Description of the attraction
The Gomel Palace of the Rumyantsevs and Paskevichs is the main attraction of the city. The palace was built by the architect Ivan Starov for the Russian commander Pyotr Alekseevich Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky in 1794. The building was erected in the early classicism style. Its facade was decorated with porticoes of the Corinthian order. On the first floor of the palace there were ceremonial halls intended for official receptions and balls, and on the second - living quarters.
In 1796, the palace was inherited from his father Nikolai Petrovich Rumyantsev, a diplomat, philanthropist and statesman. After his death in 1826, the palace went to his younger brother, who five years later laid the palace to the treasury, and then sold it to the commander Ivan Fedorovich Paskevich.
The new owner ordered the alteration of the castle to the architect Adam Idzkowski. Under his leadership, a magnificent park was laid out and the palace was remodeled in accordance with the inclinations of the new owner. Paskevich was an avid collector and art connoisseur. He began to collect the famous collection of paintings, which is still kept in the museum.
After the death of his father, Fyodor Ivanovich Paskevich and his wife Irina Ivanovna (nee Vorontsova-Dashkova) decorated the palace to their liking and in accordance with new fashion trends. Fyodor Ivanovich carefully preserved and continued to collect a collection of his father's paintings.
After the revolution, a local history museum was located in the nationalized palace. After the Great Patriotic War, the Palace of Pioneers was located here. Currently, the palace houses a museum. State international diplomatic receptions and other high-level events are also held here. The palace is the national symbol of the Republic of Belarus and the “visiting card” of the city of Gomel. He was depicted in 2000 on a banknote of 20 thousand Belarusian rubles.
