Engineers (Mikhailovsky) Castle

In the years 1797-1800 on the orders of Emperor Paul I erected the castle, named Mikhailovsky - in honor of the Archangel Michael. Some call him the patron saint of the Romanov dynasty, someone - the patron saint of police. Took the title of Grand Master of the Order of Malta, Paul told to call the traditional palaces castles. That stuck in the name of the emperor's residence. Authorship of the building by the architect V. Bazhenov with the participation of V. Brenna. This interesting monument of architecture. First, Michael - the only castle in the style of Romantic Classicism in St. Petersburg and Russia in general. Secondly, it has have a unique feature - four completely different facade. The main facade of the castle is oriented to the south. At the turn of XVIII-XIX centuries, there existed an area - a place of Paul's favorite parades and guards of the divorce. With this appointment the area was a perfect match the severity of registration of the southern facade of the castle. Rectangular arch entrance to the castle is framed by huge, adjacent to the wall of dark stone obelisks. They pass through all three floors of the building and decorated with military armor. Otherwise impressive north facade of the castle, overlooking the green spaces of the Summer Garden. The idea of ​​the architect gave him a certain intimacy. On Sadovaya street facing facade of the castle church, and east to the shore of the Fontanka oriented "Table facade.

 Before the main entrance to St. Michael's Castle in 1800 was a monument to Peter I by the sculptor BK Rastrelli. Much later, in 2003, in the courtyard of the Mikhailovsky Castle was installed as a monument of Paul I (VE Gorevoy sculptor, architect VI Nalivajko). Secret passages inside the castle, surrounded him earthen ramparts and ditches with drawbridges Paul seemed reliable protection from the simmering court conspiracy. But only about forty days, Paul had a chance to live in a new residence. Here, on the night of March 11, 1801, he was believed to have been strangled by their intimates. After the murder of Paul's entire royal family left the castle, after no one from Augusta kind in this eerie place does not show up. The castle lost its grand residences, moved to the Ministry of Imperial Household, and gradually fell into neglect.

 Soon the castle housed the Military Engineering School, and since 1823 it was renamed "Engineering." In 1830 there were trained future writers FM Dostoevsky, DV Grigorovich, and later - an outstanding Russian electrical engineer, inventor of the arc lamp NN Apple. There were trained physiologist IM Sechenov, composer, TS.A. Cui. Here was educated at the prominent Soviet fortifier, who died in a Nazi concentration camp, the Hero of Soviet Union General DM Karbyshev.

 Now the palace is a branch of the Russian Museum. After the restoration of the castle halls open permanent exhibits - "Ancient Subjects in Russian Art", "The Renaissance in the works of Russian artists, History of the castle and its inhabitants" and "Outdoor Sculpture Foundation. To the 300 anniversary of the city were reconstructed and are open-preserved fragments of the Resurrection underground channel and three-span bridge - part of the engineering and fortifications surrounding the castle.

 In today's information area on the screens of the five sensory computers online, visitors can make their own computer-guided tour through the halls of the Russian Museum and get complete information about the history of the palaces belonging to the museum complex, its collections and temporary exhibitions. It also demonstrates the computer movies "Architectural Portrait of Emperor Paul I" and a film about the restoration and reconstruction of architectural appearance of the Mikhailovsky Castle.

Mikhailovsky Castle mystical place. It is widely rumored that at night the building is still haunting the restless ghost of Emperor Paul I, and from his chambers sometimes hear muffled cries, the memory of the murder of the emperor.

Halls of the palace

Common dining hall is made by the architect Vincenzo Brenna. Its design uses two lamps to the fifty candles on drawings by J. Kvarnegi originally intended for the Winter Palace, as well as two fireplaces made of Siberian porphyry. Formerly divided into three separate rooms (classrooms Engineering School) room during the restoration work 2002-2003, was returned to its original plan.

The throne of Empress Maria Feodorovna was performed on the project by Vincenzo Brenna in 1799-1801 years. In the center of the ceiling was painted ceiling of "The Judgement of Paris" by the artist H. Mettenleyterom. His story in allegory praising the beauty of the Empress. Restoration of the Throne of Maria Feodorovna was also made recently, in 2002-2003.

In the Mikhailovsky Castle was five electronic halls: two belonged to the Emperor Paul, one - the Empress Maria Feodorovna, the Grand Duke and heir Alexander Pavlovich and his brother Constantine.

St George's Hall served as a guardhouse for the Knights of Malta. It was reconstructed several times over two centuries, and as a result, the original form was lost. In 1953-1954 he was a partially reconstructed to its original shape and recreated elements of the historic furnishings.

Marble gallery was a place of solemn assemblies Knights Order of Malta.