Palace The Persepolis Palace stood - and its remains still stand today - on a natural limestone terrace, leveled and expanded by the art of stonemasons, at the foot of Kuhi-Rahmat - the Mount of Mercy in the eastern part of the Persepolis Plain (Fig. 4). There are indications that

In 1765, Catherine II gave Kamenny Island to her son Pavel Petrovich. Construction of the Kamennoostrovsky Palace began in the spring of 1776 according to the design of an unknown author on the site of the wooden palace of A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, the former owner of the island. The work was supervised by architect Yu.M. Felten. In 1777, work was interrupted due to a flood, after which Felten was replaced by G. Quarenghi. The construction of the building's body was completed in 1780; decorative finishing of the interiors was carried out until 1782. But already on January 18, 1780, a magnificent reception was held in honor of the Empress in the greenhouse of the palace.

The palace is an outstanding monument of classicism and has a stretched “P” shape in plan with a central building and wings (G. Quarenghi) placed at right angles to it. One of the facades of the palace, facing the front courtyard and the palace garden, is decorated with a 6-column portico with a pediment of the Tuscan order. A staircase made of Finnish granite leads to the main entrance. In the center of the façade facing the Neva there is an 8-column portico completed with an attic. The central building of the palace contained the Antechamber, Great Hall, Gallery, Marine Salon, Picture Hall and Study. In one wing there were living quarters, in the other - the palace theater.

In 1797, the palace began to be prepared for the stay of the dethroned Polish king Stanislaw-August Poniatowski. Architect V. was hired to decorate the interiors. Brenna. The Marine Salon was converted into the Raspberry Living Room, the Great Hall into the Mirror Hall, and frescoes with views of Rome appeared in the Antechamber, painted by V. Brenna himself, together with F. Labensky, based on engravings by Piranesi.

After Alexander I ascended the throne in 1801, the palace became one of his favorite residences. During the initial period of Alexander Pavlovich’s reign, the “Unspoken Committee” gathered in the palace. Here on August 6, 1812, the emperor entrusted the command of the Russian army to M. Kutuzov. And here in 1825 he learned about the Decembrist conspiracy.

J.B. de la Travers. View of Kamenny Island from the Nevka. 1786. State Hermitage Museum

In 1808-1811, according to the design of the architect L. Rusk, a third floor with the office of Alexander I was built above the second floor of the residential outbuilding, finished in 1824 according to the design of V.P. Stasova. At the same time, according to the project of Tom de Thomon, garden master F. F. Limin redesigned the garden, turning the garden from a landscape garden into a regular one.

In the 1820s, many rooms of the palace were re-painted by the decorative artist J.-B. Scotty. In 1824-1828, architect Z.F. Dildin is rebuilding the theater wing.

After Alexander I, the palace was owned by Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich and his wife Elena Pavlovna. In 1834-1836, A.S. visited them. Pushkin. In 1852-1854 A. Rubinstein lived here. In 1845, architect A.I. Stackenschneider added a closed terrace to the Neva façade of the palace, installed a Music Salon instead of the Raspberry Living Room, and replaced the palace's plumbing system.

The palace preserves two ceremonial halls of Pavlovian times with frescoes depicting views of Rome based on engravings by Piranesi, private rooms of the grand ducal couple, two ceremonial living rooms of the Ser. 19th century

For more than two hundred years, on one of the most beautiful islands of St. Petersburg - Kamenny Island - there has been a relatively small country palace. The palace building is one of the remarkable works of Russian architecture of the late 18th - early 19th centuries, the period of classicism. This is the earliest structure that has survived to this day.

We will begin the history of the creation of this architectural monument with an event that occurred on the banks of Malaya a year after the foundation of the fortress on Hare Island.

On June 4, 1704, a Swedish landing force (1000 infantry soldiers and 900 cavalry soldiers) under the command of General Maidel landed on Kamenny Island. The general was faced with the task of destroying the fortress standing in the scaffolding on Hare Island and returning the mouth of the Neva under his control. In anticipation of the arrival of the Swedish squadron on the banks of the Malaya Nevka on Kamenny Island, the Swedes begin the construction of three artillery bastions.

The first commandant of St. Petersburg, Roman Bruce, is preparing for defense and hastily building a coastline of fortifications along the banks of the Malaya Nevka, separating Kamenny Island from the Petersburg side and Aptekarsky Island. Artillery pieces were installed on the fortified line, three infantry regiments from the fortress garrison and four hundred dragoons were located.

On June 23, 1704, Maydel, supported by artillery fire from the bastions erected on Kamenny Island, made an attempt to cross the Malaya Nevka and take possession of Aptekarsky Island.

The enemy attack was repulsed with rifle fire, supported by the guns of a Russian frigate that entered the river. With well-aimed fire, Russian artillerymen sank the sloops with the enemy landing forces, forcing the troops of General Meidel to leave Kamenny Island and retreat to the Vyborg side. Bruce pursued the retreating enemy to the Sisters River, on the banks of which General Meidel's troops were scattered.

In the same year, Peter I distributed to his close associates and relatives the islands located in the northern part of the Neva delta: Mishin Island (modern name - Elagin Island) - to P.P. Shafirov, Krestovsky - to sister Natalya, Kamenny - to Gavriil Ivanovich Golovkin (1660 - 1734) .

The Golovkin family was related to Tsarina Natalia Kirillovna, so Gabriel Golovkin was sent to serve as steward under Tsarevich Peter at the age of sixteen.

Golovkin accompanied the Tsar on his first trip abroad and worked with him at the shipyards in Saardam. From a young age, while under Peter, Gabriel Golovkin knew the Tsar’s character very well and was one of his most devoted and faithful servants. Peter trusted him with many secret matters, loved and respected him. Golovkin, in response to the Tsar’s favorable attitude, served him honestly.

In 1709, Peter I appointed Gabriel Ivanovich Golovkin as State Chancellor. He received this appointment for his achievements in Russian diplomatic policy, as well as for his courage on the day of the Battle of Poltava.

Later, in 1722, the “Table of Ranks” was introduced, the rank of chancellor was placed in the 1st class and became the highest civilian rank of the Russian Empire. The Chancellor headed the diplomatic department. Only 11 people were awarded this rank. Officials of the 2nd class in this position were called “Vice-Chancellors”.

For the island's owner G.I. Golovkin in 1714, a small wooden house was built on the highest point of Kamenny Island. We don’t know what this house looked like, but most likely the house was similar to Golovkin’s house, which was located in “The most noble part of the city - on the embankment of Berezovoy, or City Island, which ran from the main square of the city with the Trinity Church towards Bolshaya Nevka... " Now this is a section of the Petrovskaya embankment of the Neva River.

After Golovkin’s death, Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin became the next owner of Kamenny Island.

Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin (1693-1766) - a famous statesman and diplomat of the Elizabethan era, a participant in countless court and international intrigues, was twice sentenced to death, but successfully avoided it.

Having received his education abroad, in 1718 Bestuzhev became a chief chamberlain cadet to the Dowager Duchess of Courland Anna Ioannovna (the future Empress Anna Ioannovna), then was sent as a resident to Denmark. Thanks to Biron (Anna Ioannovna's favorite), Bestuzhev was accredited as an envoy to the Lower Saxon court and granted a Privy Councilor.

In 1740, under the patronage of Duke Biron, he was given the rank of actual privy councilor, and then he was appointed cabinet minister in opposition to Count A.I. Osterman. Since Bestuzhev-Ryumin assisted Biron in appointing him regent under the young Emperor John Antonovich, with the fall of Biron in 1740 he himself lost his high position.

Then he was imprisoned in the Shlisselburg fortress and sentenced by the court to quartering, which was replaced by exile to the village due to lack of proof of the accusation and strong patrons.

At the end of the same year, he was summoned by Count Golovkin and Prince Trubetskoy to St. Petersburg and managed to take part in the coup on November 25, 1741 in favor of Elizabeth Petrovna. 5 days after her accession, the Empress granted Alexei Petrovich the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, and then the title of senator, the position of director of the postal department and vice-chancellor.

Bestuzhev’s longtime rival, A.I. Osterman fell out of favor and was sentenced to death, commuted to exile in the Urals. His country estate Kamenny Nos on the right bank of the Bolshaya Nevka, with lands from the Black River to the Staraya Derevnya, was granted to Count Bestuzhev-Ryumin. In 1764-1765 Bestuzhev-Ryumin built the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the peasants who worked on the creation of his Kamennoostrovskaya estate, and the manor began to be called the village of Blagoveshchensky after the church.

In 1744, the Empress appointed Bestuzhev State Chancellor. Having reached the high rank of chancellor and having no rivals, Bestuzhev-Ryumin ruled Russia for sixteen years.

In 1746 A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin bought Kamenny Island from his son G.I. Golovkin, and the deal was prudently executed in the name of the chancellor’s wife, A.I. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, apparently in order to protect the acquired island from confiscation in the event of a change in his position at court.

On the site of the old house of G.I. Golovkin built a country house for the new owner in 1752 - 1755. The palace building consisted of two identical two-story buildings connected by a two-tier gallery.

The brick facades of the building, plastered and painted dark red, were impressively decorated with white, alabaster flower garlands, cartouches and vases framed by the windows. All over the island, canals were dug, alleys were laid, and trees were planted. Near the house there was a Dutch garden with a wide central alley, the Hermitage pavilion, and a walking gallery. According to contemporaries, the estate and park ensemble on the island was one of the significant works of Baroque architecture in Russia.

On February 5, 1742, by the will of Elizabeth Petrovna, Prince Karl Peter, the grandson of Peter the Great, arrived from the small Duchy of Holstein in St. Petersburg. At the beginning of November 1742, the prince was baptized according to the Orthodox rite and officially declared under the name of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich - heir to the Russian throne. The heir to the throne, Peter Fedorovich, admired King Frederick and hated Bestuzhev. In turn, the Chancellor, who did not like Prussia and France, hated Pyotr Fedorovich. Therefore, when Pavel Petrovich was born, Bestuzhev decided to deprive his parent of the throne and consolidate it with Pavel Petrovich under the guardianship of his mother, Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna (the future Empress Catherine II).

In 1757, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna suffered a serious illness. Thinking that the empress would not rise, Bestuzhev voluntarily wrote to Field Marshal Apraksin with an order to return to Russia, which Apraksin did. But Elizaveta Petrovna recovered from her illness. Angry at Bestuzhev for his self-will, the empress on February 27, 1758 deprived the chancellor of his ranks and honors. He was sentenced to death, but the empress replaced this sentence with exile. To collect debts owed to the chancellor, movable property, diamonds and silver, as well as a country house and all buildings on Kamenny Island were sold. The house in St. Petersburg, located near the Church of Isaac Dolmatsky, was rented out for long-term rent. The house near St. Isaac's Church has not survived to this day; now the Senate building stands on this site, built according to the design of the architect Karl Russia (Senate Square, building 1).

In 1762, after the death of Elizabeth Petrovna, a new emperor, Peter III, ascended the throne. In the same year, the wife of Chancellor A.I. also died. Bestuzhev-Ryumina, and Kamenny Island, which was passed on to the disgraced chancellor in her will, was confiscated.

In 1762, Catherine II, who took the throne, returned Bestuzhev from exile, restored his honor and dignity, and returned Kamenny Island. Having received the rank of Field Marshal, Bestuzhev, however, did not regain the title of Chancellor, which he had hoped for.

The nine-year-old heir to the throne, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, since 1763 spent a significant part of the summer in Bestuzhev’s country house on Kamenny Island. In 1765, Catherine II bought Kamenny Island from Bestuzhev-Ryumin and gave it to her son, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich.

In 1776, on the site of Bestuzhev’s old house, construction of a new palace began under the supervision of the architect Yu.M. Felten. The palace was built according to the type of ceremonial country estates. Its plan is in the shape of a strongly stretched letter “P”, a two-story main building and side wings of equal height limit the front courtyard, open towards the palace garden.

The northern facade of the building is decorated with a projecting six-column portico of the Tuscan order, completed by a classical triangular pediment. The southern facade, facing Malaya Nevka, is decorated with an eight-column portico with columns placed close to the wall.

The western wing of the palace housed living quarters, the eastern wing was occupied by a small theater. Construction work on the construction of the palace was completed in 1780.

Simultaneously with the palace, according to the design of the architect A. M. Felten, a church was built for military sailors who distinguished themselves in the Battle of Chesma in 1776. In 1798, Pavel was elected Grand Master of the Order of Malta; the court church on Kamenny Island became the place for the knighting of representatives of the Russian aristocracy from among those close to the emperor.

On April 13, 1783, the disgraced favorite Grigory Orlov died. Catherine acquired the “Gatchina Manor” from her heirs and gave it to the heir to the throne, Pavel Petrovich, on August 6, 1783. From 1783, for thirteen years it was the grand ducal residence, and then for five years it was the imperial residence. Stone Island was not forgotten either. In 1785, on the western side of the palace, a two-story Kitchen building was built, separating the palace garden from the Utility Courtyard. The lower floor of the Kitchen Building housed kitchens, and the second floor was intended to house cooks, laundresses, and palace guards. On the Household Yard, overlooking the Malaya Nevka embankment, there were service buildings, greenhouses, greenhouses, stables and an arena.

At the end of the 1780s, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich distributed the empty lands of Kamenny Island to his associates for country estates and dachas, thereby marking the beginning of dacha construction on the island.

In 1797, at the persistent invitation of Paul I, the last Polish king, Stanislav August Poniatowski, arrived in St. Petersburg; he spent the last months of his life in the Kamennoostrovsky Palace. Stanislav-August died in February 1798 in the Marble Palace, which was provided to him for his winter stay. He was buried in the Church of St. Catherine on Nevsky Prospekt.

In 1801, after the assassination of Paul I, Kamenny Island became the property of his eldest son Alexander. Alexander I moved the summer stay of the court to Kamenny Island, the palace became his chosen residence. By order of Emperor Alexander I, a third floor was built above the second floor of the western wing, in which a secret office was set up for receiving the most trusted persons. The main office on the second floor is connected to the office on the third floor by a wooden staircase.

In August 1812, M.I. arrived at the palace. Kutuzov. Here he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army, which a little later defeated Napoleon’s “great army” on the fields of Borodin.

After the death of Emperor Alexander, Kamenny Island was inherited by the wife of the late Elizaveta Alekseevna, who did not live for six months after the death of the sovereign. After her, the island became the property of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich in 1826.

Mikhail Pavlovich (1798 - 1849), the youngest of the sons of Paul I, left behind contradictory testimonies from his contemporaries. According to the memoirist F. Wiegel, he “did not like anything written or printed from an early age; he only recognized the drum among musical instruments and despised the arts.”

In 1822, 14-year-old Princess Frederica Charlotte Maria of Württemberg was chosen by the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna as the wife of her son, Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich.

Charlotte converted to Orthodoxy with the name Elena Pavlovna, and in February 1824 a marriage took place in St. Petersburg according to the Greek-Eastern Orthodox rite.

Elena Pavlovna differed from the Imperial family in her erudition, interest in history, literature, and art. Her political judgments were bold and independent of the official course. These qualities were valued in her and, to some extent, developed by V. A. Zhukovsky, who gave her lectures on Russian language and literature.

At one of the dachas on Kamenny Island, which belonged to State Councilor Dolivo-Dobrovolskaya (Bolshaya Alleya, 20), A.S. Pushkin and his family spent two summer seasons - 1834 and 1836.

On May 27, 1834, in the Kamennoostrovsky Palace, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin was introduced to Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna. In 1836, Elena Pavlovna invited Pushkin to her place twice. And he willingly accepted her invitations, while he often avoided balls organized by the emperor.

A.S. Pushkin treated her with sympathy and trust. In 1835, he gave her a copy of the forbidden notes of Catherine II. “The Grand Duchess... goes crazy from them,” the poet wrote in his diary. Pushkin included the poem “Commander” in Elena Pavlovna’s album.

The poet last visited Elena Pavlovna in the Mikhailovsky Palace a few days before his death, when he was invited to a “little evening”, where several people close to Elena Pavlovna were present. Pushkin's death deeply shocked the owner of the palace. “We have lost the most beautiful glory of our fatherland! - she wrote to Zhukovsky, “How painful it is, this grief that is left to us!”

In 1849, Mikhail Pavlovich died, Kamenny Island, according to his will, passed to his widow, Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna.

Elena Pavlovna (1806 - 1873), wife of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, went down in history as a philanthropist, statesman and public figure.

She showed herself as a philanthropist: she gave funds to the artist Ivanov to transport the painting “The Appearance of Christ to the People” to Russia, and patronized K. P. Bryullov, I. K. Aivazovsky, and Anton Rubinstein. Having supported the idea of ​​​​establishing the Russian Musical Society and Conservatory, she financed this project by making large donations, including proceeds from the sale of diamonds that personally belonged to her.

The Russian Musical Society, which was destined to play a vital role in raising the entire national musical culture, was opened in St. Petersburg in 1859. Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna was appointed patron of the conservatory. To commemorate this event, the famous philanthropist and philanthropist of that time V.F. Gromov, who was a member of the Board of Directors of the Conservatory, organized a holiday that was long remembered by St. Petersburg residents. From the dacha of V.F. Gromov, located on the banks of the Malaya Nevka, a huge barge, decorated with garlands, departed. The choir of 80 people located on it thundered, 20 pianists struck the keys of ten pianos, and the symphony orchestra began to play. When the barge approached Kamenny Island, illumination flashed. “The spectacle was enchanting,” recalled a contemporary.

After the death of Elena Pavlovna, the Kamennoostrovsky Palace was inherited by her daughter, Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna (Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz).

During the years of Soviet power, the palace building was used as a sanatorium.

In 2007, restoration work began on the palace, after which it was handed over to children under the name “Academy of Talents.”

Message quote UNESCO World Heritage: the secrets of the Kamennoostrovsky Palace

Kamennostrovsky Palace is one of the palaces of St. Petersburg, a monument to the times of Catherine II, a country imperial residence. An architectural monument of classicism of federal significance. It is under the protection of UNESCO. The palace is currently under restoration.

Location: Emb. Malaya Nevka, 1, Nab. Bolshaya Nevka, Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt, 77,

Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich
In 1765, Catherine II gave Kamenny Island to her son Pavel Petrovich. Construction of the Kamennoostrovsky Palace began in the spring of 1776 according to the design of an unknown author on the site of the palace of A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, the former owner of the island. The work was supervised by architect Yu.M. Felten. The construction of the building's body was completed in 1780; decorative finishing of the interiors was carried out until 1782. But already on January 18, 1780, a magnificent reception was held in honor of the Empress in the greenhouse of the palace.

Yu.M. Felten.
The compositional basis of the palace - a plan in the shape of a strongly stretched letter P, with side risalits bordering the front courtyard - was set by the layout of the Bestuzhev house. This is also related to the complexity of the plan, with many different passages and small rooms surrounding the main halls.

In place of the open gallery, three such halls were created - a central one with rounded corners (in documents it is called the Great Hall) and two semicircular halls on its sides. In front of the Great Hall there is a vast antechamber, the walls of which are decorated with monumental panels with views of the monuments of ancient Rome, made from Piranesi's engravings by the artist F. Danilov in the summer of 1782. In the left wing of the palace there is a living room, a dining room, two small offices with a library. In the right wing there was a theater with a specially constructed entrance from the street.

The premises on the second floor were intended for children's rooms and service personnel of the court of the grand ducal couple. Work on the interior decoration of the palace continued in 1780-1782. While Paul (widowed in 1776) was traveling through Europe with his new wife, he led. book Maria Fedorovna

So, already in 1784, a “new change” occurred in Paul’s attitude to the decoration of the Kamennoostrovsky Palace. And it was connected with an invitation to work in the grand ducal residences - on Kamenny Island, Pavlovsk and Gatchina - the artist and architect V. Brenna.

Vincenzo_Brenna.
He wrote about his work: “Likewise on Kamenny Island - another country residence of His Highness the Grand Duke, located several miles from St. Petersburg, where people go in winter and where they give balls - I built a theater, completely new in location and small, in the palace itself

It is only necessary to note that the palace theater, its architecture, the structure of the stage and auditorium belong to Quarenghi. Brenne is only interior decoration.

At the end of the 1780s, the new palace in Pavlovsk became the favorite residence of Pavel and Maria Feodorovna. Soon after his coronation, in 1797, Paul I gave Kamenny Island to the last Polish king Stanislaw-August Poniatowski, who was brought to St. Petersburg

Stanisław_August_Poniatowski
. For the summer stay of the deposed king, the Kamennoostrovsky Palace was renovated; the conduct of these works was again entrusted to W. Brenna, about whom in Poniatowski’s diary there is the following entry: “...this same Brenna, whom we saw in Warsaw several years ago, is currently the one whom the emperor uses mainly as an architect. He directs exactly everything that is done on Kamenny Island."

It was at this time that a park composition with the Big and Small Canals, a triple linden alley in the central part and two “star” paths appeared on the island. The closeness of the landscape-regular compositions of Kamennoostrovsky and Pavlovsky parks is undeniable; there is reason to believe that their author was the architect G. P. Pilnikov.

In 1809-1811, under the leadership of the architect L. Ruska, some rooms in the western wing of the building were redeveloped and their decorative decoration was changed. The Kamennoostrovsky Palace became one of the favorite places of stay of Alexander I. Here in August 1812, the Tsar received Kutuzov before his departure to the active army.

In the 1820s, many rooms of the Kamennoostrovsky Palace were painted again; This work was carried out to update the “picturesque lampshades and wallpaper” by the decorative artist J.-B. Scotty. Murals on mythological themes in the living room, bedroom, valet and other rooms, made in golden-yellow tones, with flying female figures in flowing clothes, are excellent examples of Empire ceiling painting and are well preserved to this day.

The final stage of interior design of the Kamennoostrovsky Palace dates back to the 1830-1850s. At this time, late classical paintings of the Upper Entrance Hall on the second floor appeared (presumably based on the sketches of V. Stasov), as well as sculptural decoration of the music salon - busts of composers, installed by order of the then owner of the palace. book Elena Pavlovna, a famous philanthropist and patron of the musical arts.

V.P._Stasov
Minor reconstructions and changes in the decorative decoration of the palace, made during the 19th century, on the whole, however, did not affect the originality and completeness of its appearance. As an architectural work, the Kamennoostrovsky Palace belongs to Russian classicism.

With the advent of this building, the Islands acquired a new architectural image; The palace on the spit, opening from the city, became the most important initial element of the architectural and park ensemble; new buildings both on Kamenny and on the nearest islands were to be correlated with it.

Sadovnikov V.S. View of the Kamennoostrovsky Palace.
It should also be taken into account that its creation was undoubtedly influenced by the tastes, preferences, and value orientations of the then owners - Paul I and Maria Fedorovna and the craftsmen who worked on their orders - architects, painters, and park builders. Many of the architectural, picturesque, decorative solutions found at one time on Kamenny Island then received a new embodiment in the residences of the same owners and, above all, in Pavlovsk.

An integral part of the ensemble on Kamenny Island was the palace garden. The first redevelopment of the regular garden of the mid-18th century took place in the late 1780s according to the design of F. Violier, a court artist and architect. book Pavel Petrovich and Maria Feodorovna, author of “Own Kindergarten” at the Pavlovsk Palace. Violier introduces new elements into the historically established structure of the garden at the Kamennoostrovsky Palace: he gradually enlarges the squares of the garden on both sides of the central alley and makes the transition to a landscape layout of the squares furthest from the palace.

Near the palace there was a lush floral parterre with oval and octagonal flower beds similar to “Dutch gardens”. Further, these same elements are shown on an enlarged scale, with the addition of acacia plantings along the edges of the parterres; in a remote area of ​​the garden there are extensive lawns with picturesque groups of linden and maple trees; Linden trees were planted on both sides of the central alley and along the border of the garden.

Sadovnikov V.S. View of the Elagin Palace from the middle Nevka.

The rigor and grace in the design of the palace garden, the geometricism of its planning structure allow us to classify it, like the “Own Garden” in Pavlovsk, as a French-Dutch type, enriched with elements of landscape planning.

Laurie, Gabriel Ludwig the Elder, from the original by Benjamin Paterson. View of the Kamennoostrovsky Palace from Aptekarsky Island in St. Petersburg
At the very cape of the island, near the palace, a “small garden” was laid out, also according to Violier’s drawing. Its measurement drawing, made by the architect G. Pilnikov on the eve of the garden's renovation in 1810, has been preserved. The small, turf-covered area included two compositions of star-shaped paths, with flower borders bordering them; In the center of each star there were flower beds.

It was probably Violier who designed the first front gate of the Kamennoostrovsky Palace, installed on the side of the Malaya Nevka embankment, near the greenhouse. Made of Olonets marble, they have a semi-oval composition, a low base and consist of four units with Doric columns separating them.

In the center there are two tetrahedral pylons with semi-columns topped with balls. Medallions for monograms of the owners are carved on the front side of the pylons. The links of the metal lattice - a trellis pattern, are limited in the upper and lower parts by horizontal meander strips. In two gate leaves, completed with the owners' monogram inscribed in an oval, this pattern was repeated.

Further work on the improvement of the Kamennoostrovsky garden was associated with the activities of the architect Thomas de Thomon, whose project and estimate for the “remodeling of the palace garden” was approved on October 25, 1810. A significant place in these works, carried out under the guidance of garden master F. Lyamin, was occupied by technical problems: filling up settled areas in the garden, constructing a drainage and drainage system. Artistically, Thomon developed the ideas contained in the project of F. Violier, enhancing the landscape character of the remote areas of the garden: they were cut through by winding paths, lost in dense plantings of perennial trees.

The Kamennoostrovsky palace garden thus combined the characteristic features of regular gardening art of the 18th century with the geometric symmetry of the flower beds closest to the palace and the style of landscape park construction, the spread of which began already in the 1760s and which became dominant in the design of gardens and parks of the late 18th - the beginning of the 19th century, in the era of classical architecture. In general, this single park-building work performed by the famous architect occupies a very modest place in his work.

Greenhouse.

J.B. de la Travers. View of Kamenny Island from the Nevka. 1786. State Hermitage Museum
In addition, according to the design of L. Ruska, a pier with sphinxes was built near the Stroganov Bridge. Undoubtedly, when designing this complex of “small-form architecture,” the architect took into account its visual relationship with Count Stroganov’s dacha on the Black River, on the opposite bank of the Bolshaya Nevka, built according to the design of A. Voronikhin in 1795; The Voronikhinsky pier with sphinxes served as a prototype for the construction of Ruska, strengthening the ensemble correlation between the Stroganov dacha and the Kamennoostrovsky palace.

Middle alley. In the 18th century (I think under Bestuzhev-Ryumin) there were two small canals on the sides of this alley...

which diverged into rays when approaching the bank of the Malaya Nevka. (Now only diverging sandy paths remind of them.) On the resulting small island stood the Hermitage pavilion.

Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist on Kamenny Island

The chapel next to the church is again the former drawbridge pavilion of the Ushakovsky Bridge.

In the northern part of the palace area there is the Church of John the Baptist. It was laid down in 1776 in honor of the victory of the Russian fleet over the Turkish in the Battle of Chesme and completed construction (according to the design and under the leadership of Y. Felten) in April 1778. Twenty years later, in 1798, when Paul I became the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, the church was turned into an Orthodox church of the Knights of Malta. Russian holders of the order took the oath here, and their cemetery was built near the church. After the assassination of Paul I, the Order of Malta in Russia was abolished, and the burials of the Maltese from Kamenny Island were moved to Tsarskoye Selo.

The church has been preserved in its original form. This is a small brick building on a low stone plinth, cruciform in plan, built in the neo-Gothic style. The lancet windows, the pointed tent of the bell tower, and the closed vaults of the internal ceilings are reminiscent of medieval temples of the West.

Along the southern shore of Kamenny Island, along the Malaya Nevka embankment, limiting the economic part of the palace site, in the second half of the 18th century there were wooden one-story greenhouses and greenhouses. Near them, in the 1780s, a two-story stone kitchen building was built with tall semi-circular windows on the first floor and small square ones on the second.

With the construction of these two coastal buildings, emphatically elongated, like walls that bounded the palace site on the spit, the new position of the Kamennoostrovsky Palace in the composition of the park on Kamenny Island was determined.
Two buildings - a palace and a church - found themselves on the same compositional axis, where the palace garden became the connecting link. This ensemble, based on the contrasting sound of architectural images, is particularly emotional due to its natural inclusion in the surrounding space. The side linden alleys of the garden were also continued and connected in the church area: in a smooth S-shaped line they flowed around turfed lawns with picturesquely arranged groups of two or three maples, lonely oaks, lilac bushes, acacia, turf, and old linden trees with powerful knotty trunks were left intact near the church.

Architects of Russian classicism created the central buildings of the island ensemble. Not all of them have survived.
The magnificent buildings on the Islands have formed a landscape and architectural whole that is amazing in its harmonious completeness, in its unity with the green park space, low-lying island landscape and clear expanse of water.
Corners of the landscape park, quiet alleys and main highways, the surface of canals and the mirrors of ponds - it is integral to St. Petersburg, this world of the Islands, covered in the poetry of Pushkin and Blok...
Photos of interiors-Rublev11

Many tourists believe that the center of art is exclusively Western Europe. But Petrograd, which residents and guests of the city affectionately and briefly call St. Petersburg, can compete with it. The Kamennoostrovsky Palace is an example of classicism that, despite significant changes and restorations, has not lost the spirit of the 18th century.

Elite area

The northern capital has its own analogy to Rublyovka near Moscow, which boasts rich and famous residents. Its total area is 10.6 km². It is located in the delta of the main Petersburg River and is washed by the Krestovka, Bolshaya and Malaya Nevka rivers. Now Kamenny Island is the center of expensive residences of influential people.

But three hundred years ago these lands were the wild outskirts of the city. If it were not for certain historical events and intrigues of the royal court, perhaps Russia would not now be proud of such architectural wonders as the Kamennoostrovsky Palace, the Vollenweider mansion and others.

The history of the site began immediately after the laying of the first structure of the Northern capital - the Peter and Paul Fortress - on May 16, 1703.

The Great Emperor's Plan

There are two interesting legends associated with the name of this land. According to the first version, there was a huge boulder on the island that hung over the area like a rock. The second myth tells: this territory is named after the great reformer emperor. After all, from the Greek petros, from which the name Peter comes, is translated as “stone.”

The Emperor had big plans for the coast of the Gulf of Finland. In order to consolidate the Russian status of the conquered Swedish lands, he donated large areas to his loyal subjects.

Thus, Count Gavriil Golovkin was lucky enough to become the first owner of Kamenny Island. It was to him, a diplomat and friend, that the emperor gave this plot of land in 1709. It is worth noting that it is on the top where this man built that the Kamennoostrovsky Palace stands today.

Foundation for the residence

Sources indicate that this diplomat, despite his large incomes, was extremely stingy. To build a magnificent mansion for him was a fantastic thing.

But the count was very afraid that the emperor, who loved to often visit the territories he had donated, would come to the island and not see changes for the better. Therefore, Golovkin gave the order to build a cheap house from wood, behind which a modest garden was planted. Further on there grew a dense swampy forest. The fears were justified, and in 1715 the monarch visited the donated territories. It was there that a few years later the Kamennoostrovsky Palace appeared, the creation of the wife of his grandson Peter III.

After the death of the first emperor, the count successfully cheated until his own death in 1734 and remained an important person at the court, which survived three coups. But his son Mikhail could not get away with the intrigues and fell out of favor with the new queen, Elizaveta Petrovna. He and his wife were sent into exile. Property and lands were confiscated.

Founder of the ensemble

The empress gave the island to her cousin Anna Skavronskaya, who married Count Alexei Bestuzhev-Ryumin and thereby transferred her property to him. He actively took up the planning of the territory where the Kamennoostrovsky Palace stands today. To uproot the dense forest and drain the swamps, the count brought hundreds of Ukrainian families.

Later a beautiful French-style garden was planted. The count initiated the creation of a beautiful, magnificent ensemble, on the basis of which other buildings were built. Loud masquerade balls were often held there, attended by all the city nobility.

In 1758, the queen demoted and sent Bestuzhev away. However, the confiscation was not carried out. The count managed his estates from a distance. So, for some time he rented out his estate through private advertisements in St. Petersburg.

Bestuzhev was returned to power by Catherine II. She renewed the title, but because of it, he has an island for 30,000 rubles.

Start of work

In 1765, the Empress donated this territory to her son and heir Paul I. Construction work began to build the Kamennoostrovsky Palace in St. Petersburg, and the best craftsmen of that time were invited from all over the country. The name of the author of the project is still not known exactly. According to one source, he was Vasily Bazhenov.

The process was led by Yuri Felten. After the flood of 1777, he was replaced by Giacomo Quarenghi. The construction process itself took about ten years. It is worth noting that Paul I was not particularly fond of this area. The fact was that Catherine II gave her son Pavlovsk and Gatchina in the same period. They became the favorite residences of the ruler.

The buildings were completed in 1780. Then a magnificent ball was held in honor of the completion of the work, which was attended by the queen herself. But only two years later we completely finished working on the interior.

Monarch's love nest

The shape of the residence is an extended letter “P”. The style is consistent with strict Russian classicism. In total, the Kamennoostrovsky Palace has only 30 rooms. Restoration was carried out on the outside several times, and each time the craftsmen managed to preserve the original appearance of the building. But inside, the style changed frequently.

It flourished during the reign of Paul I's son, Alexander. For 25 years it was the main residence of the emperor. The monarch's attachment to this place is very easy to explain. Opposite his estate, on the other bank of the Malaya Nevka, there was the mansion of Maria Naryshkina, the emperor’s favorite. Their romance lasted 15 years.

When the sovereign moved to the island, he closed all entertainment establishments and taverns. He wanted peace and quiet. He was inspired to think by the lush garden that complemented the ensemble of the house. You could go straight to it from the ballroom.

Fashion of the time

The Kamennoostrovsky Palace grew very quickly. Photos in which you can see the decoration and interior of the castle are the work of different generations of craftsmen. During this time, the facade of the building and the front courtyard were built, decorated with six columns in the style of the Tuscan order. Granite steps were installed at the same time.

In 1820, radical restructuring began. An office for ruler Alexander I was added, and the garden was reconstructed. The walls were re-painted by the artist Giovanni Batista. All changes were carried out in accordance with fashion trends.

The Great Hall is particularly magnificent. Its main purpose is balls and masquerades. Today there are marble sculptures depicting characters from Greek myths.

From kings to presidents

Many historical events saw these walls. Here Mikhail Kutuzov was appointed army commander. It was also in this residence that the emperor learned about the Decembrists. The palace became a center of painting under Princess Elena Pavlovna. There were also musical evenings organized by Rubinstein. Alexander Pushkin was a frequent guest of the mansion.

After the revolution, the estate was turned into a hospital, then a colony for minors, and subsequently a sanatorium for soldier-pilots.

Reconstruction began in 2008. Now real estate in this territory costs crazy amounts of money and is considered the most elite among all plots in St. Petersburg.

The complex's employees conduct interesting and educational excursions to the Kamennoostrovsky Palace. Address where the ensemble is located: Embankment of the Malaya Nevka River, 1A.

Several buildings were supposed to be converted into the governor's residence, but the authorities changed their decision. They plan to open a Talent Academy here in September this year. This will allow everyone to freely visit the architectural miracle.