace Square and Nevsky Prospekt, there was the building of the Free Economic Society. In 1845-1846, a building (architect I. D. Chernik) was built on this site, the facade of which is in harmony with the facade of the General Staff Building. On the northwestern side, between the Admiralty and the Winter Palace, Razvodnaya Square existed until the end of the 19th century. The area was used for guard posting, it was formed after the destruction of the canal and the bastions of the Admiralty fortress. In 1896-1901, in its place in front of the palace, a square with a fountain was laid out (architects N. I. Kramskoy, R. Schmelling, gardener R. F. Katzer). In the 1920s, the fence of the square was dismantled and used to decorate the park. January 9 at Stachek Avenue. The fountain itself was reconstructed in 2007-2008 with the restoration of its historical appearance.

In the ΧΙΧ-early ΧΧ centuries, Palace Square was the venue for military reviews and parades. On January 9, 1905, a peaceful demonstration of workers was shot at by the tsarist troops on Palace Square. In memory of this event, the Palace Embankment was renamed the Embankment on January 9th (until 1944). On the night of October 25-26 (November 7-8), 1917, the decisive battle of the October armed uprising in Petrograd took place on Palace Square.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Manezhnaya Square was located on the territory of the Admiralty Police Department.

Before the First World War, all the buildings on Palace Square were painted in red-brick colors, against which the events of 1917 took place. In the 1940s, the buildings were again repainted in their usual light colors.

Soviet time

In Soviet times, Palace Square was the venue for demonstrations and parades during revolutionary holidays. Since October 1918, Palace Square was officially called Uritsky Square (in honor of M. S. Uritsky, who was killed in the General Staff building).

In 1918-1921, large-scale theatrical performances "Action about the Third International", "The Mystery of Liberated Labour", "Towards a World Commune", "The Capture of the Winter Palace" (stage directors - Nikalay Evreinov, Yuri Annenkov and others) were held on the square. On November 7, 1920, scenes depicting the events of the October Revolution were played on Uritsky Square in front of 100 thousand spectators. 6 thousand people took part in the performance.

On July 20, 1924, a performance of "live chess" was held on the square with the participation of soldiers of the Red Army (white) and the Navy (black); chess masters Ilya Rabinovich and Pyotr Romanovsky played.

Since 1935, the finish line of the Pushkin-Leningrad run, the oldest run in the USSR, has been held on the square.

Interestingly, during the Great Patriotic War, in the fall of 1941, the option of placing a fighter aviation regiment on the airfield area was considered, while the Alexander Column was to be moved and the Admiralty Garden was cut down, but the idea was abandoned.

The historical name was restored on January 13, 1944. In 1977, significant reconstruction work was carried out on Palace Square and decorative paving was completed, the asphalt pavement was replaced with diabase paving stones, 4 lanterns at its corners were recreated in their original forms.

On August 20, 1991, a spontaneous rally was held on Palace Square in protest against the actions of the so-called GKChP of the USSR. The rally was attended by about 100 thousand people.

Modern period

During the restoration of Palace Square in 2001, archaeological research was carried out. As a result of the excavations, the foundation of Anna Ioannovna's wing was found. At one time, it was a three-story palace, built according to the project of Rastrelli in 1746. In accordance with the plan for the restoration of the area, the foundation was studied, photographed and re-buried with earth. As one of the options, the idea was considered to leave a fragment of the foundation for viewing, covering it with thick, durable glass.

In 2006, the Alexander Column was restored.

Concerts, annual sports and social events have been held on Palace Square since the 1990s:

Parade dedicated to the day of the city.

Annual international track and field races such as the Pushkin Run - St. Petersburg and the White Nights marathon.

The unofficial holiday of bard song lovers takes place annually on September 1 near the walls of the Winter Palace.

Concerts of musicians. Collective concert during the August Putsch of the State Committee for the State of Emergency (1991); blues artist Joe Cocker (September 15, 2005); operatic tenor Placido Domingo (June 16, 2001); ex-Beatles Paul McCartney (June 20, 2004); English rock singer Elton John (July 6, 2007); British rock band the Rolling Stones (June 28, 2007); German rock band Scorpions (June 13, 2007); anniversary concert of Edita Piekha (August 4, 2007); band Time Machine (September 23, 2007; British rock musician Roger Waters (June 6, 2008); English pop-rock band Duran Duran (June 4, 2009); American pop singer Anastacia (June 4, 2009); singer Madonna, (August 2, 2009)

In November 2007, a paid skating rink with artificial ice was built on Palace Square. The skating rink immediately attracted the attention of numerous public organizations of the city, which protested against the construction of the skating rink, which limited access to part of the Palace Square and the approach to the Alexander Column, access to which should be free. The rink was closed in March 2008.

In 2005, Alexei Kovalev submitted to the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg a draft law "On the use of Palace Square for mass events." It was supposed to determine the territorial boundaries of Palace Square and establish rules for regulating the use of Palace Square during public events. However, the bill was not supported by the assembly. In 2008, after the incident with the ice rink, it was announced that the World Club of Petersburgers was going to develop a bill on the status of Palace Square and the permissible parameters for its use.

Area scheme

1 - Winter Palace.

2 - The building of the headquarters of the Guards Corps.

3 - Alexander column.

4 - The building of the General Staff.

5 - Triumphal Arch of the General Staff.

6 - Admiralty.

Formation of the architectural ensemble

Palace Square is a single architectural ensemble. The northern border is the façade of the Winter Palace, the southern border has a semicircular outline formed by the General Staff building, two three-story buildings of which are connected by a triumphal arch crowned with a chariot of victory. In the center is the Alexander Column. On the east side, the square is framed by the building of the Headquarters of the Guards Corps.

The construction of the Winter Palace by BF Rastrelli in 1754-1762 marked the beginning of the architectural ensemble of Palace Square. A huge contribution to the formation of the architectural appearance was made by K. I. Rossi, bringing the ensemble to its logical conclusion. The construction of the General Staff building with a triumphal arch by Rossi in 1819-1829 emphasized the ceremonial character of the central square of St. Petersburg. The classical colonnades of the facades of the new building formed a compositional unity with the baroque forms of the Winter Palace. The perception of the facade of the palace from the side of Bolshaya Morskaya Street, leading to the arch of the General Staff, was especially effectively calculated by Rossi. The formation of the ensemble was completed by the construction of the Alexander Column in its center according to the project of O. Montferrand and the erection of the building of the Headquarters of the Guards Corps according to the plan of A.P. Bryullov.

Alexander Column

Main article: Alexander Column

I erected a monument to myself not made by hands,

The folk path will not grow to him, He ascended higher as the head of the recalcitrant Pillar of Alexandria

It was erected in the Empire style in 1834 in the center of Palace Square by the French architect Auguste Montferrand by decree of Emperor Nicholas I in memory of the victory of his elder brother Alexander I over Napoleon in the Patriotic War of 1812.

The project was approved by the highest in 1829, the monument was opened in 1834. Sketch drawings of the pedestal were made by O. Montferrand. The bas-reliefs on the pedestal of the column in allegorical form glorify the victory of Russian weapons and symbolize the courage of the Russian army; the casting was made at the Ch. Byrd plant. The pink granite monolith was made in the Pyuterlak quarry near Vyborg in 1830-1832. With great difficulty, he was transported from the Pyuterlak quarry in 1832 on a barge specially designed for this purpose to St. Petersburg. The monolith is not fixed and is held only by its own weight. The monument is crowned with the figure of an angel by Boris Orlovsky. In 1876, decorative lanterns were added to the column by the architect K. K. Rachau.

The column (often called the Pillar of Alexandria, after A. S. Pushkin's poem "Monument") is one of the most famous monuments of St. Petersburg.

Winter Palace

Main article: Winter Palace

The current building of the palace (fifth) was built in 1754-1762 according to the project of the Italian architect B. F. Rastrelli in the style of lush Elizabethan Baroque. From 1732 until March 2, 1917, the official winter residence of Russian emperors. On December 29, 1837, a fire broke out in the Winter Palace. They could not extinguish it for three days, all this time, the property taken out of the palace was piled around the Alexander Column. In 1838-1839, the palace was restored according to the projects of architects under the leadership of V.P. Stasov, A.P. Bryullov and others. From July to November 1917, the Winter Palace served as the meeting place of the Provisional Government. In 1918, part, and in 1922 the entire building was transferred to the State Hermitage.

The modern building has the shape of a square with a courtyard and facades facing the Neva, the Admiralty and Palace Square. The splendor of the building is given by the magnificent decoration of the facades and rooms. The main façade, facing the Palace Square, is cut through by the arch of the front passage. In the southeastern part of the second floor there was one of the Rococo monuments, the legacy of the fourth Winter Palace - the Great Church of the Winter Palace (1763; architect B. Rastrelli)

The building of the headquarters of the Guards Corps (houses 2-4)

From the east, the ensemble of Palace Square closes the facade of the building of the former Headquarters of the Guards, built in the late classical style according to the project of architect A.P. Bryullov in 1837-1843. At this place since the end of the ΧVΙΙΙ century there was the building of Exertsirgaus, erected by V. Brenna. It stretched along Millionnaya Street. In 1827, a competition was announced for the construction of a theater next to the Exertsirgauz, with a single "decent" facade. But then the plans were abandoned.

Bryullov was faced with the task of closing the gigantic perimeter by connecting the incompatible - the baroque building of Rastrelli with the classical building of Rossi. And he found a solution by putting up a 4-story building that is both graceful and harmonious, but at the same time neutral.

Now the headquarters of the 6th Leningrad Red Banner Army of the Air Force and Air Defense is located in the building of the Headquarters of the Guards Corps.

General Staff building (houses 6-10)

Main article: General Staff Building (Saint Petersburg)

From the south, the square is framed by the building of the General Staff, built in the Empire style according to the project of the architect K. I. Rossi in 1810-1829. The building consists of three buildings (two in the eastern part and one in the western part), which together form an arc with a total length of 580 meters, connected by a triumphal arch, which is the compositional center and opens the main entrance to the square from Bolshaya Morskaya Street. The arch is crowned with the victorious chariot of Glory (sculpture architects V. I. Demut-Malinovsky and S. S. Pimenov).

The buildings, in addition to the General Staff, housed the War Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance (in the eastern building). After the October Revolution, the building housed the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs, and later the police department. At present, part of the building belongs to the Leningrad Military District. In 1993, the eastern wing of the General Staff building was transferred to the Hermitage.

Transport

The history of public transport in St. Petersburg began near Palace Square: on August 27, 1863, the 1st route of the horse-drawn railway was opened from Nikolaevsky (now Moscow) Station past Palace Square to the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island. Then the horse-drawn carriages began to run from Palace Square to the 6th line of Vasilyevsky Island across the Nikolaevsky (now Blagoveshchensky) bridge. The first flight of the St. Petersburg overland tram started on September 16 (29), 1907 from Aleksandrovsky Garden, and on November 11 the first bus departed from there along the route Aleksandrovsky Garden - Baltiysky Station. After a long break under Soviet rule, on December 24, 1926, bus traffic was resumed from the square along the route Uritsky Square (Palace Square) - Zagorodny Prospekt - Vosstaniya Square.

As of January 1, 2011, no public transport passes through the square. Nearest metro stations:

The Nevsky Prospekt station on the line has access to the Griboyedov Canal at the corner of Nevsky Prospekt. This station is a transfer station to the Gostiny Dvor station of the line, and passengers of this line can also use this exit. The distance from the metro exit to the center of the square is about 800 m.

After the opening scheduled for 2011, the nearest metro station will be Admiralteyskaya, which will be located on the line between Sadovaya and Sportivnaya stations with access to the corner of Malaya Morskaya Street and Kirpichny Lane. The distance from the exit from the metro to the center of the square in a straight line will be about 300 m, but taking into account the peculiarities of the location of the exit from the metro, the path from one point to another is 500 m.

There is a ground public transport stop "Palace Square" on Palace Passage. Buses of social routes No. 7, 10, 24, 191 and a number of commercial routes and trolleybuses No. 1, 7, 10, 11 stop there.

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