Palace Square and Alexander Column: bird's eye view.

Palace Square is the main square of St. Petersburg and one of the most beautiful in the world, it is formed by historical monuments cultural heritage Russian Federation: Winter Palace, buildings of the General Staff and the headquarters of the Guards Corps, Alexander Column.

History and general information

The background of the square takes us back to the times of Peter the Great when the Admiralty Shipyard was built. In case of an enemy attack from land, an open space, the so-called glacis, was left in front of the fortress to ensure artillery action. Its fortification significance was soon lost: the site was first occupied by warehouses for Admiralty supplies, then a large Marine Market (overgrown with grass, it turned into the Admiralty Meadow).

In 1735, the imperial court of Anna Ioannovna moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg, to the Winter Palace, rebuilt according to the design of F. B. Rastrelli, the facades of which overlooked the Neva and the “meadow side”. A huge clearing with small ponds adjacent to the palace becomes the venue for high-society entertainment and folk festivals, the scope of which is amazing. By the highest decree, pavilions were erected, wine fountains were installed, huge carcasses of bulls were roasted for consumption by the people...

The imperial residence was repeatedly reconstructed under the leadership of the irreplaceable Rastrelli. He also owned the first project for organizing the square in front of the southern facade of the palace, completed in 1753, according to which it was considered in the form of a circle with a colonnade. Unfinished during the life of the Italian architect, the square was repeatedly redesigned and rebuilt.

Construction was completed in 1762 Winter Palace. Its grand opening by Easter was hampered only by the piles of construction debris that remained in a large area in front of the palace. Thanks to the extraordinary decision of Emperor Peter III, who allowed everyone to take everything that was there completely free of charge, crowds of townspeople cleared the huge space in a matter of hours. However, the emperor, who ruled for only a few months, did not have time to start improving the square.

During the reign of Catherine II, who overthrew him, the Commission for the Stone Structure of St. Petersburg, under the leadership of the outstanding city planner A.V. Kvasov, developed a General Plan, which outlined the arched border of the Admiralty Meadow, which in 1763 received official name Palace Square. In 1779, as part of the General Plan, a competition was announced for the redevelopment of the square; it was won by the simple and original design of J. Felten.

Felten's design of the palace square existed before the grandiose construction in 1819-1829, connected into a single magnificent whole - the brilliant creation of K. I. Rossi, which has survived to this day, is one of the most important works of the famous architect, embodying the motives of the victory of Russian weapons in the Patriotic War of 1812 of the year.

The facade of the General Staff building from Palace Square.

The emphasis is on the arch, giving the entire ensemble lightness and solemnity.

Triumphal Arch connecting Nevsky Prospekt and Palace Square.

It is decorated with the chariot of Glory with six rearing horses, soaring into the sky above the square.

"Chariot of Glory" over Arc de Triomphe General Staff.

Corresponding to the dimensions of the Winter Palace, the width of the arc and the height, as well as the position of the center, the structure was its complete opposite in style.

General Staff and Arc de Triomphe.

According to the architect's plan, the strict, majestic facade of the new building was supposed to architecturally balance the elegant, elegant appearance of the Winter Palace.

Palace Square after the rain.

The center of gravity of the composition was transferred to the square itself, which is emphasized by the Alexander Column erected in 1834.

Palace Square, Alexander Column and General Staff.

Located in the center of the square, the monument was made by the architect O. Montferrand in the Empire style, commissioned by Nicholas I in memory of the victory of his brother Alexander I over Napoleon. The tallest granite monolith in the world, weighing 600 tons, is held on the pedestal only by its own mass. A sculpture by B. Orlovsky - a gilded angel with the face of Emperor Alexander I - crowns the column. One hand is raised to heaven, with the other hand the angel holds a cross. Overall height monument - 47.5 meters. The pedestal is decorated with a bas-relief glorifying Russian soldiers in an allegorical form.

The appearance of the square was completed in 1843 by the building of the Headquarters of the Guards Troops, perfectly integrated into the already established ensemble by the famous Russian artist and architect A. Bryullov.

By a strange but fatal accident, the area, painted in light colors, acquired a dark red color by the beginning of the century. It is against this background that the bloody events of its subsequent history unfold. In 1905, a peaceful march of workers with a petition to the Tsar was shot here, and during the October Revolution a decisive battle took place with the troops of the Provisional Government.

In 1918-1944 of the Soviet period, the square bore the name of M. S. Uritsky, chairman of the Petrograd Cheka, who was killed in the General Staff building.
During the Great Patriotic War, they planned to establish a military airfield here, but abandoned this idea.

The impressive size of Palace Square (about 5 hectares) is conducive to large-scale events: public holidays, sports competitions, concerts, colorful show performances. Many foreign pop stars from Paul McCartney to Madonna and Sir Elton John have performed here; since the 2000s, the Scarlet Sails school leavers' holiday has been held annually.

And yet the most interesting and unusual events remain the events of the beginning of the last century:

A military performance-reconstruction, staged on November 7, 1920, with the participation of 6 thousand artists, dedicated to the October Revolution;

A unique chess game performed by sailors and Red Army soldiers, with real horses, took place in the summer of 1924: the area was laid out in the form of a huge chessboard, where Red Army soldiers corresponded to black pieces, and sailors to white ones. The commands were given over the phone by famous grandmasters Ilya Rabinovich and Pyotr Romanovsky.

The most beautiful building on Palace Square - the Winter Palace, occupies 9 hectares, contains about one and a half thousand rooms, and is currently the main building.

Unique and vast, made in the style of Russian classicism, Palace Square is included in the list World Heritage UNESCO will always be the pride of St. Petersburg residents, recalling the valor and glory of the city above the Neva. Every day this wonderful place is visited by thousands of citizens and visitors.

Panorama of Palace Square

By pressing and holding down the left button, move the mouse in different directions: you can look around without moving. When you click on the black square in the upper right corner of the interactive tour window, you will be taken to full-screen viewing mode.

1. Panorama of Palace Square.

2. Hermitage and Palace Square.

Where is it and how to get there

Convenient transport links allow you to get here without difficulty. Admiralteyskaya metro station is the nearest. Ground transportation(bus No. 7, 24, trolleybus routes No. 1, 7, 10, 11) will take you to the “Palace Square” stop.

Palace Square is located in the very center of St. Petersburg. This place is loved by all residents of the city. And numerous tourists coming to the Northern capital begin their sightseeing from here. The area is almost 5 hectares in size, for comparison it is twice the size of Red Square in Moscow.

The palace represents a whole architectural ensemble, consisting of historical buildings. Along the edges it is framed by the Winter Palace, the General Headquarters with a triumphal arch and the Headquarters of the Guards Corps. And in the center rises the tall Alexander Column, decorated with a warlike angel. Other squares in St. Petersburg, although they have their own distinctive features, cannot boast of such scope and splendor.

This place is steeped in history. Numerous rallies took place here, and emperors read their decrees from here. Everyone also remembers such events on Dvortsovaya as “Bloody Sunday,” when protesting workers were dispersed (about 200 people died and about 800 were injured), and the storming of the Winter Palace in 1917, after which the country’s history turned upside down. But nowadays this place is interesting not only from a historical point of view. Numerous entertainment events are held here. Concerts, flash mobs and other shows on Palace Square attract thousands of people.

A little history

The history of Palace Square begins at the end of the 18th century, when Empress Catherine the Great decided to improve the area in front of the Winter Palace. The then famous architect J. Felten was hired for the work. He made drawings, proposing the construction of additional buildings. But he could not bring his idea to life; he died. And all the main work was then done by an equally famous master - K. Rossi.

This architect based his project on the great victory of the Russian army over the troops of Napoleon. He decided to immortalize it historical event in stone. First of all, this affected the General Staff building. Not only that, then and now it is the longest in the world. There is a triumphal arch in the middle of the house - thus, C. Rossi originally divided the two wings of the building. The height of the arch is 28 meters and the width is 17 meters; at the top it is decorated with a bulky sculpture of a chariot.

15 years later (1834) the same Alexander Column appeared. Its author is the architect O. Montferrand, who, ironically, was French. This building also symbolizes the victory over Napoleon. For example, the angel on top tramples a snake with a cross, which is a clear expression of the triumph of Good over Evil.

And finally, the building of the Headquarters of the Guards Corps became the final touch of the modern Palace Square. It appeared in 1843 thanks to the efforts of the architect A. Bryullov.

It is interesting that all the buildings were built in different architectural styles, but this does not spoil the picture at all. On the contrary, they skillfully combine with each other.

Tourist Mecca

If you come to St. Petersburg, Palace Square will appear to you like a human anthill. Especially during major holidays. For example, on New Year Palace Square is crowded. But even on a normal day there are always a lot of people here - mostly tourists, who move in organized groups from one building to another. And the townspeople themselves enjoy spending their weekends here, since it’s never boring on Dvortsovaya.

Street performers and musicians have settled here for a long time. Of course, they do not perform in the very center of the square, preferring to stay on the periphery. Souvenir sellers are also located there. And if you want to grab a bite to eat, then near Dvortsovaya there are a lot of cozy cafes and expensive restaurants.

Palace Square in St. Petersburg. The main square of the city and the architectural ensemble formed by the Winter Palace, the building of the Headquarters of the Guards Corps, the building of the General Staff with the Triumphal Arch and the Alexander Column. The basis of the current city layout, starting from the Admiralty, was laid by Emperor Peter I in 1721. However, the plan for the reconstruction of the central city square of St. Petersburg, called the Palace Square, was approved only in 1765, and the imperial decree on transforming the square opposite the imperial Winter Palace was signed in 1778.

The first name of the square was Admiralty Meadow (on behalf of the Admiralty Shipyard); at the beginning of the 18th century it was a large field overgrown with grass, where luxurious festivities with folk festivities were often held.

The basis of the current Palace Square was the Winter Palace, built in 1754-1762 according to the design of B. F. Rastrelli.

Before the revolution, Palace Square was a frequent venue for military reviews and parades, and during the October Revolution of 1917, the decisive battle with the troops of the Provisional Government took place there.

In Soviet times, from 1918 to 1944, Palace Square was officially called Uritsky Square in honor of the prominent Bolshevik M. S. Uritsky, who was killed in the General Staff building.

During the Great Patriotic War, they planned to build a military airfield on the square, but later this idea was abandoned.

Now the main public holidays are organized on Palace Square, concerts, sports and social events are held.

The dimensions of Palace Square are about 5 hectares, in this parameter it surpasses Red Square in Moscow.

St. Petersburg Palace Square is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Note to tourists:

A visit to Palace Square will be of interest to all tourists who find themselves in St. Petersburg for the first time, to all those who are interested in the architecture of the 18th - first half of the 19th centuries, and can also become one of the points excursion program while exploring the neighboring attractions included in the architectural ensemble - , (where is located),

Every tourist visiting the Northern capital considers it his duty to visit here. Monumental, but elegant, huge, and at the same time cozy, Palace Square in St. Petersburg looks amazing in the photo, and in real life it can turn anyone’s head.

History of appearance, development

IN last years its appearance remains unchanged, but this was, of course, not always the case. Shaping its appearance for centuries, St. Petersburg and Palace Square were built up gradually. In November 1704 it was founded. It was also a fortress, and around it, as expected, a glacis was created - free space for artillery maneuvers in the event of an enemy attack from land. Later, the Marine Market operated here, and the remaining area was overgrown with grass and turned into Admiralty Meadow. Here cattle were grazed, military exercises were held, as well as fairs, performances, and folk festivals.
In 1753, Francesco Rastrelli designed a new type of square and the Winter Palace, facing it with its southern facade.

Winter Palace on Palace Square - the former royal residence, a symbol of the Elizabethan Baroque architectural style, the most Grand Palace In Petersburg. Since the first Soviet years, the most famous museum in Russia, the State Hermitage, has been operating here.

Admiralty Meadow

Palace Square originated as part of the glacis, the open space in front of the Admiralty, founded in 1704. Since then, there has been a meadow here, where cattle were often grazed. They called it Admiralty.

The highest naval ranks immediately began to settle near the shipyard. In 1705, at a distance of 200 fathoms from the Admiralty, according to the design of Domenico Trezzini, the house of Admiral General Fyodor Matveevich Apraksin was built. Two years later, Admiralty Advisor A. Kikin settled nearby. In 1712, Apraksin's house was rebuilt in stone; in 1716, the building was remodeled again, this time according to the design of the architect Leblon.

The western part of the meadow, near the route of the future Nevsky Prospekt, has been occupied by the Marine Market since 1705. It arose at the request of local artisans, who complained to Governor A.D. Menshikov about the absence of an establishment selling food and drink in Morskaya Sloboda. At the market they sold not only food, but also firewood and hay.

Next to the market, on the site of house No. 55 on the Moika embankment, the eminent house of Admiral Cornelius Kruys, President of the Admiralty Board, was built according to a standard design. Different sources say differently about the fate of this house. It either burned down in 1710, or was dismantled for the construction of the Petrovskoe Kruzhal tavern.

After Kikin's execution in 1718, his mansion was occupied by the Maritime Academy.

In the spring of 1721, an alley was planted on Bolshaya Perspektivnaya Road (Nevsky Prospekt). She divided the Admiralty Meadow into two parts. The western one later became Admiralty Square, and the eastern one gradually turned into Palace Square.

In 1728, according to his will, Apraksin’s house was passed to Peter II. The young emperor never settled here; he moved with the government to Moscow. Apraksin's house was empty all this time, but in 1731 it began to be rebuilt as the residence of Empress Anna Ioannovna. It was designed by B.K. Rastrelli and his son. To accommodate new premises, a neighboring plot belonging to the Maritime Academy was purchased. By 1735, the new Winter House of Anna Ioannovna was built here, with the main façade facing the Admiralty.

The square next to the Winter Palace was supposed to be surrounded by a colonnade, in the center of which a bronze statue of Anna Ioannovna by B. K. Rastrelli was to be installed. To do this, the area was cleared of random wooden buildings that had appeared here, right down to the alley. Near the southern end of the Winter Palace on the edge of the Admiralty Meadow, only a few service buildings were left. Among other things, a wooden arena built in 1732 according to the design of F.B. Rastrelli was moved from here. By November 10, 1738, it was opened “at the place indicated by the bereiter Schiederer near the stable mud hut houses” on the bank of the “newly conceived” Catherine Canal (site of house No. 28 on Nevsky Prospekt).

Admiralty Meadow was used as a platform for parades and folk festivals. For example, on January 27, 1740, a review of the imperial guard took place here. The troops marched along Nevsky Prospect to the Winter Palace with music and waving banners. At the same time, a masquerade was held in the palace for the nobility, and for the common people, treats were placed in the meadow - roasted bulls, fountains of red and white wine.

The space next to the imperial residence required appropriate care. In 1750, paving of the Admiralty Meadow with turf and cobblestones began. From that time on, “meadow” in the strict sense of the word disappeared.

The final touch in creating the ceremonial appearance of Palace Square was the refacing of the houses of the "card depot" and the Free Economic Society under a single façade with the General Staff building. This was done in 1842-1845 by the architect Ivan Chernik, who thus completed the plan of Carlo Rossi.

Palace Square was part of the morning walk route of Emperor Alexander II. He alone, without security, walked along Millionnaya Street, Winter Canal and Moika Embankment, and walked along the square to the Winter Palace. This was the case on April 2, 1879. When the Tsar turned from the Moika to the square near the Pevchesky Bridge, a tall man in an overcoat walked towards him with a quick step. Having caught up with Alexander II, he shot him with a pistol. The shot was unsuccessful. The Tsar, deftly weaving and dodging subsequent shots, ran towards the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The terrorist managed to shoot five times, after which he was knocked down by a gendarme who arrived in time. The man who attempted the life of Emperor Alexander II was Alexander Konstantinovich Solovyov, a member of the radical organization “Land and Freedom”.

There is a garden at the western facade of the Winter Palace. In 1900, a highly artistic wrought iron fence was installed around it, which received the Grand Prix at World's Fair in Paris. The author of the fence was the architect Robert Meltzer.

On January 9, 1905, in St. Petersburg, including on Palace Square, events took place that went down in Russian history as Bloody Sunday.

The cobblestone paving of Palace Square, of course, caused inconvenience for both passers-by and carriages passing through it. In 1911, the mayor of St. Petersburg invited the senior city gardener to consider setting up a flower garden on it. The following year, Zodchiy magazine published the following article:

“More than 10 years ago, a project for the reconstruction of Palace Square arose in the Administration, drawn up by the architect Meltser. It was supposed to pave this area, plant a line along the sidewalk with linden trees, lay out flower beds, install fountains and, by the way, demolish the boulevard from the headquarters to the Palace Bridge, cutting off the curvature of the Alexander garden, and arrange a passage in this place. The project received the Highest approval, but so far it has not been implemented. Currently, the project is being discussed again in the Council, and the city gardener has drawn up an estimate for the complete reconstruction of the area in the amount of 418 thousand rubles" [Quote . from 1, p. 269].

Despite all these plans, under tsarist rule, Palace Square remained a cobblestone street.

Before the First World War, all buildings on Palace Square were painted red brick colors. The events of 1917 took place precisely against such a background. In the 1940s, the buildings were again repainted in their characteristic light colors.

Palace Square after 1917

Immediately after the February Revolution of 1917, the Petrograd Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies approved the decision to "bury those killed during the days of the coup" on Palace Square. The architects were given the task of deciding where exactly the burial would take place in the square and what the monument above it would look like. The funeral was scheduled for March 10. Three days earlier, Alexei Maksimovich Gorky spoke to the Council, who proposed leaving Palace Square alone and arranging a burial on the Champ de Mars. This option caused controversy in the Council, in which the idea even arose to build a new “Freedom Square” on the site of the Alexander Garden, and bury the dead there. But this idea was abandoned immediately; under pressure from the architects, Gorky’s proposal was accepted. An additional argument was that there are many piles driven around the Alexander Column and digging graves there would be extremely difficult.

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin spoke on Palace Square twice. The first time this happened was on May 1 (April 18), 1917, when he, on behalf of the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party, spoke about the significance of the proletarian holiday May Day and the tasks of the Russian revolution. The second time Lenin spoke from the podium was on July 19, 1920, when a rally was held on Palace Square to mark the laying of the monument to Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. This monument was going to be installed in the garden of the Winter Palace, next to the temporary monument to Radishchev already located there.

After 1917, Gvardeyskaya Square became part of Dvortsovaya Square.

On August 30, 1918, the chairman of the Petrograd Extraordinary Commission, Moisei Solomonovich Uritsky, was killed at the entrance to the eastern building of the General Staff building. The killer was the Socialist Revolutionary Leonid Kanegisser, who was taking revenge for the execution of his comrade by the security officers. Already in October of the same year, Palace Square was named Uritsky Square.

In 1918, the fence of the Winter Palace garden was removed from the pedestal. During the May Day cleanup in 1920, 7,000 workers, students and cadets cleared the western part of Uritsky Square from boulders and rubble remaining from the pedestal destroyed a year ago. To help the workers, a narrow-gauge railway was even laid here. Railway, on which 100 trolleys moved. A fence was later installed around the park named after 9 January.

From then on, the labor motive would become the main one for all demonstrations at main square Leningrad. During Soviet times, demonstrations were held here on May 1 and November 7. For speeches at such events by leaders of various sizes, a platform was built at the gates of the Winter Palace. In addition to the already mentioned Lenin, Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev and other Soviet leaders (Zinoviev, Kirov, Popkov, Kuznetsov, Tolstikov, Kozlov, Romanov) spoke from it.

In the summer of 1924, a unique chess game took place on Palace Square. The role of the white figures was played by sailors, the black figures by Red Army soldiers. The horses were real. The moves were carried out according to the commands of I. Rabinovich and P. Romanovsky, who gave them over the phone.

In the spring of 1932, Palace Square was paved. At the same time, new underground communications were laid under it.

On January 13, 1944, on the first day of the operation to lift the Leningrad blockade, Palace Square returned its historical name.

For the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution (in 1977), it was decided to transform the paving of Palace Square. Architects B. N. Buldakov, G. A. Boykova, F. K. Romanovsky and artist V. A. Petrov drew up a project according to which the area was paved with rectangles of paving stones, which were divided by granite slabs. Pink granite was mined in the Vozrozhdenie quarry, and series - from the Kamennogorsk quarry. A “grid” of 460 cells was formed on 17,000 square meters.

In 1994, a decision was made to determine the location of the entrance hall of the Admiralteyskaya metro station. To locate it on the corner of Bolshaya Morskaya Street and Kirpichny Lane, it was necessary to resettle the house located there. Honored Architect of Russia Sergei Shmakov was proposed Alternative option. He drew up a project in which the exit from the metro would be organized in the Alexander Garden and on the first floor of the General Staff building, next to Nevsky Prospekt, from the granite portals existing there. It would be much cheaper to rebuild the first floor of this house. But Shmakov’s project was not accepted; the exit from the metro at the end of 2011 appeared where it was originally planned.

Since Soviet times, every New Year, May 9 and City Day (May 27) mass festive events are held on Palace Square. Since the 2000s, the Scarlet Sails holiday began to be held here on a large scale for school graduates.

On December 1, 2007, a commercial business began operating on Palace Square. ice rink. His appearance here caused heated controversy in the public. The main arguments of opponents of the skating rink were: violation of the architectural ensemble of Palace Square and the inability to get close to the Alexander Column. The skating rink existed here throughout the winter season, but did not appear in subsequent years.