Description of the attraction
In the second half of the 18th century, construction began on the right bank of the Fontanka River - from Simeonievsky to Anichkovsky Bridge. However, the corner section between Italianskaya Street and the river embankment remained empty for a long time. On the neighboring site, which was at that time in the possession of Countess Vorontsova, a two-story house with an eight-column portico was erected according to the project of an unknown architect. In 1799, Maria Antonovna Naryshkina, the wife of the chamberlain D. L. Naryshkina.
Almost immediately after the change of owners (formerly the owner of the palace was Countess Vorontsova), the mansion began to be rebuilt. The Naryshkins led a secular lifestyle, loved to arrange balls, concerts, performances, and therefore very soon a "muzeum" and a large dance hall, decorated with rows of columns faced with artificial marble, were attached to the palace building. Between them were sculptural panels dedicated to the Trojan War.
This place very quickly became very popular among the high society of St. Petersburg. In some memoirs of that time, it was said that sometimes up to 1000 people gathered in the palace for entertainment events. The Naryshkins' balls were attended by Krylov, Pushkin, Derzhavin, Vyazemsky. Often the emperor Alexander I himself came to entertainment performances and dance evenings. Moreover, there were persistent rumors that he was not only an honored guest, but also a personal friend of the hostess of the house. Hofmeister D. L. Naryshkin, stirring up gossip, out of 6 children recognized only one of his daughters as his own - Marina.
While the mansion was in the possession of the Naryshkin family, it was rebuilt many times. In the middle of the 19th century, a girl from the Naryshkin family married P. P. Shuvalov. The palace was rebuilt again. The reconstruction was carried out for almost 10 years. After the completion of all the work, the mansion was called the Shuvalov Palace. The White Column Hall appeared in it, which was the largest in St. Petersburg. The old traditions of evenings, balls, dinner parties and dinners remain. Now they were even more crowded and grander.
The authorship of the project of the facade of the reconstructed palace belongs to the architect N. E. Efimov. The decor of the ceremonial halls was made by Simon. In the design of the Golden Living Room, the master used the most complex wooden door and window frames. The spherical ceiling is decorated with ornamental molding and magnificent painting. The red living room is finished in polished dark walnut. In other halls and rooms, Gothic motifs are visible, for example in the Knights' Hall, where scenes of tournaments are depicted in the frieze.
After the October Revolution, the Museum of Life was located in the building of the Shuvalov Palace. In 17 rooms, collections of porcelain, faience, carved bones, silver, paintings were exhibited. In 1925 the collection was transferred to the city's museums and the Hermitage. The museum was abolished. At the beginning of the 30s, the House of Engineering and Technical Workers was placed in the palace.
During the war in 1941, an incendiary bomb hit the ceiling of the pillar hall. The building suffered serious damage. After the war, the palace was restored and reconstructed for new needs. A cafe, lounges, offices, exhibition halls appeared here. The reconstruction project belongs to M. Plotnikov. After the completion of all work in the former Shuvalov Palace, the opening of the House of Friendship and Peace with the Peoples of Foreign Countries took place.
Nowadays, the Shuvalov Palace hosts congresses, conferences, competitions, press conferences, fashion shows, anniversaries, weddings and other celebrations. The premises are provided to the St. Petersburg Center for International Cooperation located in the palace. In addition, for those who wish, they can conduct excursions to the historical halls of the palace.
Description added:
Yakobson Eduard Stanislavovich 2013-20-05
In the post-war period and until the end of the fifties, the Central Design Bureau No. 18 (TsKB-18) of the USSR Ministry of Shipbuilding Industry was located in the Shuvalov Palace, where projects of submarines of various types and purposes were developed.
