Sightseeing

STROGANOV PALACE On the corner of Nevsky Prospect and the River Moika, the pink and white Stroganov Palace was launched in 1738 and headed by M.Zemtsov, but by the Royal Architect Francesco-Bartholomeo Rastrelli, who also built the Smolny Cathedral (1748) and the Winter Palace (1754-62), is considered as its genuine author, who supervised the construction of this impressive three-storey building in 1752-1754, while the interiors were worked out by the remarkable Russian architects F.Demertsov, A.Voronikhin, G.Bosse. Until the 20th century, the eldest of palaces under the Russian Museum supervision, which was decorated by the numerous sculptors, carvers and gilders including famous Italian artist Giuseppe Valeriani, the Palace belonged to the Stroganov family - famous patrons and collectors, whose fortune was mainly based on the Siberian fur trade. In the early 19th century the edifice was remodeled by Andrei Voronikhin (he created a number of magnificent rooms in the palace, specifically an eastern enfilade including the Mineral Study, the Picture Gallery, the Library and the Physical Study) for Alexander Stroganov, the most famous member of the prominent noble family, a gentleman of the emperor’s bedchamber, president of the Imperial Academy of Arts and director of the Public Library, who promoted the fame of the palace as a centre of true taste. Later on according to the wish of Princess Elizaveta Saltykova on the southern part of the palace the architect Harold Bosse designed some chambers in Empress Elizabeth's style including the Large (Ball) Room.An extensive art collection of the Stroganovs, including masterpieces by Anthony van Dyck, Nicolas Poussin, Lorraine, Harmensz van Rijn Rembrandt and other famous European masters, as well as the significant collections of minerals, medals and coins, was dispersed after the revolution across various museum, some paintings from the Picture Gallery were sold on the auction in Berlin in 1931, while the building itself was nationalized in 1918 and was handed over to the Institute of Plant Growing. As soon as in 1989 the Stroganov Palace was awarded to the Russian Museum, a period of its rebirth started: building underwent full restoration and the all the pieces of art that could be recovered were later obtained by the museum. Nowadays, the permanent and temporary exhibitions of art from the collection of the Russian Museum and other collections are displayed here. Open daily 10.00 - 17.00, Monday till 16.00. Closed on Tuesday. Address: Nevsky Prospect, 17 Phone: 717-23-60 Metro Gostiny Dvor

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