In the heart of St. Petersburg, where Nevsky Prospekt crosses the Fontanka river Anichkov Bridge, one of the magnificent palaces of the city is the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace.
The history of construction says that at this place was a stone house of the actual secret adviser and senator Ivan Aleksandrovich Naryshkin. In 1797, Princess Beloselskaya acquired this house from Naryshkin. The house was demolished and in its place was built the first palace designed by architect Fyodor Ivanovich Demertsov.
In the middle of the 19th century, Prince Constantine Esperovich Beloselsky-Belozersky instructed the architect Andrei Ivanovich Shtakenschneider to rebuild the palace. Works on the reconstruction of the palace were conducted from 1847 to 1848. The palace has acquired a modern look. The building began to resemble all the palaces built in the Baroque style by the architect Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli.
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View of the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace. 1850 year.
In addition to the external appearance of the building, the internal decoration with the layout was changed. For decoration of the external facade of the building was invited Danish sculptor David Ivanovich Jensen. It was his who created the figures of the Atlanteans and caryatids.
All internal furnish has been executed by Stackenschneider. This is a gorgeous front staircase and marble fireplaces. Sculptures of the interior show the magnificence of the palace, all rooms sparkle with wealth and grace.
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The main staircase of the palace.
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Interior of one of the halls of the palace.
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Seating hall of the palace.
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Theater of the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace.
The main and original owner of the palace is considered to be General Prince Esper Aleksandrovich Beloselsky-Belozersky, it was he who financed all the construction organized by his son. In the 1980s, the Beloselsky-Belozersky family suffered a financial collapse because of the capitalization of its metallurgical plants in the Urals. As a result, the palace was sold to the state treasury.
Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich (the fifth son of Emperor Alexander II) in 1884 was married to the princess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Hesse-Darmstadt. The palace became a gift to their wedding.
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The palace on the postcard of the 1890s.
In 1905, Prince Sergei Alexandrovich was killed by revolutionary terrorist Ivan Kaliayev. The wife of Prince Elizabeth Feodorovna went to the monastery, and the palace was given over by her nephews.
After the October Revolution, the palace was nationalized. For a long time in the building there was a committee of the Communist Party of the Central District of Leningrad (St. Petersburg).
You have learned about one more monument of art and architecture of St. Petersburg - the Palace of Beloselsky-Belozersky. Today it is a museum of national importance.
I wait for you again on excursions around the city. Thank you.