New Michael Palace
Encyclopedia
The New Michael Palace (Ново-Михайловский дворец, Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace) was the third Saint Petersburg
palace designed by Andrei Stackenschneider for Nicholas I
's children. It was built between 1857 and 1862 on the Palace Embankment
, between the Hermitage Museum
buildings (to the west) and the Marble Palace
(to the east).
The palace was commissioned by Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia on the occasion of his wedding to Cecilie of Baden. The design is a Revivalist
medley of quotations from the Renaissance, Baroque, and the Louis XVI styles. The Rococo
interiors are ornate yet airy. The statuary is by David Jensen. Some of the paintings are by Michael Zichy.
A residential wing of the palace (the so-called Equerry Wing) fronts on Millionnaya Street
. Its decoration is not as riotous, but the distinctive curvilinear facade reflects the Italianate taste of the 1740s. The wing has its origin in the Baroque palace of Chancellor Tcherkassky whose design has been attributed to Pyotr Yeropkin
.
Since the Russian Revolution
, the edifice has housed the St. Petersburg branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies
. The building stands well preserved thanks to a major restoration effort in 2005-2009. The former stables were recently reconstructed with funds provided by Qaboos bin Said al Said in order to house some 1,000,000 Oriental books and manuscripts from the institute's collection.
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
palace designed by Andrei Stackenschneider for Nicholas I
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
's children. It was built between 1857 and 1862 on the Palace Embankment
Palace Embankment
The Palace Embankment or Palace Quay is a street along the Neva River in Central Saint Petersburg which contains the complex of the Hermitage Museum buildings , the Hermitage Theatre, the Marble Palace, the Vladimir Palace, the New Michael Palace and the Summer Garden.The street was laid out...
, between the Hermitage Museum
Hermitage Museum
The State Hermitage is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. One of the largest and oldest museums of the world, it was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been opened to the public since 1852. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display,...
buildings (to the west) and the Marble Palace
Marble Palace
Marble Palace is one of the first Neoclassical palaces in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is situated between the Field of Mars and Palace Quay, slightly to the east from New Michael Palace....
(to the east).
The palace was commissioned by Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia on the occasion of his wedding to Cecilie of Baden. The design is a Revivalist
Revivalism (architecture)
Revivalism in architecture is the use of visual styles that consciously echo the style of a previous architectural era.There were a number of architectural revivalist movements in the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries....
medley of quotations from the Renaissance, Baroque, and the Louis XVI styles. The Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
interiors are ornate yet airy. The statuary is by David Jensen. Some of the paintings are by Michael Zichy.
A residential wing of the palace (the so-called Equerry Wing) fronts on Millionnaya Street
Millionnaya Street
Millionnaya Street is a street in the Central District of St. Petersburg. It runs parallel to the Palace Quay from the Swan Canal to the Palace Square...
. Its decoration is not as riotous, but the distinctive curvilinear facade reflects the Italianate taste of the 1740s. The wing has its origin in the Baroque palace of Chancellor Tcherkassky whose design has been attributed to Pyotr Yeropkin
Pyotr Yeropkin
Pyotr Mikhailovich Yeropkin was a Russian architect credited with replanning Saint Petersburg after Peter the Great's death. It was Yeropkin who designed the famous Trident of the Nevsky, Voznesensky, and Gorokhovaya thoroughfares as the city's structural center...
.
Since the Russian Revolution
Russian Revolution
Russian Revolution can refer to:* Russian Revolution , a series of strikes and uprisings against Nicholas II, resulting in the creation of State Duma.* Russian Revolution...
, the edifice has housed the St. Petersburg branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies
Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences , formerly Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences, is Russia's leading research institution for the study of the countries and cultures of Asia and North Africa...
. The building stands well preserved thanks to a major restoration effort in 2005-2009. The former stables were recently reconstructed with funds provided by Qaboos bin Said al Said in order to house some 1,000,000 Oriental books and manuscripts from the institute's collection.