Palaces of imperial favorites. Favorite residence of the three empresses Where is the palace of Elizabeth Petrovna

And, of course, the symbol of the Summer Garden and one of the symbols of St. Petersburg is the fence overlooking the Neva embankment, built in 1770-1784 by the architect Yu.M. Felton. But few people know that in this very place once stood summer palace Anna Ioannovna, which surprised contemporaries with its splendor.

Embankment of the Neva at the Summer Garden. It was here that the Summer Palace of Anna Ioannovna once stood.

The history of the construction of the palace of Anna Ioannovna

Initially, under Empress Catherine I, a “Hall for Glorious Celebrations” was built here, which was a wooden gallery and a hall with 11 windows along the facade. On May 21, 1725, the wedding of Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna (1708-1728) with the Duke of Holstein (Karl Friedrich of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp, 1700-1738) took place there. From this marriage was born Karl Peter Ulrich, the future Russian Emperor Peter III (1728-1762).

In 1731, by order of Empress Anna Ioannovna (1693-1740, reigned 1730-1740), the "Hall" was broken, and in just 6 weeks in 1732 a luxurious wooden palace was erected. Its architect was Francesco Rastrelli, and his father, Bartolomeo Rastrelli, also took part in the work. On June 1, 1732, the Empress solemnly entered the new Summer Palace. For the following years, she lived here from the beginning of May to the end of September.

Empress Anna Ioannovna, from an engraving by I. Sokolov, 1740

The palace was a one-story, elongated building. The central part of the façade was singled out, slopes to the Neva departed from the side wings. Along the roof was a balustrade, decorated with carvings and sculptures. Frequent windows were mirrored - a rarity for that time; through them one could see the interior decoration. The palace had 28 rooms, 10 of which were occupied by Biron. When Anna Ioannovna lived in the Summer Palace, four yachts were moored on the Neva, which gave fireworks during festivities and feasts.

Drawings of the Summer Palace of Anna Ioannovna, made by F.-B. Rastrelli

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The mysterious death of the Empress

The Empress died in the Summer Palace, and the farewell ceremony was also held here. Her death was preceded by strange events. On October 5 (16), 1740, during lunch with Biron, Anna Ioannovna lost consciousness. Doctors declared the disease fatal. M.I. Pylyaev in the book “Old Petersburg”, referring to the lady-in-waiting Bludov, writes the following (grammar and punctuation are preserved):

A few days before the death of Anna Ioannovna, the guard stood in the room, near the throne room, the sentry was at the open doors. The empress had already retired to the inner chambers; it was past midnight, and the officer sat down to take a nap. Suddenly, the sentry calls for guard duty, the soldiers lined up, the officer took out his sword to salute. Everyone sees - the Empress walks up and down the throne room, bowing her head thoughtfully, not paying attention to anyone. The whole platoon stands in anticipation, but, finally, the strangeness of a night walk through the throne room begins to confuse everyone. The officer, seeing that the empress does not want to leave the hall, finally decides to go the other way and ask if anyone knows the intentions of the empress. Here he meets Biron and reports to him. “It can’t be,” Biron says: “I’m from the empress now, she went into the bedroom to go to bed. “Look for yourself, she's in the throne room. Biron goes and sees her too. “It’s something wrong, it’s either a conspiracy or a deceit to act on the soldiers,” he says, runs to the empress and persuades her to come out in order to expose the impostor in the eyes of the guard, who uses some resemblance to her to fool people. The Empress decides to go out, as she was in a puddermantle. Biron goes with her. They see a woman, strikingly similar to the Empress, who is not in the least embarrassed. - Daring! - says Biron, and calls the whole guard; the soldiers and all those present see "two Anna Ioannovnas", of which the real and the ghost could be distinguished only by the outfit and by the fact that she came with Biron. The Empress, after standing for a moment in amazement, comes up to her, saying: “Who are you? Why did you come? Without answering a word, the ghost backs away, without taking his eyes off the empress, to the throne, ascends to it, and on the steps, turning his eyes once again to the empress, disappears. The Empress turns to Biron and says: This is my death, and goes to her room.

There are many unknowns in this story. Even as a child, Anna Ioannovna, a certain holy fool predicted that she would die after she saw her reflection without a mirror. In 1721, during a feast on the occasion of the proclamation of Peter I as emperor, the cracker announced that the women of the royal house would face death in a female guise. One could believe in mysticism, but ... The next day after the death of Anna Ioannovna, near the Green Bridge near the Moika River, a woman's corpse was found, strikingly similar to the late Empress. Was she the same ghost?

According to the will of Anna Ioannovna, signed the day after the appearance of the double, the throne passed to the 10-month-old John Antonovich, under whom Biron was regent. However, he did not have long to rule. On the night of November 8, Biron was arrested by Minich and exiled to. The baby emperor was taken from the Summer Palace to the Winter Palace, and from there to Shlisselburg.

The further fate of the palace

In 1748, already in the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, the Summer Palace was dismantled and moved to Yekaterinhof, serving as building material for two outbuildings that expanded the main palace. And after the revolution, in 1926, after several fires, the Ekateringof Palace was completely dismantled. So the Summer Palace of Anna Ioannovna ceased to exist.

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A large number of palace buildings, the richness and luxury of their decoration have been transforming the architectural appearance of St. Petersburg for many years. After all, this city is famous for its unique palaces of major officials, aristocrats and other noble people. Worthy of attention is the Summer Palace of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.

With the accession to the throne of the new empress, the next stage in the formation of cultural spheres began in the state. This heyday had an impact on the capital. The city has changed significantly. In the era of cultural development of St. Petersburg, preference was given to the construction of architectural monuments. The Summer Palace deserves special attention.

During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna (1741 - 1761), the construction of palaces had special meaning. Then Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, one of the best architects in the history of the state, was engaged in the erection of real masterpieces. Among his works is the Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna. It cannot be ignored as best work architect.

The Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna in St. Petersburg was erected by B. F. Rastrelli in the period from 1741 to 1744. According to the architect, the building included about 160 apartments, including a church and galleries. The palace was decorated with numerous sculptures, fountains and a garden. Over time, the residence experienced a number of changes associated with the dissatisfaction of the architect with his work. Construction activities continued here for several years.

The territory on which the Mikhailovsky Castle is located, in the first half of the 18th century, belonged to the Summer Garden - the royal estate of Peter I. Empress Anna Ioannovna ordered the construction of the palace to begin on this site. The construction was entrusted to the architect Rastrelli Jr. But the architect did not have time to start work during the life of the Empress. In 1740, power passed to Anna Leopoldovna, who decided to implement the project founded by her predecessor. But after a while, a palace coup takes place, as a result of which the imperial power passes to the youngest daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth. Tsesarevna gives F. B. Rastrelli the order to build the Summer Palace. The Empress liked the result of the architect's work so much that she doubled his salary. The exact date of laying the structure is still controversial. According to some historians, this event falls on July 24, 1741. Moreover, the beginning of the bookmark took place in the presence of Empress Anna, her husband, as well as some courtiers and members of the guard.

The Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna belongs to the Russian Baroque style. The so-called set of architectural trends formed on the territory Russian Empire and the Russian state in the XII-XIII centuries. The structures of this period were characterized by:
splendor and intricacy of architectural forms;
luxury finishes;
using modeling;
painting and gilding.

Among the styles of this era, Peter's baroque is distinguished, which arose thanks to the buildings not only of compatriots, but also of architects from Western Europe. They were invited by Peter I to ennoble the new capital, St. Petersburg. The most characteristic features of the Petrovsky baroque were:
rejection of the Byzantine manner;
simplicity and practicality;
facades in red and white shades;
the presence of symmetry of forms;
mansard roofs;
arched window openings.

Many of the engravings and drawings that have survived from that era depict almost exactly appearance palace. Stone was chosen as the basis for the first floor, and wood for the second. The building was painted in light pink shades, which is remarkable for the Baroque style. The basement was made of granite in gray-green color. The Summer Palace of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna had two facades: the main facade overlooked the Moika, towards the Summer Garden, and the other - to the Neva prospect. Outbuildings were located along the entire perimeter, which imitated a kind of isolation. A wide road was laid along the Fontanka, which was accompanied by greenhouses and fruit trees. Part of this territory was occupied by the Elephant Yard, the inhabitants of which, if desired, bathed in the Fontanka. The entrance to the palace was fenced with wide gates, on which gilded double-headed eagles shimmered. The gate was decorated with an openwork lattice. Behind the fence was a large front yard. The view of the main facade was blocked by large flower beds and trees, which turned into a kind of park. The main building was occupied by the Grand Hall. It was decorated with Bohemian mirrors, marble sculptures and paintings by famous artists. At the western side of the hall stood the royal throne. Living rooms, decorated with gilded carvings, led directly to the front hall. Outside, curly staircases approached the room.

During the year, a covered gallery was completed, through which it was possible to take a walk to the Summer Garden. Paintings by famous painters were hung on the walls of such a gallery. A terrace with a hanging garden was also designed here, which runs at the mezzanine level, where the Hermitage and the fountain were located. The contour of the terrace was fenced with a gilded lattice. Later, a palace church was added to this site. Some time later, a decorative park was planted near the palace. A huge labyrinth, bosquets and pavilions passed through it. Swings and carousels were placed in the center of the park. On the territory adjacent to the palace, a complex of water towers was built, since the previous water supply of the fountains did not have the necessary pressure. Similar water towers were ennobled with the help of palace painting.

The architect Rastrelli was not satisfied with his work. For this reason, a decade later, he brought the wooden Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna to a real masterpiece. Rastrelli regularly altered some parts of the building. So, later the walls were transformed with the help of figured platbands of windows and atlases. Lion masks and mascarons also served as their decoration.

The summer residence is Elizabeth's first own home. Before the Empress, no one lived in this building. The Tsesarevna occupied the eastern wing of the residence. The western wing was reserved for the courtiers. Queen Elizabeth admired the luxury of the Summer Palace. Every year in April the Empress left Winter Palace to temporarily settle in the summer. The whole yard moved with her. This event turned into a real ceremony, which was accompanied by an orchestra and artillery fire. In September, Elizabeth moved back.

In 1754, the Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna in St. Petersburg became the birthplace of Paul I, who soon came to power. In 1762, feasts were held here on the occasion of the peace agreement with Prussia. As soon as the new Emperor Paul I came to power, he immediately ordered the demolition of the building. In its place, a castle was erected, known today as Mikhailovsky. It was in this residence that the life of Paul I ended. According to one of the legends, the Mikhailovsky Castle was not built by chance on the site of the Summer Palace. The emperor wished to spend the rest of his life in the place where he was born. Another legend says that the archangel Michael appeared to the guard and ordered the construction of a temple on the territory where the Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna was located. After this incident, the emperor ordered the construction of a new palace and church in the name of Archangel Michael to begin. Thus, the Mikhailovsky Castle got its name by analogy with the temple of Michael the Archangel.

The Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna is an unpreserved imperial residence in St. Petersburg, built by B. F. Rastrelli in 1741-1744 on the site where the Mikhailovsky (Engineering) Castle is now located. Demolished in 1796.

Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna (built in 1741, demolished in 1797).
M.I. Makhaev 1756

In 1712 on south coast Washing where the pavilion is now Mikhailovsky garden, a small manor house was built for Ekaterina Alekseevna, completed with a turret with a gilded spire, which bore the pretentious name "Golden Mansions". According to him, the Big Meadow (the future Field of Mars) on the opposite bank received the name Tsaritsyn Meadow: it will be used most often in the 18th, and even at the beginning of the 19th century. The territory near the palace is called the 3rd Summer Garden. On July 11, 1721, the chamber junker of the Duke of Holstein Berchholtz, having examined the estate, wrote:

“The garden has been recently planted and therefore there is nothing in it yet, except for already quite large fruit trees. Five nearby ponds were dug here to keep live fish brought to the royal table.

In the greenhouses of the queen, the gardener Ekliben grew fruits rare for the northern latitudes: pineapples, bananas, etc.

Even then, the idea appeared to close the alley of the Summer Garden opposite the Karpiev Pond with a palace building. This is evidenced by the project of 1716-1717, preserved in the archives. Its possible author is J. B. Leblon. It depicts a small nine-axis palace, the elevated center of which is completed with a tetrahedral dome. Wide one-story galleries cover the court d'honneur with a magnificent figured parterre, facing the Moika. Behind there is a garden with numerous bosquets of various shapes. Fruit plantings have been preserved on the territory of the current Mikhailovsky Garden.
However, things did not go further than plans.



MAKHAEV Mikhail Ivanovich
Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna and front yard in front of it. View from the south. B. g. Ink, pen, brush

Under Anna Ioannovna, the 3rd Summer Garden turns into a "jagd-garten" - a garden for "chasing and shooting deer, wild boars, hares, as well as a gallery for hunters and stone walls to prevent bullets and shots from flying." At the same time, the “Vegetable Garden” was moved to Liteinaya Street, where the Mariinsky Hospital would later be built.

In the early 1740s. B. F. Rastrelli began the construction of one of the most remarkable buildings of the developed Russian baroque - the Summer Palace in the 3rd Summer Garden for the ruler Anna Leopoldovna.


Ivan ARGUNOV (1727(29)-1802). Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.

However, while the construction was underway, a revolution took place, and Elizaveta Petrovna became the mistress of the building. By 1744, the palace, wooden on stone cellars, was roughly finished. The architect, in the description of the buildings he created, spoke of him like this:

“This building had more than 160 apartments, including the church, hall and galleries. Everything was decorated with mirrors and rich sculptures, as well as a new garden, adorned with beautiful fountains, with the Hermitage built at ground floor level, surrounded by rich trellises, all the decorations of which were gilded.


Summer Palace.
Fragment of the "Axonometric plan of St. Petersburg 1765-1773 by P. de Saint-Hilaire".

Despite the location in the city limits, the building was decided according to the manor scheme. The plan was created under the clear influence of Versailles, which is especially noticeable from the side of the court d'honneur: the successively narrowing spaces enhanced the effect of the Baroque perspective of the courtyard, fenced off from the access road by a lattice of magnificent drawings with state emblems.
One-story outbuildings along the perimeter of the cour d'honneur emphasize the isolation of the ensemble, traditional for the Baroque. The rather flat decor of light pink facades (mezzanine pilasters with Corinthian capitals and rusticated stone plinth blades corresponding to them, figured window frames) was compensated by a rich play of volumes.
Complicated in plan, strongly developed side wings included courtyards with small flower stalls. Magnificent access porticos led to stair volumes, as always with Rastrelli, displaced from the central axis. From the main staircase, a series of living rooms, decorated with gilded carvings, led to the most representative hall of the palace - the Throne Room. Its double-height volume accentuated the center of the building.
Outside, curly staircases led to it, complemented by ramps from the side of the garden. Completed the appearance of the palace, giving it baroque splendor, numerous statues and vases on the pediments and balustrades crowning the building.
Rastrelli decorated the space up to the Moika with flower stalls with three fountain pools of complex outlines.

Summer Palace of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in St. Petersburg.
thin L. F. Bonstedt. (according to the drawing by M.I. Makhaev. 1753). 1847.

As is often the case with the creations of an architect, over time, a logical and harmonious initial plan changes to suit momentary requirements.
In 1744, for the transition of the Empress to the 2nd Summer Garden through the Moika, he built a one-story covered gallery, decorated with paintings hung on the walls. Here, in 1747, near the northwestern risalit, he creates a terrace hanging garden at the mezzanine level with the Hermitage pavilion and a fountain in the center of the stalls.
Along the contour, it is fenced with a magnificent gilded trellis grate, they arrange multi-march gatherings in the garden. Later, a palace church was added to the northeastern risalit, expanding it with an additional row of rooms from the Fontanka side.
Bay windows-lanterns appear on the western facade.

On the territory adjacent to the palace, a decorative park was laid out with a huge complex green labyrinth, bosquets, trellis arbors and two trapezoidal ponds with semicircular ledges (which have survived to this day, they acquired a free outline during the reconstruction of the park for the grand ducal residence). About his work in the park in 1745, Rastrelli reports:

“On the banks of the Moika, in a new garden, I built a large building of baths with a round salon and a fountain in several jets, with front rooms for relaxation.”

In the center of the park there were swings, slides, carousels. The device of the latter is unusual: revolving benches were placed around a large tree, and a gazebo was hidden in the crown, into which they climbed a spiral staircase.


Alexey Grekov. View of the Summer Palace of Empress Elizabeth

Another building located in the immediate vicinity of the northeastern corner of the palace is associated with the name of the architect: the water supply system for the fountains of the Summer Garden, made in the 1720s. no longer gave sufficient pressure, and did not correspond to the brilliance and grandeur of the imperial residence.
In the mid 1740s. Rastrelli builds water towers with an aqueduct across the Fontanka.
The technically complex, purely utilitarian building made of wood was decorated with palatial luxury: the wall painting imitated magnificent baroque modeling.

Despite the fact that the palace was the grand imperial residence, there was no direct communication with the Neva prospect: the road, which went among unpresentable random buildings (glaciers, greenhouses, workshops and the Elephant Yard stood on the banks of the Fontanka) turned onto Italianskaya Street, and only bypassing the palace and I. Shuvalov, built by Savva Chevakinsky, the crews through Malaya Sadovaya got to the central transport artery of the city.
A direct connection will appear only in the next century thanks to the work of C. Rossi.

Elizaveta Petrovna was very fond of the Summer Palace. In late April - early May (as the weather allowed), the solemn transfer of the Empress from the winter residence was decorated with a magnificent ceremonial with the participation of the court, the orchestra, regiments of the guard under the artillery salute of the cannon at the Winter Palace and guns Peter and Paul Fortress and the Admiralty.
At the same time, the imperial yachts, which were on the roadstead opposite Apraksin's house, sailed to the Summer Garden. On the way back, the queen set off in the last days of September with the same ceremonies.

On September 20, 1754, the future emperor Paul I was born within the walls of the palace. After the death of the queen, the palace is still used: the conclusion of peace with Prussia is celebrated here.
In the throne room, Catherine II receives congratulations from foreign ambassadors on her accession to the throne. However, over time, the owner begins to give preference to other summer residences, especially Tsarskoye Selo, and the building deteriorates.
First, he is taken under residence to G. Orlov, then to G. Potemkin. A catastrophic flood in September 1777 destroyed the fountain system of the Summer Garden. The fashion for regular parks passed, and the water cannons were not restored, while the unnecessary Rastrelli aqueduct was dismantled.


Mikhailovsky Castle from the side of the embankment. Fontanka.
Benjamin Patersen.

At the end of the 1770s. The palace was dismantled by order of Paul I for the construction of the Mikhailovsky Castle, the laying of which took place on February 28, 1797.

There are two legends of the founding of the Mikhailovsky Castle: according to one, Paul I said: “I want to die where I was born”, according to another, the soldier standing on the clock in the Summer Palace, when he dozed off, the Archangel Michael dreamed and ordered to tell the king to build a church on this place .

Beggrov K.P.
View of the Engineer's Castle from the Summer Garden. 1830s

Be that as it may, in February 1796, due to dilapidation, the Elizabethan dwelling was broken down and the construction of a new imperial stronghold began. And today, only the volumetric construction of the facade of the castle, facing the Summer Garden (perhaps, at the request of the monarch) and the magnificent drawings of M. I. Makhaev remind of the disappeared building.

***

St. Petersburg and suburbs

The reign of Elizabeth I was marked by a new stage in the development of architecture in the state, the emergence of the Elizabethan (Russian) Baroque. Built under the guidance of the chief architect Empress R.F. Bartolomeo's architectural monuments had a clear European influence, however, they were characterized by Russian scope and monumentality. One of these masterpieces was the Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna in St. Petersburg, which was compared with the French in style, lightness of architectural forms and richness of decoration. royal palace at Versailles.

Geographical location and architectural features of the Summer Palace of Elizabeth

We can get an idea of ​​what the Summer Palace of Elizabeth looked like from paintings and engravings, as well as the memoirs of contemporaries. The imperial residence was located on the site between the street. Italian, Ekaterininsky canal, Moika and Fontanka rivers. The palace was built in the 3rd Summer Garden, where the Mikhailovsky (also known as Engineering) Castle is located today.

According to the project, the palace provided for the presence of two facades overlooking the Moika (main) and in the direction of Nevsky Prospekt. In front of the main entrance to the building, a regularly operating park was laid out with trees and figured flower beds, benches and fountains. Visitors entered the courtyard through a wrought-iron gate.

The Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli had a second name - the Wooden Palace. Only the basement and walls of the first floor were made of stone, the second floor was completely made of wood. The pink and gray exterior walls looked elegant and light. Inside the room was decorated with rich stucco with gilding, sculptures and a large number of mirrors. The luxurious and elegant palace included more than 160 rooms, including a hall for ceremonial receptions and galleries.

Favorite residence of Elizabeth Petrovna

The entire court of Elizabeth I moved to the Summer Palace from the Winter Palace as soon as it got warmer: in April - May. The move was arranged solemnly, with a cannon salute and an orchestra, accompanied by a guards regiment. The return to the winter residence at the end of September was no less pompous.

Elizabeth loved her Summer Palace. It regularly hosted official receptions and balls. The future Emperor Paul I was born here.

Summer Palace of Elizabeth: the history of construction

The idea of ​​erecting a summer imperial residence appeared during the reign of Anna Leopoldovna, regent under the young Ivan VI, to whom the throne passed after Anna Ioannovna. The architect began to develop drawings at the end of 1740, and in July 1741 construction work began. In the same year, a coup took place and Elizaveta Petrovna, the youngest daughter of Peter the Great, came to power. The new empress approved the continuation of the construction of the palace and the work was carried out from 1741 to 1744. Historically, the construction was carried out not exactly according to the project. So, at the direction of Elizabeth through the river. Moika, a covered gallery was built for the transition from the palace to the 2nd Summer Garden.

After the death of Elizabeth I, the palace remained an imperial residence, festive events were held here at the end of the seven-year war with Prussia, and Catherine II received official congratulations on her coronation from foreign ambassadors, although she spent most of her time in Tsarskoye Selo. By decree of Paul I, the Summer Palace was destroyed in 1797 (officially - due to dilapidation), and in its place the modern Mikhailovsky Castle, known to us, was built, which became the residence of the emperor.


During the time of the first Romanov, Mikhail Fedorovich, Rubtsovo belonged to his mother, nun Martha. Having become king, Mikhail liked to spend summer time in Pokrovsky. In 1615, a wooden Temple in the name of Nicholas the Wonderworker, Mikhail erected it in gratitude for the salvation of Moscow from the Poles and in honor of the release of his father, Patriarch Filaret, from Polish captivity. Eight years later, the wooden temple was replaced by a stone one, and a palace was built where family celebrations were held.

V 1619 in memory of the deliverance of Moscow from the troops of the Polish prince Vladislav the stone temple of the Intercession was laid Holy Mother of God. According to the temple, the village began to be called "Pokrovskoye, Rubtsovo, too", and then simply Pokrovskoye.

Church of the Intercession in Rubtsovo.

Mikhail Fedorovich himself was engaged in the arrangement of the royal estate. Nearby were stables, kitchens, beehives, a brewery, a mill and other facilities.

The built wooden palace was facing the road and the river Gnilushki. V 1632 d. it was dammed, which formed Rybinsk pond, (the remains of which were buried in the 1920s). An orchard was laid out on the shore of the pond, where a few years later unique trees, shrubs, medicinal herbs and flowers were planted and a stone gazebo was built.

In Pokrovsky in 1627, the eldest daughter of Mikhail Fedorovich, Grand Duchess Irina Mikhailovna, was born, in honor of whose heavenly patroness a Church of the Martyr Irina. It was Irina Mikhailovna who got into the ownership of Pokrovskoye. Her brother, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, did not particularly favor the family estate, although he regularly visited the estate, especially in spring, summer and during the hunting season.

The young Tsar Peter II also liked to hunt here. V 1728 he came to Moscow with his young aunt Elizaveta Petrovna, and she very soon introduced him to dog and falconry in the vicinity of the Mother See. With their retinue, they often went hunting in Sokolniki and stayed at the old Pokrovsky Palace. The royal hunt became the theme of the famous painting by Valentin Serov.

Departure of Emperor Peter II and Tsesarevna Elizaveta Petrovna to hunt, art. V. Serov, 1900.

However, at the beginning 1730. Peter II died. The niece of Peter I Anna Ioannovna ascended the throne. Elizaveta Petrovna fell into disgrace, was expelled from St. Petersburg to Moscow and settled in the Pokrovsky Palace, which she loved, with her relatives Skavronsky and Gendrikov. The palace became the residence of the princess for more than ten years.

There is a legend that Elizabeth, having a cheerful disposition by nature, participated in festive round dances made up of intercession girls. She loved to dress up in a satin sundress and kokoshnik, weave a bright ribbon into her braid and sing ditties. This is very similar to Elizabeth, who, already becoming an empress, loved to organize metamorphosis carnivals, dressing in a man's costume to demonstrate her slender legs.

Ascended to the throne 1741, after the death of Anna Ioannovna, Elizabeth ruled for 20 years and all this time did not forget her beloved Pokrovsky. Already at the end of February 1741, having arrived in Moscow for the coronation, scheduled for April 25, and having barely visited the Kremlin cathedrals, Elizabeth left for Pokrovskoye, "to her winter home on the Yauza." In the autumn of the same year, on the orders of Elizabeth, her nephew Duke Peter of Holstein was brought there, whom she declared her heir to the Russian throne as the closest blood relative.

At the same time, the heir accepted the Orthodox faith and became known as Peter Fedorovich (Peter III). In February 1744, the Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst arrived at the Intercession Palace with her 14-year-old daughter Sophia-August-Frederica, who was destined to be the bride of Pyotr Fedorovich. On June 28, Sophia-Augusta was anointed, who received the name Ekaterina Alekseevna in Orthodoxy, and the next day she was betrothed to the heir to the throne.


Elizabeth visited Pokrovskoye from time to time and lived there for a long time, almost a year. In place of burned in a fire 1737 years, she built herself palace of stone. It was a risalite block with a front two-height hall and a system of enfilades intersecting at right angles. Typical, in general, for its time layout. But at the same time, the rooms were decorated in the “Chinese taste”, in the same style there were a lot of dishes in the palace.

In 1752, Pokrovskoye became part of the city. The state of the estate at that time no longer satisfied the imperial court. Here is how the architect Ivan Yakovlev described the palace: “In this palace, the ceilings and roof, covered with boards, came into great disrepair; and the soap house with the chambers, due to considerable dilapidation, must be rebuilt: and the palace will not be re-covered, will it be for strength with iron: and in addition to all the reconstruction, will it not be ordered that something be built again?

To draw up a new project for the expansion of the palace, he was invited F.-B. Rastrelli. BUT the architect wanted to add another floor, elevate the central part of the building and enrich the facades with baroque decor and semicircular ramps adjacent to the protruding central risalit. However, the project for the reconstruction of the building was not implemented, and it remained in its original form until until the second half of the nineteenth century.

But of great interest was the garden in Pokrovsky - one of the best in Moscow (planned by the same Rastrelli). Located in the form of a rectangle with a church in the center, it is pierced by longitudinal and transverse fan-shaped alleys diverging from the oval area around the church. The basis of the garden was fruit trees and shrubs. The parterres were planted with pears, apples, plums, cherries and hazels. Walking along them, you could relish to feast on.



Already in 1760, Elizabeth undertook a search for the Rastrelli project and asked if building materials had been stockpiled in connection with it? However, the matter stopped there.


Project for the reconstruction of the Pokrovsky Palace. Main facade. F.-B. Rastrelli, 1752 B., pen, ink, aq. RGADA.