Marble Palace. marble palace
Recently I read the diary of Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov "Questions of Life", published in "Russian Starina" for 1884-1885 and 1887. In addition, I read with great pleasure the essay by Protodeacon V. Orlov “The Marble Palace”, dedicated to the centenary of the completion of the construction of the palace (May issue, 1885). The essay gives the history of the construction of the palace, indicates what and how much money was spent, lists the names of the masters who were involved in the work. In addition, a detailed description is given of two house churches and shrines kept in the palace. I could not find this information on the Internet. The entire copy of the essay is posted in the album http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/amsmolich/album/313723/.
And suddenly a tour! Of course, we immediately signed up. On the tour, we were told what is already available on all sorts of sites, including the site of the Russian Museum. This explains our disappointment with my mother from what we heard, but what we saw left the best impressions.
The tour consisted of two parts. The first part is historical, with a visit to three ceremonial halls. Previously, the palace had 70 ceremonial rooms (but they don’t talk about it!). And only the Marble Hall has been preserved, the other two halls were made anew according to old photographs and drawings. The parquet was also dismantled everywhere. There is practically nothing left in the palace. Everything was destroyed by the communists.
The second part was devoted to book. Konstantin Konstantinovich and his work, with a visit to seven rooms in which for some reason it is forbidden to take pictures. These premises were also restored from photographs, as the communists believed that nothing should remain in the palace that would remind of the royal family. So everything was destroyed.
Below are a few lines from the essay "Marble Palace". Photos are mine plus a set of postcards purchased at the palace.
Under Peter the Great, on the site of the present Field of Mars, “animal baiting” was usually carried out, and where the Marble Palace was subsequently built, there was a post yard, near which in 1711 a “animal house” was arranged and it housed: a large elephant, lions, tigers, sent a gift from the Persian Shah. “The post yard,” says Ruban in “Description of St. Petersburg”, “was made of mud-brick and stood in the place where the great calm marble house is now being built. At this postal yard, Tsar Peter I repeatedly sent celebrations to some holidays and victories.
Bashutsky, describing the postal yard in his “Panorama of St. Petersburg”, notes that “the capital has long felt the lack of such an institution, because there was not yet a house where visitors could stay without wasting time looking for an apartment all over the city. This house was in charge of a special caretaker, who had the rank of an army ensign, with a very moderate content, which was subsequently increased by allowing him to open another special hotel, write out a certain amount of wine and other products duty-free. In addition, he was allowed to use part of the collection from letters sent, but this income was very insignificant, since for the delivery of a letter, for example, from St. Petersburg to Moscow, no more than two kopecks were paid. Under Peter I, the Mya (Moika) River was deepened and cleaned, from which two canals were drawn: one at the present Marble Palace, after which it was covered up, and the other still exists under the name of the Winter Canal. Under Catherine II, this place was called "Tsaritsyn meadow"; in 1818 the name "Champion de Mars" was given.
So, on the Tsaritsyn meadow, Catherine II decided to build a house of marble, and there is the following legend: having conceived the construction, the empress invited one of the foreign architects and, showing him the drawing of the palace she had put on herself, asked his opinion about this plan. Knowing that the project belonged to the monarch, the architect scattered in enthusiastic praise, listening to which the empress said: "if it is so good, then take it upon yourself to build it." The agreement, of course, immediately followed, but the architect, in carrying out the highest outlined plan, was put into great difficulties, even in the outlines of the capital walls, and this is what they explain, if you go around the rooms of the palace, it becomes noticeable that there are no right angles in it either in no chambers, nor in the embrasures of windows and doors.
The builder of the Marble Palace was Antonio Rinaldi.
F.Ya. Alekseev. View of the Palace embankment. 1790s 
The entire course of the construction of the Marble House from the very beginning to the end of it enjoyed the special attention of Catherine II; she repeatedly personally visited the building and ordered those involved to be rewarded with money, as can be seen from the reports, and in general nothing happened in it without her orders. A handwritten note of Catherine II (1781 or 1782) has been preserved: “I hear with extreme surprise that in the Marble House Mikh. Iv. Mordvinov gives Gampel the freedom to break down walls and rearrange doors as he pleases; ask in which and in which rooms such a breakdown occurred and tell Mikh. Iv., so that he does not break anything in that house without reporting me. Bring me a plan with the meaning of that reckless breaking. Like Gampel knows better than Rinaldia. If he does not scrape the walls and does not reduce the bricks in the pipes, as in Tsarskoye Selo, in order to make fires, he will become.
The direct supervision of the construction of the Marble Palace was entrusted by the Empress to Colonel of Artillery Mikh. Iv. Mordvinov. Mordvinov kept detailed reports, which took into account all costs with an accuracy of ¼ kopeck.
Obren and Jacotte. Marble Palace. 1840-1850. Lithograph from a drawing by Charlemagne and Durui. 
At the Sestroretsk factories, for forging copper sheets for the roof, a factory was set up in 1772. Marble was received from Yekaterinburg from the office for the construction of houses and gardens.
In 1772 Gr. Gr. Orlov retired. Catherine, with her own draft decree, among many precious gifts, appointed Orlova and the Marble Palace. As a result, Mordvinov, on September 25, was given a decree: “when you build a stone house under your supervision at the postal pier, bring it to completion as ordered from us, and when it is completely removed, and it will be brought to such a state that the owner could enter and live in it, then give him the keys to gr. Gr. Gr. Orlov, for we grant him this house with all the furniture in it for eternal and hereditary possession.
F.S. Rokotov. Portrait of Catherine II. 1779
S. Torelli. Portrait of Count G.G. Orlov. 1763 
But the construction of the palace dragged on for a long time, and Orlov was not destined to read the inscription made on the frieze of the palace, at the behest of Catherine: “the building of gratitude”, he died without moving to this house, in Moscow, on April 13, 1783.
Upon the death of Orlov, Catherine turned to the relatives of the deceased with a proposal to buy out the property of Grigory Orlov, since, in her opinion, “it is redundant for you, selling it will be a means not only to pay off the debts of the late Prince Gr. Gr., but also to your own benefit will turn to all of you. She made an inventory and appraisal of this property, which, according to her calculations, amounted to "about a million and twenty thousand rubles." And with installment payments for ten years, the interest on her calculations will amount to "up to five hundred thousand rubles." When consent was obtained, she ordered "no duties on this sale to be taken."
After the death of Mikhail Ivanovich Mordvinov in 1782, Colonel Buxgevden was entrusted with the construction of the palace. Such detailed reporting as that of Mordvinov was no longer conducted in subsequent years, but only brief notes and reports exist.
In total, 1,219,677 rubles were spent on the construction of the palace from April 1768 to May 1785. 46 ¼ k. But this is without expenses for three years, from 1778 to 1780, since these reports of Mordvinov have not been preserved in the archives.
In terms of exterior decoration and interior decoration, the Marble Palace serves as an excellent monument to Catherine's generosity. The lower floor is lined with whole hewn wild stone, while the upper two are multi-colored, polished Finnish and Siberian marble.
A rich front staircase made of gray marble with niches for statues and vases, designed by Rinaldi, leads to the middle and upper floors.
Sculpture F.I. Shubin according to the drawing of the architect Rinaldi. Night, Morning, Noon, Evening. 
Plafond of the main staircase. I. Christ. "The Judgment of Paris". 
On the day of the wedding. book. Konstantin Pavlovich (February 15, 1796), which took place in the church of the Winter Palace, after the dinner table in the St. George's Hall and at the end of the ball, a reception was held for the newlyweds in the Marble Palace. A few days later, Catherine was dining with her grandson and this is what she wrote about the Marble Palace in a letter to Grimm: “Je pense qu'il est difficile de trouver une plus belle maison, plus richement meublee et avec plus de gout, de commodite, de richesse ; nous sommes amuses avant et après le diner a parcourir toute la maison, et j'en suis tres contente, et le sieur Constantin aussi."
Shortly after the partition of Poland, in 1797, the King of Poland, Stanislav-August Poniatowski, arrived in St. Petersburg, who chose the latter from the palaces proposed for him and his retinue: Stone, Tauride and Marble, which is why Konstantin Pavlovich had to temporarily settle in the house of the former chief marshal Shepelev.
In 1798, in February, Poniatowski died in the Marble Palace and was buried on February 18 under the Catholic Church on Nevsky Prospekt.
Marcello Baciarelli. Death of Stanislaw-August Poniatowski. 
Upon the death of Konstantin Pavlovich (June 27, 1831), the Marble Palace was empty, most of the furniture and belongings were transferred to other palaces, and on March 6, 1832, the palace was assigned to Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich.
Since 1849, for 4 years, the palace has undergone extensive repairs. Restored by Alexander Pavlovich Bryullov.
On December 10, 1849, the Marble Palace was granted as a gift, into the hereditary possession of His Imperial Highness Konstantin Nikolayevich. In 1888, the palace passed to his son, Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich.
Interestingly, only Constantine owned the palace.
In 1919-1936, the building housed the Russian Academy of the History of Material Culture (essentially a museum of local lore), and after its liquidation, a branch of the Central Lenin Museum. To accommodate the exposition, the palace was redesigned by architects N.E. Lansere and D.A. Vasiliev, which led to the loss of the architectural decoration of the halls. In 1992, the Marble Palace was transferred to the Russian Museum.
White Hall. A.P. Bryullov
The hall is made in the Gothic style. At one time there was an arsenal here - a collection of weapons was kept. 
All the chandeliers from this hall were destroyed by the communists. They were melted down, so they needed non-ferrous metal.
Bryullov's drawings of these chandeliers have not been preserved, so it is not possible to restore them.
Therefore, the restorers made new chandeliers based on the surviving drawings of Bryullov.
The fireplace in the White Hall is authentic: 
Winter Garden. A.P. Bryullov
Marble Hall. A. Rinaldi. A.P. Bryullov 
Plafond S. Torelli. "Wedding of Cupid and Psyche" 
All the chandeliers in the Marble Hall are authentic: 
Eagles in honor of the one to whom the grateful Catherine built the palace: 
The sculptor Mikhail Kozlovsky made a bas-relief for the Marble Hall, representing Regulus returning from Rome to the Carthaginian captivity, and Camillus liberating Rome from the Gauls.
Regulus - Roman consul in 256 BC, who transferred the war with Carthage to Africa, won two victories over the Carthaginians; when they began to ask for peace, Regulus offered them extremely difficult conditions. The Carthaginians then gathered an army, inflicted a terrible defeat on the Romans and captured Regulus. He spent 5 years in captivity, after which an embassy was sent to Rome to negotiate a peace beneficial to Carthage. According to legend, along with this embassy, Regulus was sent to Rome with the condition that he return to Carthage if he fails to persuade the Romans to peace on the terms of Carthage. Regulus acted in Rome in favor of his compatriots, inciting them against Carthage, and since the embassy was unsuccessful, he returned to Carthage, where he was executed.
It is believed that this allegory was a hint of Ekaterina Orlov, who gave her the word not to disclose some of the secrets known to both of them. Allegory means fidelity to a given word.
The second bas-relief is Camillus liberating Rome from the Gauls.
In the 390s BC. after a seven-month siege, both the besieged and the besiegers began to starve, and an infection opened up among the Gauls. As a result, the parties were inclined to enter into negotiations. The leader of the Gauls, Brennus, agreed to retire with his army for a thousand pounds of gold. They brought gold and began to weigh. The Gauls wanted to trick the Romans and get more of the precious metal. At first slowly, and then openly, they began to pull down the scales with weights. The outraged Romans protested. Then Brenn took off his heavy sword and threw it on the scale where the weights stood. "What does it mean?!" the Romans exclaimed. "Woe to the vanquished - that's what it means!" shouted Brenn. At that moment Camillus appeared with his army, declared the treaty null and void, drove the Gauls out of the city and defeated them in a big battle eight miles from Rome.
What Catherine wanted to say with this allegory, I do not know. On the tour, we were not told a word about this bas-relief.
It is interesting that in Soviet times, Octobrists were accepted as pioneers in this hall.
To be continued.
The Marble Palace is located in the very center of St. Petersburg. Even by the standards of the Northern capital, which does not lack the most beautiful buildings, this monumental building stands out for its beauty and grandeur.
The Marble Palace is absolutely unique. This building was the only building in St. Petersburg, the facade of which is completely lined with natural marble. Marble was brought to the construction site from many countries of the world: a total of 32 varieties were used.
The palace was built at the behest of Empress Catherine II, who decided to make a generous gift to Count Grigory Orlov, who played a key role in the empress's enthronement.
Previously, on the site of the palace there was a Post Office Yard with a hotel, where Peter I repeatedly stayed. In 1769, the Italian architect A. Rinaldi demolished the Post Office building and started building the Marble Palace. The project of the building was developed with the participation of the Empress.
300 people worked daily at the construction site. Ekaterina regularly appeared at the construction site, noted and encouraged the most skilled builders.
Architecturally, the Marble Palace is an example of early classicism, one of the most striking in Russia. Colored marble, used in large quantities in the facing of the palace, emphasizes its monumentality and luxury.
Years have no power over the building - it has been preserved exactly in the form that first appeared before the eyes of St. Petersburg residents after the removal of scaffolding. Rinaldi ordered the upper floors to be lined with grayish marble, the lower - pink.
The empress took an active part in the development of the interiors of the palace. Due to the fact that the palace was built for Count Grigory Orlov, the queen ordered the architect to make the interior decoration masculinely strict. The chambers of the palace are distinguished by restraint and grandeur.
Busts, statues and bas-reliefs of representatives of the count's dynasty are installed in the Oryol Hall. In the Assembled Hall, the walls are covered with velvet and gold stucco. There are huge chandeliers on the ceiling. In the center of the main wall of the hall is a huge portrait of Catherine II.
Today the Marble Palace houses a branch of the Russian Museum. There are few permanent exhibitions in the palace, as it itself is a kind of museum attraction. In addition to the collection of weapons, tourists will be interested in the extensive Art Gallery, which includes over 200 paintings by famous artists from Western Europe. The Marble Palace regularly hosts exhibitions of classics of painting and contemporary artists, press conferences and master classes.
Video:
The Marble Palace in St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. Its main feature is that the craftsmen used more than 30 different types of marble in the construction of the building. Some of the varieties of marble used were quarried nearby, in the same city. Other types of material were imported from afar, from Italy itself. The Marble Palace was built in the 18th century, and was the first building built from such expensive and beautiful materials.
A bit about history
The construction of the Marble Palace took 17 years. This beautiful architectural structure was presented by Empress Catherine the Great to Count Grigory Orlov as a reward for special military services to the Fatherland. How it looks, look at the photo and video in the article. The long construction of the Palace did not allow Grigory Orlov to wait for a gift. He died, and Catherine the Great subsequently bought her own gift from the heirs of the count, and gave it to her grandson. Further, the Marble Palace located in St. Petersburg was passed from hand to hand, the architectural structure changed many owners. At different times, on the territory of this palace, one could see the library, the residence of the imperial family, and the art gallery. There was a period when a prisoner was kept here - the leader of the Polish confederates.
Palace reconstruction
In 1832, a reconstruction was carried out inside the building of the Marble Palace in St. Petersburg, and this architectural structure acquired one more floor, and besides it, a hall for balls, in which parties were held, famous throughout St. Petersburg, look at the video and a photo. At a time when Konstantin Romanov (son of Prince Nikolai Romanov) owned the Marble Palace, literary evenings, plays and performances on various topics were often held in the building. During the period of the October Revolution, the building of the marble palace housed various offices associated with the Ministry of Labor, created by the provisional government. The works of art collected in this Palace were then transferred to the Hermitage.
Description
The decoration of the Marble Palace inside amazes visitors with its splendor. Every detail of the interior here is imbued with the spirit of courage and courage. And indeed, the idea of Empress Catherine the Great was originally just that. She wanted to show the courage, courage and courage of the owner of the palace. In the palace halls there are various bas-reliefs and statues recreating various heroic events that took place in the life of Count Grigory Orlov. The construction of this architectural object was headed by an architect from Italy - Antonio Rinaldi, and with him the construction was carried out by about four hundred more craftsmen. Empress Catherine even came to see how the construction was being carried out, and upon completion she personally awarded the workers who took part in the creation of this architectural masterpiece.
The decoration of the first floor of the palace is made of gray marble, and the upper floors are decorated with beautiful pink marble. The halls from the inside are also finished with marble, and one of them has a name similar to the name of the Palace - Marble. Its walls are lined with Karelian, Italian, Greek marble, as well as Baikal lapis lazuli.
Main staircase
The main staircase of this palace is finished with grayish-silver marble, and the sculptural accompaniment of this staircase is represented by niches in which thematic sculptures are placed, personifying day, morning, evening, night, spring and autumn equinoxes. Bas-reliefs, figures of eagles, trophies - all these elements are made of white marble and are the decor of the main staircase of the Marble Palace.
Now the Marble Palace receives visitors daily, despite the reconstruction. Various thematic exhibitions are held inside the building. Visitors will be able to see paintings by foreign and domestic artists in this building. Getting to the architectural structure is easy. It will be enough for the traveler to drive to Millionnaya Street, 5. The entrance to the Marble Palace is paid, and its doors are open to visitors on all days except Tuesday. Discounts are valid for families and excursion groups.
The windows of the Marble Palace offer a beautiful and picturesque view of the Neva River. You can get here by metro, getting off at the station "Nevsky Prospekt" or by taxi, standing at the stop "Suvorovskaya Square". Route taxi numbers are K76 and K46.
What can tourists see
Now in the Marble Palace in St. Petersburg, tourists can see many interesting compositions and exhibits. Many of them reflect the role of Russian art in the global context. On the territory of the palace there is a permanent exhibition about foreign artists in Russia in the period of the 18th-19th centuries. By visiting it, you can learn useful information about the relationship between European and Russian artists. Another exposition called "The Ludwig Museum in the Russian Museum" allows you to trace how Russian art is developing in close relationship with the artistic culture of the world.
One of the last owners of the Marble Palace was Konstantin Romanov, and in his chambers there is now an exhibition telling visitors about one of the poets of the Silver Age, Konstantin Romanov, who lived in this room. This exhibition is also worth visiting for everyone who came to the Marble Palace for a tour.
Video
This is a short film that immerses you in the environment of the Marble Palace. After watching this video, you will have a clear idea of what the Marble Palace is, which is located in St. Petersburg. You can also subscribe to our channel and see other sights of our vast Russia.
Marble Palace.
In the historical center of St. Petersburg on the Palace Embankment there is an amazing building - the Marble Palace, a masterpiece of architecture of the 18th century, where for the first time natural stone - granite and marble - was so widely used in external and internal decoration.
For a quarter of a century, the building has been part of the building, which in its halls launched activities to popularize modern fine art, highlighting the role of compatriots' creativity in world culture.
History reference
In the time of Peter the Great, this place was the Post Office Yard. During a fire in 1737, a wooden two-story building completely burned down, and the resulting site was empty for a long time, until Catherine II ordered to build a palace here for her favorite Grigory Orlov. Filled with gratitude to the Orlov brothers, with the help of whom she ascended the Russian throne, the empress showed truly royal generosity, sparing no expense to create a beautiful palace, personally monitoring the progress of work and sketching.
The development of the project was entrusted to the Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi, who also supervised the construction. To implement an unusual idea, marble of different shades and varieties was delivered from Italy, Greece, Russia, after which it required painstaking and lengthy processing. The construction, which dragged on for almost two decades, was completed only in 1785, after the death of Orlov.
Catherine II, having bought the palace from the heirs of the most serene prince, presented it to her grandson Konstantin, who settled in it 10 years later - only after his marriage. Soon the grandmother evicted her grandson for bad behavior: the 16-year-old owner of the house fired rats from a cannon right in the room, frightening his wife.
In 1797 the palace became the home of the last king of Poland and his retinue. Having lost power in his country, Stanislav II Augustus spent the last two years of his life here.
Konstantin Pavlovich returned to the palace again, having received the title of Tsarevich (heir) in 1799, and after his abdication, the palace went to the treasury.
Until the end of the imperial reign of the Romanovs, the residence belonged to two more grand dukes named Konstantin: the son of Nicholas I - Konstantin Nikolaevich (admiral and one of the authors of the peasant reform), and then his grandson - Konstantin Konstantinovich (president of the Academy of Sciences and poet of the Silver Age). Not surprisingly, the palace was officially renamed Konstantinovsky.
In Soviet times, the building housed a branch of the Central Lenin Museum, and an armored car was installed in front of the eastern facade, similar to the one in which Ilyich spoke upon arrival in Petrograd. Later, the armored car was transferred to the artillery museum, and in 1994 the pedestal was occupied by the equestrian statue of Alexander III, made by Paolo Trubetskoy at the beginning of the 20th century - this largest and most monumental work of the famous Italian impressionist sculptor completed the ten-year period of his stay in Russia. Causing conflicting assessments in society (many saw in it a caricature of the king), the monument was nevertheless installed on the square in front of the Moscow railway station, and since 1937 it was kept in the storerooms of the Russian Museum. After the Marble Palace became a branch of the Russian Museum in 1992, and a new concept for its use was adopted - "Russian Art in the Context of the World Art", Trubetskoy's work was considered appropriate to include in the exhibition.
Building architecture
All facades of the building, made in the style of early classicism, are faced in the lower part with dark red granite. In the upper part, on a light gray granite background, Quaternary columns made of pink marble stand out, which alternate with window openings.
Facade of the Marble Palace from the side of the Neva embankment.
The gray marble window frames contrast with the white marble garlands placed between the rows of windows on the second and third floors. Around the perimeter of the attic there are vases made of gray dolomite. The design of the building, which has come down to us in its original form, is of great artistic value.
The main eastern facade is crowned with a tower with chimes. On both sides of it are figures symbolizing Generosity and Loyalty. The statues were made by the outstanding Russian master F.B. Shubin, more than 40 works of the sculptor adorn the interior of the palace.
As conceived by Antonio Rinaldi inside the building, the idea of stone facade decoration is continued by the main marble staircase, made in a restrained range of gray tones, strict and majestic at the same time. Its allegorical sculptural ensemble is unique, as it is the only work of its kind in St. Petersburg from the 18th century that has survived to this day. In the niches between the first and second floors there are four white marble statues - morning, afternoon, evening, night - representing the age categories: childhood, youth, maturity and old age. On the next floor, in rectangular niches, female and male figures symbolize the spring and autumn equinoxes. The entire ensemble is dedicated to Grigory Orlov and glorifies his exploits.
In the middle of the 19th century, the palace was overhauled and reconstructed under the guidance of the architect A. Bryullov. He created projects for new interiors of front and living quarters, applying different styles, using a variety of materials.
Exposition and attractions
On the ground floor of the main building of the Marble Palace there is a cloakroom, a ticket office and other auxiliary premises (by the way, we note that at the time of this writing there was no cafe for visitors to the palace - keep this in mind if you are planning a long inspection).
ceremonial halls
The main halls and a significant part of the permanent exhibition are located on the second floor. The main room of the palace is the Marble Hall, which strikes with the splendor of decoration using Greek and Italian, Karelian and Ural marble of different colors, as well as Baikal lapis lazuli.
Marble Hall.
Originally one-story, after the reconstruction of A. Bryullov, who increased the space by removing the ceilings, the hall became two-tiered. Light entering through two rows of windows reflects off the walls, creating an indescribable effect of the inner glow of the stone. The hall is decorated with numerous bas-reliefs, as well as the plafond "Cupid and Psyche".
The “Orlovsky” Hall, through which you need to go through to get to the aforementioned Marble Hall, enjoys great attention among visitors.
"Orlovsky" hall.
Luxurious stucco ceilings, rich painting of plafonds, complex pattern of type-setting parquet cause invariable admiration.
Ceiling in the "Orlovsky" hall of the Marble Palace.
The walls of the "Orlovsky" hall are also decorated with stucco and high reliefs.
High relief in the "Orlovsky" hall of the Marble Palace.
The ceremonial halls of the second floor - Lacquer and Chinese, the Greek Gallery, the Winter Garden and the Royal Living Room were restored in 2002-2010.
"Museum Ludwig in the Russian Museum"
Historical interiors have been restored only in a few halls of the palace - restoration work in other halls is still ongoing. Most of the rooms are a white cube, which is quite consistent with the paintings by Roy Lichtenstein, Ilya Kabakov or Igor Makarevich placed in it.
The work of Igor Makarevich.
In a simple frame, modern sculpture also looks advantageous, represented by the works of Claes Oldernburg, Grisha Bruskin, Vladimir Yankilevsky and other authors.
Vladimir Yankilevsky. "Triptych No. 14".
The museum owes the appearance of such works to collectors Irene and Peter Ludwig. In 1994, they donated part of their luxurious collection to the Russian Museum. A large sign at the entrance to the exposition contains a complete list of artists and sculptors whose works are exhibited: Warhol, Picasso, Burroughs, Beuys, Rauschenberg, Lüpertz, Wesselmann and many other equally famous names.
Tom Wesselman. "Steel Drawing".
Here, American pop art coexists with Russian impressionism, all conceivable and unthinkable genres of contemporary art are presented in several exhibition halls.
This is the only permanent exposition in Russia of works of the second half of the 20th century, which makes it possible to trace the trends in the development of Russian contemporary art and the place it occupies in the context of the world art.
Exhibition at the Ludwig Museum.
In addition, numerous other temporary exhibitions are dedicated to informal art, which are regularly held in the halls of the museum. Recall that the exposition "Ludwig Museum in the Russian Museum" is also located on the second floor.
Collection of brothers Rzhevsky
Another permanent exhibition on the second floor of the Marble Palace is the collection of St. Petersburg collectors by the Rzhevsky brothers, also donated to the Russian Museum. Most of the collection consists of paintings by venerable artists of the 18th-20th centuries, among them: I.K. Aivazovsky, I.I. Mashkov, B.M. Kustodiev. In addition, there are graphics, sculpture, furniture and interior bronze, wonderful porcelain. Of particular interest are rare pieces of clocks included in the collection - floor, fireplace, travel. They were made by masters of the late 18th - early 19th centuries, they are distinguished by their sophisticated decor, unique mechanisms, battles with the performance of various melodies.
As for the main building of the Marble Palace, all the permanent exhibitions are listed above. Note that temporary exhibitions are regularly held on the third floor.
Exhibition "Konstantin Romanov- Poet of the Silver Age
The memorial exposition "Konstantin Romanov - Poet of the Silver Age" deserves special mention, located on the first floor of the left wing of the palace in the former chambers of the Grand Duke. They get here only as part of a thematic tour conducted by the staff of the palace.
One of the most prominent representatives of the era at the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries, K.K. Romanov, a public and statesman, considered music and poetry to be his main love. Versatile gifted, he wrote poems, plays, critical articles. His lyrics inspired the best composers, and Romanov himself wrote romances based on the verses of Russian classics. His translation of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" is considered one of the most successful, published in 1899, he was repeatedly reprinted.
The original interiors of the private apartments are perfectly preserved and immerse visitors in the atmosphere of the owner's aesthetic tastes. The study and music room are made of mahogany in the Gothic style, where each carved detail is unique. There are secret doors. A mysterious and mysterious atmosphere of solitude reigns here, which the author of lyrical lines so appreciated, hiding behind a laconic signature - “K. R."…
Where is it located and how to get there
The museum is located on the same line with the Winter Palace (Hermitage) in front of the Field of Mars, in the area of the Trinity Bridge, at the address: Millionnaya Street, 5/1, which overlooks the southern facade of the building.
The nearest metro station is Nevsky Prospekt, but you need to walk ten minutes from it along the Griboyedov Canal embankment and then along the Field of Mars towards the Neva.
B is one of the most famous buildings of the 18th century. The palace was built according to the calculations of arch. A. Rinaldi at the behest of Catherine II for her favorite G.G. Orlov. It is known that the empress personally made a sketch of the future building, and the architect embodied her plan. Count Orlov was so delighted with the work of the architect that, as soon as he took possession, he ordered the installation of a marble relief with a portrait of Rinaldi.
The count was awarded such a royal gift for helping Catherine to take the Russian throne. The favorite appreciated the gift and, for his part, presented Catherine II with a huge diamond, the cost of which was almost equal to the cost of the entire building. Today this diamond is called “Orlov”.
The construction of the palace began in 1769, the construction work was led by M. Mordvinov. The Empress often came to the construction site and marked good craftsmen with special awards. In 1774, the decoration of facades and interior halls with granite and 32 types of marble began, moreover, white marble was brought from Italy. The roof was covered with copper sheets, the connection and soldering of which was carried out with such diligence that the roof stood without repair until 1931.
The construction of the palace took so long that Orlov, without waiting for its completion, died in 1783, on April 13. The work on the construction of Marble was coming to an end when another misfortune happened: A. Rinaldi fell from the scaffolding. The architect, without waiting for the completion of the construction, went to his home in Italy, leaving behind this great creation.
All halls, private chambers, boudoir, stairs, art galleries of the palace are richly decorated with gilding, stucco and statues. On the third floor there was a Library, living quarters, living rooms for card games, a Chinese sofa room, and a hall where they played ball. The palace is notable for the fact that there was the Catherine's Hall, glorifying Catherine and the Orlovsky Hall, glorifying Orlov and his brothers.
On the ground floor there was a boiler room, a kitchen, a church and service rooms, which were equipped with mechanisms that supply water to the Garden, a bathhouse, a kitchen and a pool.
After the revolution, the building passed to different departments, until the architect N. Lansere, in 1937, rebuilt it into a museum, trying to keep the interior decoration in its original form.
Today, the Marble Palace hosts exhibitions, meetings of political figures, scientific work is being carried out, and the premises are being restored.
You can get to the Marble Palace from the station. Metro - Nevsky Prospekt.
