Mikhailovsky Castle (Engineers' Castle). Criminal fortress. The mystical history of Mikhailovsky Castle A story about Mikhailovsky Castle

The private chambers of the castle's inhabitants adjoined the halls of the front enfilade. The decoration of these premises reflected the tastes of their owners. Thus, the emperor’s bedroom, adjacent to Maria Feodorovna’s Boudoir, served as Pavel’s office at the same time, where he loved to read and be alone. The bedroom was decorated with white wooden panels, there was a small camp bed for the emperor, standing behind simple screens, as well as armchairs, stools and settees. The mahogany desk was decorated with an ivory balustrade with a frieze made from copies of antique cameos and bronze details (today in the Pavlovsk State Museum-Reserve). On the table there is an inkstand and candelabra made of ivory and amber with portraits of members of the imperial family in medallions. According to legend, the empress herself took part in the work on the turned parts for this table.

The bedroom walls were decorated with twenty-two paintings by Western European artists. First of all, paintings by the French marine painter C.-J. Vernet. It was in the Bedroom that Pavel was killed by the conspirators on the night of March 12, 1801.
The long-awaited illumination of the Mikhailovsky Castle took place on November 8, 1800, the day of St. Michael the Archangel. The decoration of the halls was not yet completed; the unhealthy climate of the building, built in haste, was well known. To slightly reduce dampness, freshly baked bread was placed on the windowsill. The emperor was unpretentious in everyday life and, despite the dampness and cold, the family had to settle into the new palace.
Drawings of the interiors have not survived to this day, which makes their restoration difficult and does not allow us to fully imagine what the residence looked like inside. Basic information about the decoration is contained in the description of the Mikhailovsky Castle by the German writer A. Kotzebue, which was compiled by order of Paul I.
Immediately after Paul's death, on the morning of March 12, 1801, the august family left the residence. After Paul's funeral, unique monuments of art and furnishings began to be removed from the castle. The building itself was designated to house government agencies and apartments for employees of the Court Office.
In 1822, Mikhailovsky Castle came under the control of the Military Engineering Department. Since 1823, by decree of Emperor Alexander I, the castle began to be called the Engineering Castle. The Engineering School is located here. This educational institution was founded on the initiative of Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich (the future Emperor Nicholas I), to train military engineers and sapper officers who were supposed to build fortresses according to the rules of the latest military art.
The premises of the former residence were converted for the needs of the school. In the interior chambers, the remains of mirrors and marble cladding were removed from the walls, picturesque lampshades were removed from the ceilings, and exquisite fireplaces were replaced with simple stoves. All luxury items were sold at public auction, so Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich expected to cover all the costs of repairing and remodeling the building.
Among the students of the Main Engineering School was F.M. Dostoevsky, he studied at the Engineering Castle from 1837 to 1843. Famous students also include: writer D.V. Grigorovich, scientists I.M. Sechenov and P.N. Yablochkov, composer Ts.A. Cui, hero of Sevastopol E.I. Totleben and many others.
The rooms where the assassination of Paul I took place in 1801 remained closed, and only in 1857 the rooms where the tragedy occurred opened their doors again.
Then, by decree of Emperor Alexander II and at his personal expense, a house church was built in the Bedroom and Corner Boudoir in the name of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul for the Nikolaev Engineering Academy and School. The design of the temple was drawn up by the architect K.A. Ukhtomsky. After the 1917 revolution, the church was closed and looted.
For almost two hundred years, military educational institutions, then various Soviet institutions, were located in the Mikhailovsky Castle; changes were repeatedly made in the layout of the entire ensemble, reconstruction of the buildings and interiors that were part of it.
In 1991, Mikhailovsky Castle became part of the architectural complex State Russian Museum. Currently, temporary exhibitions of the Russian Museum are held in the restored halls of the castle, as well as permanent exhibitions: “The History of the Castle and its Inhabitants”, “Ancient Subjects in Russian Art” and “The Renaissance and the Work of Russian Artists”.
In 2003, in the courtyard of the Mikhailovsky Castle, a monument to Paul I was erected by sculptor V.E. Gorevoy, architect V.I. Nalivaiko.

Today I’m in the mood to show and tell a little about the sad architectural monument Mikhailovsky (Engineering) Castle. About the place of birth and departure to another world of Paul I. “Our romantic emperor” (according to Pushkin) raved about the Middle Ages. His project is known to replace wars with tournaments of the rulers of the warring powers. An Orthodox man, a dedicated family man, he became the grandmaster of the Catholic Order of Malta, which presupposes celibacy.
On the map

To the south of the Summer Garden stands one of the most mysterious buildings in St. Petersburg - Mikhailovsky Castle. The castle is mysterious and unusual. For two hundred years now, since its foundation, it has been surrounded by mysterious legends and traditions. On the site of the Mikhailovsky Castle, Catherine I began the construction of a modest Summer Palace, which was completed during the reign of Anna Ioanovna. She fell in love with him and willingly spent the summer months here. The next empress, Elizaveta Petrovna, as soon as she ascended the throne, ordered the destruction of the building and the construction of a new Summer Palace. It is no coincidence that Empress Catherine II chose this palace to receive official congratulations on the occasion of her accession to the throne. Here in 1754 Emperor Paul I was born. Here he spent his youth. From here began his painfully long, forty-year journey to the throne. Having finally become emperor and being careful not to live in the Winter Palace, Paul, according to legend, once said: "I want to die where I was born." In the first month of the reign of Paul I, on November 28, 1796, a decree was issued: “For the permanent residence of the sovereign, build a new impregnable palace-castle with haste. He should stand on the site of the dilapidated Summer House.” In 1797, the wooden Summer Palace was dismantled on his orders. And in its place, the grandiose construction of a castle begins, named Mikhailovsky in honor of the Archangel Michael, on whose memorial day the castle was founded.
According to legend, one day the Archangel Michael appeared in radiance to a soldier standing guard at the old Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna. He ordered the sentry to immediately go to the emperor and say that this Summer Palace should be destroyed, and in its place a temple should be built in the name of Archangel Michael. The soldier did as the saint ordered, to which Paul allegedly replied: “His will will be done.” On the same day, he ordered the construction of a new palace and a church attached to it in the name of the archangel.
It is also surprising that the mysterious life of its owner - the most mystical Russian Emperor Paul I, which tragically ended within the walls of the castle, was also predicted by legend.
On the frieze of the castle there is an inscription: “THY HOUSE BECOMES THE HOLY OF THE LORD FOR THE LENGTH OF DAYS.” And one holy fool said that the number of years of the emperor’s life will be equal to the number of letters in the text of this saying. Whether it was a prediction or not is impossible to say for sure, but the fact of coincidence is obvious.

The supervision of construction by Paul I was entrusted to Vasily Ivanovich Bazhenov, the emperor’s mentor in architecture. The plan for the future building was drawn by Pavel himself. On March 4, 1797, a new decision was announced: “The construction of our Mikhailovsky Palace will be entrusted directly to our architect, collegiate adviser Brenna.” Vincenzo Brenna lived at that time in one of the houses of the Catholic Church of St. Catherine, and here the final design of the building was drawn up. In addition to the palace project, Brenna created a design for the arrangement of the surrounding space: the square in front of the castle, the arena, the stables and the guardhouse. The architect's assistants included Fyodor Svinin and Karl Rossi. With their help, drawings were drawn up and handed over to the emperor with the address: “Your Majesty. I have put in order the plans and drawings of the Mikhailovsky Palace designed by Your Imperial Majesty in accordance with the fundamentals and rules of art...”

Paul I hurried and accelerated construction. For these purposes, Vincenzo Brenna received the rank of state councilor, and Charles Cameron and Giacomo Quarenghi were sent to help him. In addition, E. Sokolov, I. Girsh and G. Pilnikov worked together with Brenna. To speed up the work, building materials intended for other construction projects were transferred here: decorative stone, columns, friezes and sculptures from Tsarskoe Selo and the Academy of Arts; from the construction site of St. Isaac's Cathedral - a frieze that was placed above the main gate; from the Tauride Palace - inlaid parquet.
The space around the palace was radically transformed. The approach to the building began from Italianskaya Street through triple semi-circular gates, the middle passage of which was intended only for members of the imperial family. Behind the gate there was a wide straight alley. On the sides of the alley there are buildings of stables and an arena (exertsirgauz). The alley ended at three-story pavilions (guardhouses), behind which the pre-castle fortifications began. The Square of the Constable was surrounded by a wide ditch, across which a wooden drawbridge was thrown. Cannons were placed on both sides of the bridge. In the center of the square is a monument to Peter I. Behind the monument there is a moat and three bridges. The middle bridge was intended only for the imperial family and foreign ambassadors. It led to the main entrance.
The castle, surrounded on all sides by water, was connected to the outside world by a chain bridge that rose at night.
Armed guards stood guard around the clock at the entrance to the dark well of the octagonal courtyard. The emperor's residence, isolated from the city, inspired both respectful awe and panic.

In 1800, on the square in front of the castle, a monument to Peter I was erected with the inscription “Great-grandfather, great-grandson,” cast in 1745-1747 according to the model of the sculptor B. K. Rastrelli, made during the life of Peter I. The marble-lined pedestal was carved by the architect F. I. Volkov. Bronze bas-reliefs are fixed on it
“The Battle of Poltava” and “The Battle of Gangut”, created by young sculptors V. I. Demut-Malinovsky, I. I. Terebenev and I. E. Moiseev under the direction of M. I. Kozlovsky. According to the plan of Paul I, the territory of the castle should have organically merged with the Summer Garden, thus uniting the actions of “great-grandfather and great-grandson”.
Paul was in a hurry to build the castle. February 1, 1801 impatient and categorical, together with his family, he moved into the residence, which had not yet been ventilated and dried. The forty days remaining before his villainous murder are permeated through and through with a mystical premonition of misfortune. For the first dinner at the Mikhailovsky Castle, Maria Fedorovna specially ordered a service with views of the castle. According to legend, when Pavel saw him, he almost shed tears and began kissing objects with the image of his beloved child. It was difficult to know whether this was a greeting or a farewell.

Just before his death, on the night of March 10-11, after dinner, Pavel got up from the table and went to the mirror. “Look, what a funny mirror. I see myself with my neck on the side,” Pavel laughed. And he left, if you believe the legend, saying either to himself or to his loved ones: “Whatever happens must happen.” That same night Pavel was strangled. Paul was a very educated man and was not without a practical mind. Some of his motives were distinguished by good intentions: he vigorously fought against abuses of service, bribery and bureaucracy, took measures to preserve forests, and helped reduce the prices of bread and salt. Another striking feature of the emperor was his fanatical piety. However, very often he gave free rein to his frantic and extravagant character. N.M. Karamzin wrote in “Notes on Ancient and New Russia” that Emperor Paul “ruled over general horror, not following any regulations except his own whim.” This could not but give rise to hatred towards him. There are 30 known attempts on his life. Finally, a conspiracy led by high-ranking government and military figures matured. Fear for their fate, hostility and personal hatred of Paul pushed them to commit regicide. The death of Paul, according to contemporaries, turned into a national holiday in St. Petersburg.

After Paul's death, the royal family returned to the Winter Palace. Finishing work in the castle was stopped, and it itself was abandoned. In 1819, Mikhailovsky Castle was transferred to the Main Engineering School. Hence its second name. In 1820, the canals surrounding the castle were filled in, and in the 1840s, part of the marble interior decoration was used for the construction of the New Hermitage. Since February 1823, the castle has officially been called “Engineering”. In 1820, Carl Rossi redeveloped the area around the castle and the canals were filled in. In 1829-1835, the interiors were reconstructed and redesigned for the needs of the engineering school by architect A. Ya. Andreev.

At the end of October, Mikhailovsky was the headquarters of the cadet rebellion of 1917, during the suppression of which it was occupied by soldiers of the Pavlovsky regiment. In the 1920-1930s, the Military Engineering School and the Military Engineering Historical Museum of the Red Army were located in Engineering, and in 1925-1932 - the Military Technical Academy. During the blockade it was subjected to shelling and bombing. The former main dining room was destroyed by a direct hit from a heavy aerial bomb on the eastern wing.
F.M. studied here in 1833–1843 and lived until 1841. Dostoevsky.
In 1991, a third of the castle’s premises were purchased by the Russian Museum, and in 1995, the museum purchased it completely. It has been restored, many of the interiors have been restored to the same form they were in under Paul. For the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, the Resurrection Canal and the Three-Span Bridge were reconstructed and opened. The inscription on the facade, previously covered with sheet metal, has been restored.

Also in the courtyard of the castle there is a monument to Paul I.
Sculptor Gorevoy V.E., architect Nalivaiko V.I. 2003

Drunk with wine and anger,
Hidden killers are coming,
There is insolence on their faces, fear in their hearts...
The unfaithful sentry is silent,
The drawbridge is silently lowered,
The gates are open in the darkness of the night
The hired hand of betrayal...
A.S. Pushkin

M Ikhailovsky or Engineering Castle of St. Petersburg.
This is not only a historical and architectural monument. This is the mystical castle-palace of Emperor Paul I, which became a predictor of his death. Legends and traditions of past centuries swirl around it, and even now there is still a lot of mystical and inexplicable things in the castle.

Some historical sources claim that the name is associated with the appearance of the Archangel Michael or his envoy to the guard soldier at the place where the castle was subsequently erected (perhaps in memory of this there is a small soldier in a niche near the bridge). This is exactly how the sovereign’s decision was previously explained to call the castle “Mikhailovsky” immediately after the start of construction.

The palace was built in an emergency... Pavel was in a hurry, taking away construction and finishing materials from other objects. And here is your first legend. Not only coins were laid in the foundation (as it should be for good luck). Pavel personally also laid commemorative bricks made of jasper.

I have a separate post about the construction of the castle-palace and its history in Pavlovian times and after it...

On November 8 (21), 1800, on the day of St. Michael the Archangel, the castle was solemnly consecrated, but work on its interior decoration continued until March 1801. The assassination of the emperor took place 40 days after the housewarming...

In a niche near the bridge, stalwart tin soldiers stand guard day and night. Even the shadow of the emperor is visible.

Some believe that this is Second Lieutenant Kizhe, a sort of Lieutenant Rzhevsky from the time of Paul I. He will bring good luck if you hit his head with a coin. Then he will swear...

Listen carefully, the place where he will send you is the promised land for you... (joke).

The second lieutenant is not the only mystical guard of the Mikhailovsky Castle.

They say the ghost of the murdered Emperor Paul still walks the dark corridors at night.
This is no longer a joke. His silhouette was seen immediately after his death, then during the years of revolutionary change. Even during the time of Soviet anti-religious atheism, the ghost regularly made your teeth chatter with fear.

The spirit of the murdered emperor frightens both religious people and atheists. Usually he comes exactly at midnight. Pavel knocks, looks out the window, tugs the curtains, creaks the parquet floor... even winks, inhabiting his own portrait. Some see light from the glow of the candle that Paul's spirit carries before him.
At night, doors slam loudly here (even if all the windows are closed). And those who are especially lucky and impressionable even hear the muffled sound of playing the harmonic, an ancient musical instrument that the emperor loved to listen to during his lifetime...

There is a belief that every year on the day of his death, Paul stands at his bedroom window and looks down. He counts passers-by... and takes the soul of 48th with him... however, there is no need to panic, this is just a legend. And he can take the soul only if there is a bright Moon in the sky.

Attention! In order not to incur the wrath of a ghost, when meeting you, you need to lower your head and say: “Good night, Your Imperial Majesty!” The Emperor will immediately disappear... otherwise, there may be trouble.

The portrait of the emperor is also naughty... for those interested, watch the video in the post under the link below.

In addition, according to legend, a casket with great Christian relics of the Order of Malta, including the “Grail,” is hidden in the dungeons of St. Michael’s Castle. This legend is not based on nothing! I have already written about it in detail, so I will not repeat it.

During the Great Patriotic War, the city leadership received information from the military from a deceased monk about a secret room under the basements of the castle where there was a silver casket with Christian relics and a certain mystical object that allowed one to travel in time and look into the future.

After the war, a commission on anomalous phenomena worked in the palace. Whether the reason was the desire to find the casket or frequent complaints about ghosts, it is no longer possible to find out. But a commission consisting of Soviet atheist scientists counted more than 17 inexplicable facts and inexplicable night lights (ghosts) in the castle. The materials were classified - no one intended to scare the religious population and amuse the communists.

In 2003, a monument to Paul I was erected in the courtyard of the castle by sculptor V. E. Gorevoy, architect V. I. Nalivaiko.

Surprisingly, during the renovation, an antique lampshade (a huge painting on the ceiling) from the main hall of the Catherine Palace was found in it. Previously, the lampshade was considered lost. Now it is in its historical place. The lampshade was rolled into a huge roll, which lay quietly in the corner, littered with various antique rubbish. But inventories took place there throughout the Soviet period! I wrote a detailed post about this on Mail, I’ll post it over time.

From secular legends - supposedly the color of the walls was chosen in honor of the glove of the emperor's favorite Anna Gagarina (Lopukhina).

But it’s time to move on to the main legend and the tragedy of the castle - assassination of Paul I

The brutal murder of Emperor Paul I in the Mikhailovsky Castle gave rise to many legends. According to evidence, a few days before the murder, the spirit of Peter I appeared to Paul, who warned his grandson about the danger that threatened him. They also said that on the day of the murder, Pavel saw in one of the mirrors the reflection of himself with a broken neck.

On the day of his death, Pavel was cheerful. But at breakfast he suddenly became sad, then stood up abruptly and said, “What happens, cannot be avoided!”

Some researchers believe that Paul knew about his imminent death and tried to avoid it in the palace. There is a legend that Hieroschemamonk Abel told Paul the approximate date of his death. Paul believed the predictors and this particular elder, because he accurately predicted the date of death of his mother, Catherine the Great. Allegedly, Paul asked him about his death and heard in response - “The number of Your years is like the counting of the letters of the saying above the gates of Your castle, in which is truly the promise and about Your Royal generation.”
This inscription was a modified text of the psalm of David (Ps. 93:6):

“YOUR HOUSE SHALL BE HOLY TO THE LORD FOR THE LENGTH OF DAYS ”

By order of Paul, the builders brought this inscription with copper letters from St. Isaac's Church, and for Isaac it was “stolen” from the Resurrection Novodevichy Convent.

Perhaps by the holiness of the test, Paul wanted to remove the “curse” of prediction from himself. Or perhaps he simply surrendered himself into the hands of God.

The inscription contains 47 letters, and Paul I was killed precisely at the age of 47.

When the conspirators came to kill Pavel, he could use the secret passage that was in his bedroom. There was enough time for this. But for some reason Pavel didn’t want to... the fact that he was hiding from the conspirators in the fireplace was quite possibly an invention of the killers.

An underground passage was dug from the Mikhailovsky Castle to the Vorontsov Palace. 3.5 km! At that time it was the longest underground passage in Russia, and possibly in the world. Some historians believe that it was precisely because of this that the conspirators entered the palace.

Here is a plan of the castle premises. I won’t write how the murder was committed; Google will tell you about it just as well as I can.

The conspirators failed to get him to abdicate the throne and...

As you know, the emperor died from an apocalyptic blow... to the head with a snuff box (the black humor of those times).

Not everyone knows that Pavel (for the first time for Russia), instead of an image of his profile, ordered the inscription to be minted on a silver ruble:

"NOT TO US, NOT TO US, BUT TO YOUR NAME."

The emperor took religion seriously.

Researchers generally consider the number 4 to be magical for Pavel. The total length of Paul's reign was 4 years, 4 months and 4 days. Mikhailovsky Castle (his main and favorite brainchild) took 4 years to build. And the emperor managed to live in it only for 40 days.

Engraving by Uthwaite after a drawing by Philippoto.

Paul tried to make the castle impregnable. Perhaps he foresaw future upheavals (according to some sources, the future of all the Romanovs was predicted for him) and Pavel wanted to protect his descendants, build a protected fortress house for them. Which would be guarded by soldiers and guns and the Lord God himself.

The palace was surrounded on all sides by water - from the north and east by the Moika and Fontanka rivers, and from the south and west by the Tserkovny and Voznesensky canals. The palace could only be reached via three drawbridges, which were very tightly guarded. In addition to bayonets, Paul was protected by guns and secret passages and numerous secret rooms of the castle.

But all this did not help Pavel. The elder’s prophecy came true... and his castle, instead of a defender of autocracy in Russia, turned into a mystical “dirty” place - no one else dared to trust the castle with their lives, because it could not even protect its creator, Emperor Paul.

It so happened that Paul I died in the same place where he was born. He erected the building of the Mikhailovsky Castle on the site of the wooden Summer Palace, where on October 1 (September 20), 1754, Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna gave birth to him...

The image of a ghost was actively used by senior cadets of the Nikolaev Engineering School, based in the Mikhailovsky Castle, to intimidate younger ones.
The fame of the ghost of Pavel was brought by the story of N.S. Leskov "Ghost in the Engineering Castle".

In Soviet times, there were complaints about doors slamming, footsteps involuntarily opening windows in the castle at night (which led to the alarm going off). In the 1980s, staff of the Commission on Anomalous Phenomena of the Russian Geographical Society of the Russian Academy of Sciences conducted a limited and informal study of supposed anomalous activity in the building (which was simply amazing for that time).

The research consisted of a detailed survey of employees, filming the premises with a film camera, measuring the magnetic field, and even examining the premises with a “frame” or “dowsing”. The study's findings are kept secret.

They met a long time ago - great-grandfather and great-grandson... I’m sure they had something to tell each other about. If Pavel had lived, the history of Russia would definitely have turned out differently. And it’s not a fact that it would have been less great; Paul was preparing to take India in alliance with Napoleon. At the very least, a war with Napoleon would certainly have been avoided, but it would obviously have been necessary to fight with England together with Napoleon and capture India. I don't even know which is better.

Some photos and information (C) Internet

Mikhailovsky Castle is the largest architectural monument, completing the history of St. Petersburg architecture of the 18th century. It was erected on the site of the Summer Palace of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna (architect F.-B. Rastrelli, 1740s), dismantled by order of Emperor Paul I immediately after death of his mother, Catherine II. The general plan for creating the castle and the first sketches of its layout belonged to Pavel Petrovich himself. Work on the project of his future residence began in 1784. During the design process, which lasted almost 12 years, the Grand Duke turned to various architectural examples that he saw during his trip abroad in 1781-1782. Architects were involved in working on the project at its various stages A.-F.-G.Violier, V. Brenna, V.I. Bazhenov. One of the possible sites for the construction of a new palace was Gatchina.

The son of Catherine II was able to carry out the construction plan only after his accession to the throne in November 1796. On February 28, 1797, the foundation stone ceremony of the castle took place. Its construction was carried out under the direction of the architect Brenna, who reworked the original design of the palace and created artistic decoration of its interiors. On November 8, 1800, on the day of St. Michael the Archangel, the castle was solemnly consecrated, but work on its interior decoration continued until March 1801.

The unique appearance of this building, combining contradictory architectural trends and stylistic techniques, sets it apart in the general mainstream of the development of Russian classicism. However, it is the Mikhailovsky Castle that is perceived as the most expressive symbol of the Pavlovian era. Its appearance clearly embodied the artistic tastes and originality of the personality of the owner and main creator - Emperor Paul I. The majestic bulk of the “Palace of St. Michael”, as the castle was called in documents of the 18th century, rose on an island bounded from the north and east by the waters of the Moika and Fontanka rivers. On the western and southern sides the island was washed by two specially dug canals - Resurrection and Tserkovny. The system of castle fortifications surrounding the palace and the Place de la Constable, located in front of it, included canals, semi-bastions, drawbridges and cannons. In the center of the square there was a monument to Peter I, cast in 1745-1747. based on the model of B.K. Rastrelli, made during the life of the great great-grandfather Paul I.

Mikhailovsky Castle was the imperial residence only for forty days. On the night of March 11-12, 1801, Emperor Paul I was killed in his bedroom, becoming a victim of a palace conspiracy. Soon after this event, artistic treasures were removed from the castle, and its state rooms were adapted for various departmental institutions and distributed as residential apartments.

In the early 1820s. the building was transferred to the Main Engineering School. In February 1823 it received a new name - Engineering Castle. After the death of Emperor Nicholas I, the august patron of the school, the educational institutions located within its walls began to be called the Nikolaev Engineering Academy and School. Their teachers and graduates were many outstanding figures of Russian history and culture: writers F.M. Dostoevsky and D.V. Grigorovich, scientists I.M. Sechenov and P.N. Yablochkov, composer Ts.A. Cui, hero of Sevastopol E.I. Totleben and many others.

Over the course of two centuries, when military educational institutions and then various Soviet institutions were located here, changes were repeatedly made in the layout of the entire ensemble, reconstruction of the buildings and interiors that were part of it.

In 1991, Mikhailovsky Castle became part of the architectural complex of the State Russian Museum.

The ensemble of the Mikhailovsky Castle includes two pavilions located on Inzhenernaya Street.

In the Eastern Pavilion (Inzhenernaya St., 10) there is the “Russian Center for Museum Pedagogy and Children's Creativity” - a department of the Russian Museum.

In the Western Pavilion (Inzhenernaya St., 8) the Multimedia Center of the Russian Museum is located, the multimedia exhibition “Our Romantic Emperor” is running, and is being held. The building also houses the coordination center for the international project “Russian Museum: Virtual Branch”.

Architecture and interiors

The basis of the planned structure of the palace is a square with rounded corners, into which the octagon of the internal front courtyard is inscribed. Each facade has its own “face”, which gives the building a special picturesqueness and allows you to find many viewpoints when viewing it. Nevertheless, the palace is perceived as a holistic volume, since all facades are united by a granite plinth, a common interfloor cornice and decorative design elements.

The main facade is particularly solemn and monumental. Two marble obelisks, decorated with military fittings and gilded monograms of Paul I, sound a powerful chord in its architecture. In the tympanum of the pediment there is a bas-relief “History brings the glory of Russia to its tablets,” executed by the Stagi brothers. On the frieze under the pediment there is an inscription - “The holiness of the Lord is fitting for your house for the length of days,” which is a modified final line of the 93rd biblical psalm.

The northern facade facing the Summer Garden was designed completely differently. The nature of its sculptural decoration, a wide gentle staircase, a colonnade and a balcony - traditional elements of a garden facade, emphasize its appeal to nature.

Facing the Fontanka, the eastern facade of the castle has a small semicircular protrusion in the center, ending with a dome and a turret with a flagpole, on which the imperial standard fluttered during Paul I’s stay in the castle. Its modest design echoes the facades of “particular” houses located on the opposite bank of the Fontanka.

The design of the western (church) façade was particularly influenced by Brenna’s ability to paint her compositions picturesquely and lavishly, which impressed Paul. The volume of the church is marked by a strongly developed central projection, and its sculptural decoration speaks of the cult purpose of this part of the structure.

Contemporaries called the interiors of the Mikhailovsky Castle “a miracle of luxury and taste.” The masters of monumental painting P.K. took part in their artistic design. and J. Scotti, A. Vigi, J. Mettenleiter, sculptors K. Albani, I. P. Prokofiev, P. I. Sokolov, painters I. A. Akimov, A. M. Ivanov and others. Like many aristocratic palaces of that era, the castle combined the functions of the ceremonial residence of the imperial family and a museum of art collections of ancient, Western European and Russian art. An enfilade of ceremonial galleries - the Hall of Antiques, the Raphael Gallery, the Laocoon Gallery, the Arabesque Gallery - was located along the perimeter of the courtyard and was filled with first-class works of art from the collection of Paul I. Many items of palace decoration were made according to drawings by Vincenzo Brenna and his young student Carlo Rossi.

Owners

Emperor Paul I(09/20/1754 - 03/12/1801), son of Peter III Fedorovich - grandson of Peter I (born Karl-Peter-Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp) and Catherine II Alekseevna (nee Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst). In 1761 he was declared heir to the throne and crown prince, and from 1762 - sovereign Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. Having ascended the throne, Catherine II in 1762 appointed Pavel Petrovich colonel of the Cuirassier regiment named after him and admiral general. In 1773, on behalf of her son, under the Treaty of Tsarskoye Selo, she exchanged Schleswig and Holstein for Oldenburg, which belonged to Denmark, in the same year he confirmed the transfer of this possession to his relative, a representative of the younger line of the Holstein house, Bishop of Lübeck Friedrich-August (with the title of Duke of Oldenburg), retaining He also retained the title of Duke and the right to dispose of the Oldenburg throne after the end of the ruling family.

09/29/1773 married Grand Duchess Natalya Alekseevna (06/14/1755 - 04/15/1776), née Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt, who died during an unsuccessful birth. 09/26/1776 entered into a second marriage with Maria Feodorovna (10/14/1759 - 10/24/1828), née Princess of Württemberg.

Pavel received an excellent education, had extensive knowledge in various sciences, including military affairs and public administration, loved music, theater, and architecture, but during the life of Catherine II he was practically excluded from participation in state affairs.

He ascended the throne after the death of Catherine II (11/06/1796). Crowned 04/05/1797 Since 1798 Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem (Maltese). Many of Paul I's innovations caused discontent in society, and the strengthening of autocratic power was perceived by the nobility as a manifestation of tyranny and an attack on their rights, which became the main reason for the conspiracy against the emperor.

He was killed by conspirators on the night of March 11-12, 1801. in the Mikhailovsky Castle in his bedroom, located in the northwestern part of the mezzanine of the building.

Empress Maria Feodorovna(10/14/1759 - 10/24/1828). Second wife of Pavel Petrovich (since 1776). Born Princess Sophia-Dorothea-Augusta-Louise of Württemberg, daughter of Duke Friedrich-Eugene of Württemberg-Montbéliard and Frederica-Dorothea-Sophia, née Margravess of Brandenburg-Schwedt. She arrived in Russia in 1776, and then converted to Orthodoxy. She gave birth to Pavel Petrovich ten children - four sons (two of them became reigning emperors) and six daughters.

Maria Fedorovna was distinguished by her remarkable artistic talents - she painted, carved excellently in stone, bone and amber, was engaged in medal art, and played the piano. Botany occupied a special place among her hobbies.

All her life she was engaged in charitable activities, especially in the affairs of orphanages and orphanages. She made a great contribution to the development of women's education in Russia. Demanding of others, she was no less demanding and strict with herself, and was faithful to her rules and principles down to the smallest detail.

Her personal apartments in the Mikhailovsky Castle were located in the northern part of the mezzanine of the building, overlooking the Summer Garden.

Children of PaulIPetrovich and Maria Feodorovna

AAlexander Pavlovich(12/12/1777 - 11/19/1825). Declared heir to the throne on November 6, 1796. From March 12, 1801. - Emperor, crowned September 15, 1801 From September 28, 1793 married with Elizaveta Alekseevna(01/13/1779 - 05/04/1826), born Princess Louise Maria Augusta of Baden-Durlach. His personal apartments in the Mikhailovsky Castle occupied the north-eastern corner of the first floor of the building.

Konstantin Pavlovich(04/27/1779 - 06/15/1831), Grand Duke, Tsarevich. For participation in the Italian and Swiss campaigns, A.V. Suvorov (1799) was appointed inspector general of cavalry and received the title of crown prince. During the wars with Napoleonic France in 1805 - 1807 and 1812 - 1814 he commanded the guard. Since 1814, commander-in-chief of the Polish army and de facto governor of the Kingdom of Poland. In 1822 he renounced his rights to the Russian throne.

In his first marriage, from 02/15/1796, to Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna, née Princess Julia-Henrietta-Ulrike of Saxe-Saalfeld-Coburg (09/11/1781 - 07/31/1860), who left Russia in 1801. Officially divorced 03/20/1820 .

In the second (morganatic) marriage from 05/12/1820 with Joanna (Zhanetta) Antonovna Princess Łowicz (05/17/1795 - 11/17/1831), née Countess Grudzinskaya.

In 1806 - 1820 - civil marriage with Josephine, née Lemercier, by first marriage Friedrichs, from 1816, after the award of the Russian nobility, called Ulyana Mikhailovna Alexandrova, by second marriage (1820) - Weiss. She died in 1824. Konstantin's personal apartments in the Mikhailovsky Castle occupied the south-eastern corner of the mezzanine of the building.

Alexandra Pavlovna(07/29/1783 - 03/04/1801), Grand Duchess, Palatine of Hungary. From 10/19/1799 married to Archduke of Austria, Palatine of Hungary Joseph Anton (02/27/1776 - 01/01/1847), viceroy of the emperor in Hungary. She died a few days after giving birth.

Elena Pavlovna(13.12.1784–12.09.1803), Grand Duchess, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. From 10/12/1799 married to Crown Prince Friedrich-Ludwig of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (06/02/1778 - 11/17/1819).

Maria Pavlovna(02/04/1786 - 06/11/1859), Grand Duchess, Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, from 1853. The Dowager Grand Duchess also enjoyed the title of Grand Duchess. From July 22, 1804 married to Duke Karl-Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (01/22/1783 - 06/26/1853), Grand Duke from 1828

Ekaterina Pavlovna(05/10/1788 - 12/29/1818), Grand Duchess. She was awarded the title of Grand Duchess. She did not use the title of Duchess of Oldenburg. Since 1816 Queen of Württemberg. In his first marriage from April 18, 1809. with Prince Peter-Friedrich-Georg (George Petrovich) of Oldenburg (05/09/1784 - 12/15/1812). She lived with her husband in Russia. In his second marriage from January 12, 1816. with Friedrich Wilhelm, Crown Prince of Württemberg (09/16/1781 - 06/13/1864), who became 10/18/1816. Württemberg King Frederick William I.

Olga Pavlovna(07/11/1792 - 01/15/1795), Grand Duchess.

Anna Pavlovna(01/07/1795 - 02/17/1865), Grand Duchess, from 1840 Queen of the Netherlands, then Dowager Queen. From 02/09/1816 married to William, Prince of Nassau-Oran (06.12.1792 - 17.03.1849), from 1840 Grand Duke of Luxembourg, King of the Netherlands (William II).

Nikolai Pavlovich(06/25/1796 - 02/18/1855), Grand Duke, in 1823 appointed heir to the throne by Alexander I. On November 19, 1825 he ascended the Russian throne, reigned from December 14, 1825, was crowned on August 22, 1826 in Moscow and on May 12, 1829 in Warsaw.

From 07/01/1817, married to Alexandra Feodorovna, née Princess Frederica-Louise-Charlotte-Wilhelmina of Prussia (07/01/1798 - 10/20/1860).

Mikhail Pavlovich(01/28/1798 - 08/28/1849), Grand Duke. From birth, general-feldtseichmeister; since 1825 Inspector General for Engineering, Commander of the Guards Corps, since 1831. chief commander of the Page and all land cadet corps, since 1844. Commander-in-Chief of the Guards and Grenadier Corps. Participated in the Russian-Turkish war of 1828 - 1829, in the suppression of the Polish uprising of 1830 - 1831. He died during a campaign in Hungary. From 02/08/1824 married to Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, née Princess Frederica-Charlotte-Maria of Württemberg (12/28/1806 - 01/09/1873).

From November 25, 2019, the Church of the Archangel Michael in St. Michael's Castle will be open to the public, except during church services. Please note that no more than 60 people can be in the Church at the same time, taking into account excursion groups.

I will share with you a story about the St. Petersburg Mikhailovsky Castle, which is also called the “Engineers’ Castle”.

When it comes to talking about him, the expression immediately comes to mind: “You are heavy, Monomakh’s hat.”

It was here that the mysterious tragedy of the Romanov family happened - the murder of Paul I. Perhaps, keeping terrible secrets behind its walls, this building, majestic and pompous, also, according to my feelings, carries through the centuries some kind of hidden sadness.

I think that for all lovers of detective stories and thrillers, a visit to it will be especially interesting. Moreover, the castle is shrouded in a flair of legends, about which Nikolai Semyonovich Leskov wrote the wonderful work “Ghost in the Engineering Castle”.

But I will dispel the gloomy impressions. The castle is beautiful and its interiors are unique! I myself visited it for the first time at a reception among the guests on the occasion of honoring Russian translators - winners of one of the Italian competitions. The building struck me with its solemnity, and the buffet and chamber concert organized after the award ceremony perfectly complemented the atmosphere of imperial times.

But first things first.

History of the castle

I am sure that those who like to track the mysterious threads connecting any events will be interested in the history of the appearance of the Mikhailovsky Castle.

Location

I’ll tell you that it was built on the site of the Summer Palace of the Great’s daughter, Elizabeth. In it, in 1754, Princess Catherine gave birth to the future Sovereign Paul I, and then, during the palace “putsch” of 1762, she herself ascended the Russian throne.

Her son, at the beginning of his reign in 1796, ordered that a new impregnable palace-castle be built there for his permanent residence. The Emperor did not want to live in the Winter Palace. I will give you a legend that colors these events. A young man miraculously appeared to the guard of the Summer Palace, illuminated by heavenly light. He ordered to tell the emperor that it was necessary to “erect a temple and a house in the name of the Archangel Michael.”

The warrior hastened to fulfill the will of the Angel. So, supposedly, the site for the construction of the Mikhailovsky Castle was finally established. I note that this is an exceptional case in Russian palace construction, when the building was given the name not of the intended owner, but of a saint.

Construction of the palace

I hope you will be interested to know that the Emperor himself was responsible for the planning of the building. Paul I entrusted the architect Vasily Ivanovich Bazhenov with making professional adjustments, who mentored the emperor in architectural matters.

After all, Paul began to put his ideas on paper even before he was a monarch - in 1784. 12 years before the decision on the location of the palace was made, the “collection of Pavlovian projects” included 13 options! The foundation of the castle took place in February 1797 in the presence of the Sovereign's family. Bazhenov was not present due to illness. In March of the same year, the royal decision was announced to transfer construction management to “our architect, collegiate adviser Brenna.”

This master agreed to work on it “in great haste” (what can’t you do out of necessity?). Brenne was only a decorator, not an architect. F. Svinin and K. Rossi were called to help him. They jointly corrected the drawings of Paul I “in accordance with the fundamentals and rules of art...” But the king still “kept his hand on the pulse.” He ordered the construction of an octagonal courtyard, which showed that he belonged to the Order of Malta.

Paul I vigorously urged the builders. C. Cameron, D. Quarenghi and other architects were assigned to help V. Brenn. The rough work was ordered to be completed by 1797. Construction went on day and night, using torches. I note that at the whim of the monarch, building materials were used that were previously intended for the creation of other objects. For example, the Tauride Palace.

Duties on overseas items destined for Pavlovsk Castle were abolished. On the frieze of the south-eastern façade it now read: “To your house shall the holiness of the Lord befit the length of days” (modified words from the 92nd Psalm of King David).

And again along the way I will offer you a legend. They said that one holy fool predicted to Paul I that he would die at an age corresponding to the number of letters in this saying. True or false, but in fact this is what happened. On the tympanum (inner field) of the pediment there was another saying - “History records the glory of Russia on its tablets.” Pavlovsk mansions were decorated by P. Triscorni, D. Scotti and other then fashionable masters. By the way, please note that the façade of the palace temple, topped with a spire, faces Sadovaya Street.

The area around the palace also changed. The approach to it ran from Italianskaya Street, passing the triple gates, the middle passage of which was allocated only for the crowned family. Behind the gate there was an alley, on the sides of which there were a stable and a riding arena building (exertsirhaus). It abutted against the guardhouse (guard quarters), followed by the pre-palace fortifications. Paul I was concerned about personal safety.

The castle turned out to be very unique. It seemed to rise out of the water, surrounded by ditches and canals lined with stone (the work of the Petrozavodsk merchants Bekrenev).

The building was different in appearance from the buildings of that time. It looked more like a medieval fortress, erected in the manner of romantic classicism. But this particular castle is the brightest symbol of the Pavlovian era. He seems to reveal to us the personality traits of the Sovereign. It was not for nothing that contemporaries spoke of the palace interiors as “a miracle of luxury and taste.”

It combined imperial pomp and “museum-likeness,” supported by a mass of curiosities from Pavlov’s collections. Opposite the palace stretched the Place de la Constable.

It was planned to hold army exercises and parades, beloved by the Tsar. The square was also surrounded by a moat, with a wooden drawbridge flanked by cannon guns. A majestic monument to Peter I was placed in the center of the space, followed by three more bridges.

The festive consecration of the new castle took place on November 21, the day of the Archangel Michael, in 1800, and already on February 1 of the following year, Paul I and his court migrated to it. I found figures showing construction costs - more than 6 million rubles! Historians believe that this creation turned out to be the most expensive among the buildings of the 18th century.

Who lived and where

The son of Paul I, Alexander and his wife, were located on the first floor.

In the southwest there were the chambers of the second sovereign’s child, Nicholas, and in the southeastern part, the chief of equestrian I.I. Kutaisov. The king himself chose the northwestern premises to the left of the house temple. On the other side of the church lived his third son Konstantin.

On the side of the front yard were the rooms of Chief Marshal A.L. Naryshkin.

The Empress was allocated chambers on the second floor.

I’ll tell you that her rooms included a gallery, decorated with carpets with images of paintings by Raphael Santi. In general, there were quite a few paintings by famous artists in the castle. The main staircase surprised with columns made of Siberian marble. Beyond the Throne Room, decorated in green velvet, you would find yourself in the Laocoon Gallery, decorated with tapestries and sculptures. Behind it were the living room and the Marble Hall. The grand duchesses settled on the third floor. In short, there was plenty of space. And everything would be fine. But only Paul I was in such a hurry to move that he moved into the new castle without even waiting for the walls to dry.

Forty days of housekeeping in the castle

In my opinion, some kind of mysticism shrouds the fate of this monarch. He so longed to live in his unique palace, which he called nothing less than a castle! He himself developed construction projects in advance, and then maniacally focused all his efforts on the speedy construction of this building. But in reality? The king enjoyed the fruits of his (and the masses of the people) labors for only forty days. It was after this period that he would be brutally murdered in his own bedroom!

Let me add that life in those days in the palace was by no means a happy one. The building, magnificent in appearance, was terribly damp and cold. I will cite the testimony of a contemporary, historian A. Kotzebue. He considered this housing terribly unhealthy. In the halls, even with the fireplaces blazing, ice marks could be seen on the walls. True, in the chambers of the emperor and his wife things were better. The walls of their rooms were covered with wood, saving the day. But the rest of the residents had to “endure cruelly.” What can you do? The monarch's will! Maybe the royal rush to move was not only due to phobias or impatience to realize an old dream? It turns out that along with Paul I, his favorite, Anna Lopukhina, also moved to the Mikhailovsky Castle, leaving her husband’s house.

The Emperor had access to her chambers through a secret staircase. And so, exactly forty days later, on the night of March 11-12, 1801, the monarch was killed. Alexander Pavlovich, who took the throne, had a hard time experiencing this event all his life. Versions about his involvement in parricide are contradictory. But, in any case, knowing how you got the throne was, of course, a heavy burden.

I know a version according to which Alexander I, inclined to escape from the bustling world, faked his death. During his trip to the case, it was presented that the king suddenly died of typhus. At the same time, the corpse of another person was passed off as the sovereign. And the former emperor simply lived out his days as a hermit in the Siberian outback under the name of Elder Fyodor Kuzmich.

Remember about the “stubbornness” of Paul I when it came to his whims? It is possible that the son, who defeated Napoleon, banned Masonic lodges in 1822 and generally repeatedly showed hereditary “firm will”, eventually also fulfilled his deepest desire.

Subsequent fate of the castle

I told how the royal retinue moved into Mikhailovsky Castle with lightning speed. After the murder of Pavel, this entire company fled even more quickly from those icy choirs. The empty building became overgrown with legends and rumors.

Work on further improvement was mothballed, and the valuables began to be transported to other palaces. Only in 1819 (almost 20 years later) the Mikhailovsky Castle, by decree of Alexander Pavlovich, was given to the Main Engineering School. The building also has another name - Engineer's Castle. The famous C. Rossi redeveloped the surrounding area in 1820. The canals were filled up. It is clear that the educational institution also required redevelopment, which began in 1822.

The school authorities, unfortunately, were only concerned with the needs of the institution. Agree that people usually “give grist to their own mill.” That's what happened here too. No one was particularly concerned about preserving the historical appearance of the building. The work was carried out only taking into account the interests of the school. In addition, remember how Paul I used building materials intended for other objects for his castle? Now the building seemed to have to pay for those royal whims. Thus, when decorating the New Hermitage in the 1840s, marble from the chambers of the Mikhailovsky Castle began to be used. After the death of Sovereign Nikolai Pavlovich, the patron of the school, this institution began to be called the Nikolaev Engineering Academy and School in 1855.

According to the sketch of K. A. Ukhtomsky, in 1871, the Small School Church was built in the Main Bedroom, in which the Tsar was assassinated.

Legend of the Ghost

I think that everyone is familiar with the names of I.M. Sechenov, F.M. Dostoevsky, D.V. Grigorovich. Many Russian celebrities studied at the Mikhailovsky (Engineering) Castle. Talented people, especially in their youth, have a very rich imagination. Perhaps, thanks to the penchant for secrets and adventures, the legend of a ghost, which arose after the tragedy of Paul I, was so widely exaggerated within these walls. According to stories, the soul of the murdered emperor walked along the corridors at night.

Rumors about a ghost were exaggerated precisely among the school (obvious student folklore included in Leskov’s work, which I have already mentioned). It is clear that the older students intimidated the younger ones in this manner.

Although, I will tell you that even at the end of the 20th century, our contemporaries from the commission on anomalous phenomena (there is one) at the Russian Geographical Society of the Russian Academy of Sciences conducted their research in the Mikhailovsky Castle. In search of a miracle, they studied the territory with the help of a vine and tried to record “anomalies” on photographic film. True, they apparently did not dig up anything significant. Otherwise, the yellow press would have already “screamed” the sensational news.

Pre-revolutionary events in the castle

On the eve of the First World War, most of the engineering cadets went to the front.

By the revolutionary events of the autumn of 1917, only about a hundred cadet recruits remained at the Engineering School. On November 11, 1917, students and senior officers of the school organized an uprising against the Bolsheviks. Their headquarters was based in Mikhailovsky Castle. This action, clearly, was suppressed.

After the revolution, the building began to be occupied by various institutions.

I note that the engineering school, transformed into engineering courses (later the Leningrad Military Engineering School), remained within these walls. During the siege there was a hospital here. During the Nazi bombing of Leningrad, the eastern part of the castle was significantly damaged. A number of restoration works were carried out in 1953.

I will add that from 1957 to the present day the Central Naval Library has been located in the castle. Over the years, the Central Bank of Technical Information, GiproNIInemetallorud, Lengiproenergomash and other organizations were located here. And it turned out like the saying “with 7 nannies, a child without an eye.” With an abundance of “owners”, the condition of the castle by the 1990s turned out to be useless: the halls were blocked off here and there, the wall paintings were painted over, the stucco molding was destroyed...

The period of the late 20th century to the present day

But bright times have come for this architectural masterpiece. I note that in 1994 it was transferred to the State Russian Museum (except for the rooms of the Navy library).

The castle was restored for the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg. Fortunately, most of the interiors were restored to their original appearance. The façade inscription was also recreated.

Experts have fragmentarily reconstructed the Voskresensky Canal and the bridge, which once played a protective role. Today, wonderful exhibitions are open for you and me in the Mikhailovsky Castle. You can get to know them.

Perhaps some of you will be pleased to know that the castle often hosts lectures, meetings, concerts and even balls.

We read about them. I have already mentioned that I was once lucky enough to listen to classical music within these walls. Probably, form creates content just as it creates form. And musical masterpieces are perceived very harmoniously in such an environment. By the way, neither I nor my friends have encountered a ghost wandering the corridors!