Mariinsky Palace (), also known as Marie Palace, was the last
neoclassical Imperial residence to be constructed in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
. It was built between 1839 and 1844, designed by the court architect
Andrei Stackenschneider Andrei Ivanovich Stakenschneider (russian: Андрей Иванович Штакеншнейдер) (March 6 regorian 1802 – August 20 regorian 1865), also spelled ''Stackenschneider'' and ''Stuckenschneider'', was a Russian architect. His ecle ...
. It houses
the city's Legislative Assembly.
Location
![Marie palace](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Marie_palace.jpg)
The palace stands on the south side of
Saint Isaac's Square
Saint Isaac's Square or Isaakiyevskaya Ploshchad (russian: Исаа́киевская пло́щадь), known as Vorovsky Square (russian: Площадь Воровского) between 1923 and 1944, in Saint Petersburg, Russia is a major city ...
, just across the
Blue Bridge from
Saint Isaac's Cathedral
Saint Isaac's Cathedral or Isaakievskiy Sobor (russian: Исаа́киевский Собо́р) is a large architectural landmark cathedral that currently functions as a museum with occasional church services in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is ...
. The site had been previously owned by
Zakhar Chernyshev
Zakhar Grigoryevich Chernyshev (172231 August 1784) was a Russian noble, courtier to Catherine the Great, Imperial Russian Army officer, and Imperial Russian politician in the 18th century.
After made a courtier to then-Princess Sophie of Anha ...
, and contained his home designed by
Jean-Baptiste Vallin, which was built between 1762 and 1768. Chernyshev occasionally lent his home to foreign dignitaries visiting the capital, such as
Louis Henri, Prince of Condé
Louis Henri Joseph de Bourbon (13 April 1756 – 30 August 1830) was the Prince of Condé from 1818 to his death. He was the brother-in-law of Philippe Égalité and nephew of Victoire de Rohan.
Life
Louis Henri was the only son of Louis ...
.
From 1825 to 1839, the Chernyshev Palace, as it was then known, was the site of the , where
Mikhail Lermontov
Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov (; russian: Михаи́л Ю́рьевич Ле́рмонтов, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ˈjurʲjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈlʲɛrməntəf; – ) was a Russian Romantic writer, poet and painter, sometimes called "the poet of the Caucas ...
was known to have studied for two years. The palace was demolished in 1839, and materials were reused in the construction of the Mariinsky Palace.
Conception and style
The palace was conceived by
Nicholas I as a present to his eldest daughter,
Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna
Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia (Maria Nikolaevna Romanova; Russian: Великая Княжна Мария Николаевна, 17 July 1918) was the third daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna. He ...
, on the occasion of her marriage to
Maximilian de Beauharnais,
Empress Joséphine
Joséphine Bonaparte (, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie; 23 June 1763 – 29 May 1814) was Empress of the French as the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810 ...
's grandson.
Although the reddish-brown facade is elaborately
rusticated and features
corinthian columns arranged in a traditional Neoclassical mode, the whole design was inspired by the 17th-century French Baroque
messuages. Other eclectic influences are visible in the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...
details of exterior ornamentation, and the interior decoration, with each room designed in a different historic style. The palace is now painted white.
State Council
The Mariinsky Palace returned to Imperial ownership in 1884, where it remained until 1917. During that period, the palace housed the
State Council State Council may refer to:
Government
* State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of South Korea, headed by the President
* State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative auth ...
,
Imperial Chancellery, and
Committee of Ministers, which after 1905 became the
Council of Ministers
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...
. The grand hall for the sessions of the State Council was designed by
Leon Benois
Leon Benois (russian: Леонтий Николаевич Бенуа; 1856 in Peterhof – 1928 in Leningrad) was a Russian architect from the Benois family.
Biography
He was the son of architect Nicholas Benois, the brother of artists Alexandr ...
.
On April 15, 1902,
Socialist Revolutionary Party member
Stepan Balmashov assassinated the
Minister of Internal Affairs
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of governme ...
,
Dmitry Sipyagin
Dmitry Sergeyevich Sipyagin (russian: Дми́трий Серге́евич Сипя́гин) ( – ) was a Russian politician.
Political career
Born in Kiev, Sipyagin graduated from the Judicial Department of St Petersburg University in 187 ...
, while the minister was between meetings at the palace.
In 1904, painter
Ilya Repin completed ''
Ceremonial Sitting of the State Council on 7 May 1901''. The painting was commissioned as a commemoration of the State Council's centenary. The canvas is , and features 81 historical figures, including
Nicholas II. Repin recorded in his journal the painting was on display at the
Winter Palace
The Winter Palace ( rus, Зимний дворец, Zimnij dvorets, p=ˈzʲimnʲɪj dvɐˈrʲɛts) is a palace in Saint Petersburg that served as the official residence of the Russian Emperor from 1732 to 1917. The palace and its precincts now ...
for some time before its installation at Mariinsky Palace.
Government use
The
Russian Provisional Government
The Russian Provisional Government ( rus, Временное правительство России, Vremennoye pravitel'stvo Rossii) was a provisional government of the Russian Republic, announced two days before and established immediately ...
took full possession of the palace in March 1917, and gave it over to the
Provisional Council soon after. Following the
October Revolution
The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mome ...
, the palace housed various Soviet ministries and academies. During the
war with Germany, the palace was converted to a hospital, and was subject to intense bombing.
After the war, the palace became the residence of the
Petrograd Soviet
The Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies (russian: Петроградский совет рабочих и солдатских депутатов, ''Petrogradskiy soviet rabochikh i soldatskikh deputatov'') was a city council of P ...
. During the
1991 coup attempt, the
Emergency Committee used the palace as a base of operations. Barricades and heavy fortifications were constructed along the palace's perimeter, which remained for some time after the coup was suppressed.
The palace has been the site of the
Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg
The Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg (russian: Законода́тельное собра́ние Санкт-Петербу́рга, ЗакС) is the regional parliament of Saint Petersburg, a federal subject ( federal city) of Russ ...
since 1994.
References
* Belyakova Z.I. Mariinsky dvorets. SPb, 1996.
* Petrov G.F. Dvorets u Sinego mosta: Mariinsky dvorets v Sankt-Petersburge. SPb, 2001.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mariinsky Palace
Palaces in Saint Petersburg
Royal residences in Russia
Government buildings in Russia
City and town halls in Russia
Houses completed in 1844
Saint Isaac's Square
Neoclassical architecture in Russia
Neoclassical palaces
Legislative buildings in Europe
Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Saint Petersburg