The history of Russia, the Russian Empire, and then the Russian Federation is filled with significant events and personalities who managed to flourish the passing centuries, move the world from another "dead center", moving along with the world itself. Now all these Great Ones are immortalized: someone on canvas and oil on canvas, someone in marble or stone, someone forever frozen in their own maps, books, mechanisms. But it also happens that it is not the person himself who freezes, but the event, the historical process, time itself. We are talking, for example, about the so-called political buildings, and in relation to St. Petersburg - about political palaces. Today, three buildings have this status: the Mariinsky, Winter and Tavrichesky palaces. As it is not difficult to guess, those events that took place within their walls led to the receipt of such a title. Thus, the Mariinsky Palace, a brilliant example of late classical architecture, became a witness, and sometimes a direct participant, first of the October Revolution, and then of the events of the nineties.
History of creation
It is difficult enough to say with certainty when exactly the Mariinsky Palace appeared on the maps of St. Petersburg. This uncertainty in dating is due, first of all, to the fact that a different building was previously located on the site of the modern palace ensemble - notable for its elegance and perfection of forms. Ultimately, Stackensteinider, who was responsible for the drafting and implementation of the project, decided not to destroy the former palace of Count Chernyshov until the foundation - many of the walls remained unchanged, which also left a certain imprint on the appearance of the palace.
Actually, they did not immediately call it the Mariinsky, although this name fully corresponds to reality. The palace was supposed to be a wedding present for the beloved daughter of the emperor - Nicholas I. The situation was rather peculiar and, unfortunately or fortunately, not in favor of the groom - after the wedding, the Grand Duchess announced that she did not intend to leave St. Petersburg. They did not argue with the imperial daughter for a long time. Instead - also quite quickly - they set about building a residence in which the newlyweds were to settle.
Further history closely linked the Mariinsky Palace with the purely political side of the country's life - in its halls there were numerous departments and ministries, on whose work the future prosperity of Russia depended.
Features of the
According to the original plan, the Mariinsky Palace was supposed to crown the southern side of St. Isaac's Square, completely complete its appearance, without violating the fragile architectural balance. It was from these considerations that it was decided to build the palace initially asymmetrical, which completely contradicted the laws of classicism. At the same time, one should not forget that the palace was erected precisely as a residential building, and not primarily as a state building. This is what explains some of the features of the internal placement of premises.
So, the view of St. Isaac's Square does not adorn any living room. All of them face the garden so that the noise of the capital does not distract its inhabitants. Instead of an ordinary stone, a sandpit was used during the construction for the same comfort - as you know, the sandpiper retains heat much better, which, however, did not prevent the approach to decor issues with all possible creativity - rustic was used for the facades, and pilasters and Corinthian columns. Another greetings from antiquity are the numerous Greek-style statues that adorn the main staircase.
Many guests of the Mariinsky Palace are interested in why it was necessary to arrange ramps inside, on both sides of which vegetation grew rapidly. The answer is extremely simple - the emperor's daughter had problems with her legs. Sometimes an elementary getting out of bed was impossible for her. It was for this that the system was developed, thanks to which she could relatively independently move around her own house.
Another design element, which appeared thanks to the owner of the palace, is a stylized stucco inscription, which was an interweaving of letters of her name. This inscription was made right on the wall of the front hall.
Detailed information about other significant sights of St. Petersburg
How to get there on your own
Getting to the Mariinsky Palace is more than easy. This can be done using the metro - just get off at one of the nearest stations, and these include Sadovaya and Admiralteyskaya. Alternatively, you can use some of the public transport options. In this case, you have to get off at one of the stops - "Isaakievskaya Square" or "Kazanskaya Street". Unfortunately, today the entrance to the interior of the Mariinsky Palace is impossible for tourists. It remains only to enjoy the aesthetic side of the external design while visiting the ensemble of St. Isaac's Square.
