The exterior reminds one of the Baroque Stroganov Palace, but lacks the inner movement of Rastrellis palace. Stakenschneiders creation has no inner energy. It is calm and austere. Yet the two palaces standing on the banks of two rivers provide an interesting architectural frame.

In 1797, Princess A. G. Beloselsky purchased from Naryshkin a small stone house on the corner of Nevsky Prospekt and the Fontanka. That house was demolished and in its place at the end of the XVIII century the architects Jean Thomas de Thomon and Fedor Demertsov built a three-storey palace with the modest facade in classical style.

Have a century later, Prince Constantine Esperovich Beloselsky-Belozersky commissioned the architect Andrei Stackenschneider to rebuild the palace. The palace was completely redone and acquired a modern look in 1847-1848. It is believed that Rastrelli’s Stroganov Palace was the model prototype for the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace.

The new palace was done in the style of the so-called new Baroque and began to resemble the style of Rastrelli. As part of this work, Stackenschneider erected a new wing in the courtyard. He also recreated not only the exterior, but also the interior of the building. The facades of the palace were designed in the artistic techniques of Russian Baroque XVIII century.

A Denmark-born Russian sculptor David I. Jensen was invited to work on the interior decoration. David Ivanovich was the founder of Russia's first workshop for the production of sculpture and decorative ornaments from highly durable terracotta facades and interiors of buildings. Among his works: caryatids and bas-reliefs in the interior of the Mariinsky Palace. The atlantes and caryatids on the facades of the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace were created based in his design.

Interior decoration of the palace was completed by Shtakenshneider. The grand staircase and marble fireplaces are his signature works. Along the stairs stood caryatids and sculptures supporting gilt candelabra, and the openwork lattice railing featured elegant monogram initials of the owner.

The library of Beloselsky-Belozersky was superbly decorated: the walls were covered with carved wooden panels and tight silk, decorated with a relief pattern fireplace, huge mirror in a gilded frame.

Constantine Esperovich Beloselsky-Belozersky did not live to see his palace – he died when the foundation was still being laid. His wife, or rather widow Elena Pavlovna (née Bibikova) married Vasily Kotchubey and moved into his house on Foundry Avenue. But she did not abandon the palace on Nevsky. It was there that she organized evening balls and social meetings. The Palace was located next to the Imperial Anichkov Palace and members of the royal family were frequent guests.

In 1865, Konstantin Beloselsky, the son of Elena Pavlovna, married Nadezhda Dmitrievna (née Skobeleva). The newlyweds settled in the palace on the Nevsky.

At the end of the XIX century the palace was owned by Esper A. Beloselsky-Belozersky. His wife, Princess Elena Pavlovna, was the chief Hofmeister at the court of the Empress, and as such popular with women seeking an audience with the empress. The Princess loved to throw grandiose balls. The Emperor Alexander III himself and his wife Maria Feodorovna were happy to come, but going home together was a different story. The empress was an avid dancer and loved to dance until dawn. In order to go home earlier than dawn, Alexander III, who instead of dancing spent him time playing whist or having casual conversations, would ask his aide, under various pretexts, to call musicians from the orchestra. Finally, the last musician standing would get up from his seat and wave his hands signaling that he can’t play alone – at that time the emperor would come to pick up his wife to go home. And once a year it was time for the grand court ball, with invitations sent out to some three thousand people.

The Palace at that time was in the most fashionable part of the capital. But then the crisis struck. This directly affected the owners. Capitalization of the metallurgical enterprises of the Urals - the main assets of the host - rapidly declined. There were many reasons, including the failure of management, and lack of investment in primary production. Prince Kotchubey tried to rectify the situation, even took loans from the state, but could not save the situation, and in the end had to sell the palace to the State Treasury to settle his debts.

In 1884, Tsar Alexander III gave the palace to his younger brother Sergey. It was a wedding gift for the marriage of the Grand Duke with Elizabeth Feodorovna (Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine). The palace got a new name - St. Sergius. But that new name didn’t stick.

 Адрес: Nevskiy Prospekt, 41, St. Petersburg, Russia
 Телефон(ы): 8 (812) 312-36-44
 Купить билеты