Palace Embankment 18
The Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace is an architectural monument of federal significance. This grand-ducal luxurious palace is located in the very center of St. Petersburg on Palace Embankment. And it is not surprising that he has a famous and well-born history.
The plot of land on which the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace is now located
has changed many owners. The land in the very center of the new Russian
capital was owned by many eminent people and influential noble families.
The first buildings on the Palace Embankment appeared as early as the
reign of Peter I. Even under Peter the Tsar, the house of Major of the
Preobrazhensky Regiment V. D. Korchmin stood on this site.
There
were also 3 houses. In 1731, in connection with the death of Korchmin,
his estate was sold in parts. The Kormchin site was divided into several
parts. One of them belonged to Lieutenant General M. Ya. Volkov, the
other was owned by the Dutch ambassador. The third was acquired by
General-in-Chief A. I. Ushakov, the fourth was bought by Prince A. M.
Cherkassky, who was Chancellor of the Russian Empire since 1740.
The chambers of A. M. Cherkassky were built on the site of the chambers
of V. D. Karchmin that were located here earlier. Then the land was
inherited by his daughter. Here, 2 three-story palaces were built on
cellars with three risalits, connected by two outbuildings in 1745-1750.
One from the side of the Palace Embankment, the other - along
Millionnaya Street.
He built houses according to the project of
the architect P. M. Eropkin. Construction was carried out under the
guidance of architects G. D. Dmitriev and S. I. Chevakinsky. The
buildings were designed in the Italian Renaissance style with noticeable
baroque touches. The building was known as the Cherkassky Mansion.
Later, the daughter of Alexei Cherkassky, Varvara Alekseevna
Cherkasskaya, married Pyotr Sheremetev. By 1748, the mansion became the
property of the Sheremetevs. This family owned the house for about 60
years. By the beginning of the 19th century, a stone mansion "for 84
rests" was already located on the site. In connection with the location
of the mansion on Millionnaya Street, the palace began to be called the
Million House.
In the 1800s, the Department of Appanages bought
the "Million House", as well as neighboring buildings: the house of the
banker Livio and the building of the city department. In this regard, it
was necessary to reorganize the entire building, adapt the living
quarters and front rooms. In 1807-1809, the mansion was rebuilt
according to the project of the architect Andrey Voronikhin for the
needs of a state institution. It is noteworthy that the architect
decided to keep the structure of the facade, and not to design a new
one.
The interiors of the house of the Department of Appanages
were rich and luxurious. In April 1830, 21-year-old Nikolai Vasilyevich
Gogol was hired in the department. At first, he performed the duties of
a scribe, then became an assistant clerk. Nikolai Vasilyevich served in
the Department of Appanages for only a year - until 1831.
A palace was erected on this site in 1857-1862, which was intended
for the son of Emperor Nicholas I, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich.
Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich, son of Nicholas I, brother of Emperor
Alexander II - Field Marshal General, Feldzeugmeister General, Viceroy
of the Caucasus, Honorary Member of the St. Petersburg Academy of
Sciences, Chairman of the State Council in 1881-1905.
The palace
was erected on the occasion of the prince's marriage to the Baden
princess Cecilia Augusta. Since there was already one Mikhailovsky
Palace in the capital, it was decided to call another palace for Mikhail
Novo-Mikhailovsky. This great creation is the third major grand ducal
residence, built according to the design of the court architect of
Nicholas I - Andrei Ivanovich Stackenschneider. By that time, this
architect was already quite experienced; among his works were many great
architectural ensembles, such as the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace in St.
Petersburg and the Leuchtenberg Palace in Peterhof.
The new city
estate was solemnly consecrated on December 9, 1861. In 1862, the
construction of the palace was completed. The Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace
became the residence of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich and his family.
In the last years of his life, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich often sat
at the windows of the first floor. Passers-by noticed him and sometimes
saluted him.
The style of the palace represents early eclecticism. It is expressed
in numerous stylistic references to different eras. In the decoration of
facades and interiors, the architect used baroque and rococo motifs,
intertwined with elements of the Renaissance and the "Louis XIV style".
The interweaving of different architectural styles and trends,
characteristic of eclecticism and Stackenschneider's work, is clearly
traced. In the design of the facades, the architects used an abundance
of various decorative elements.
The facade of the three-storey
palace from the side of the Neva is represented by the central and two
side risalits. In the upper part of the central risalit, you can see
sculptures of caryatids made of terracotta by the sculptor D. I. Jensen.
Coats of arms are located between the caryatids. The facade is richly
decorated, there are columns, pilasters, statues in a triangular
pediment. On the ground floor there is a central entrance with a canopy
resting on cast-iron columns.
Thanks to the magnificent, elegant
and beautiful decoration of the facades and large dimensions, this
building stands out noticeably in the urban areas of the district. But
despite all this splendor, it is worth noting that in terms of
composition, the building looks more like a tenement house than a grand
ducal residence.
The palace was built over 5 years from 1857 to 1862. The technologies
used in the construction of the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace were unique for
Russia in those years. During the construction of the palace, metal
rafters and beams were used - a new method for St. Petersburg in the 2nd
half of the 19th century, despite the fact that this technology appeared
back in the 1820-1830s and was used mainly to cover large rooms in
palaces and mansions , public buildings.
The residence, also one
of the first in the city, was equipped with running water. Another
technical innovation was heating, which was carried out by supplying
heated air to the premises of the palace. In 1889 the palace was
electrified.
Then the palace passed to the eldest son of the former owner - Grand
Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich. The new owner was a prominent historian, a
member of the Imperial Russian Geographical and Historical Societies.
In 1911, a museum was created in the premises that Mikhail
Nikolayevich occupied during his lifetime. The exposition, represented
by about 5,000 items, concerned the personal life of the Grand Duke, was
devoted to the military and state activities of Mikhail Nikolayevich.
The exposition occupied 4 rooms. In the former "Reception Room" of
the Grand Duke, the "Common Hall" was equipped. Portraits of Mikhail
Nikolayevich's associates, a collection of weapons, manuscripts,
official documents, as well as models and photographs of fortresses that
previously belonged to the Grand Duke were exhibited here.
In the
"Hall of Private Life" one could also see portraits on the walls, and in
the showcases - personal documents and even student notebooks. Icons,
orders and regalia were exhibited, among which was a field marshal's
baton. The "office" of the Grand Duke was left unchanged. In the "Hall
of the Last Days of Life" objects and things connected with the illness
and death of Mikhail Nikolayevich were exhibited.
In 1917 the palace was nationalized. It housed the Communist Academy.
In 1949, it was decided to transfer the Institute of Oriental Studies of
the Academy of Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences, founded in
1930, to the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace. Now it is the Institute of
Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences, abbreviated as
IVR. During the existence of this institute in the Northern capital,
many famous academicians worked in the palace, such as A. N. Kononov, N.
I. Konrad, I. Yu. Krachkovsky, V. M. Alekseev, A. P. Barannikov, V. V.
Bartold, I. A. Orbeli, V. V. Struve, F. I. Shcherbatskaya.
In
1951, the Institute of Electromechanics of the Russian Academy of
Sciences (now the Institute of Electrophysics and Power Engineering of
the Russian Academy of Sciences, abbreviated as IEE) was formed, and was
also located in the former grand ducal residence. The Institute carries
out both applied and fundamental research in the field of physics.
Currently, a number of institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences
operate in the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace.
In 2009, it was
announced that the premises formerly occupied by the Grand Duke's
stables would be converted into a book depository of the Institute of
Oriental Manuscripts. At present, the collection, which has been formed
over two centuries, contains about a million volumes in the Oriental
Library, at least 40,000 folders in the archive and more than 100,000
items in 65 living and dead Oriental languages in the manuscript fund.
Funds for the reconstruction of the buildings will be received as a gift
from the Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said.
In 2005-2008, as part
of the city's restoration program, the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace was
repairing the front facade. In particular, the condition of the
sculptures of the upper tier of the facade of the Novo-Mikhailovsky
Palace caused serious concern among specialists. These figures had to be
subjected to a separate expensive but necessary restoration.